PRESS CONFERENCE
Shibuya and Shinjuku Join Hands Against Overtourism and Halloween Street Drinking
Hasebe Ken, Mayor of Shibuya city
Yoshizumi Kenichi, Mayor of Shinjuku city
11:00-12:00 Monday, October 7, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
Shibuya and Shinjuku are two of Tokyo's most popular districts where people like to congregate – whether locals, domestic travelers and foreign tourists. But this also creates the challenge of overtourism, which can turn into overcrowding, public rowdiness and littering especially when alcohol is involved.
Shibuya found success in its crowd control measures for Halloween 2023, when it drew international headlines for its measures to ban street drinking around the festivities. The ward again implemented the ban for New Year's 2024, and has passed an ordinance that will result in a year-round ban on public drinking, albeit without penalties.
But Shibuya's favorable outcome created a nightmare for neighboring Shinjuku, as it turned out. Merrymakers instead found another home and brought similar problems to Shinjuku's Kabukicho district.
Shibuya Mayor Hasebe Ken and Shinjuku Mayor Yoshimizu Kenichi, who are acutely aware of the challenges surrounding year-round overtourism and festive overcrowding, will visit the Club to discuss their shared concerns and ideas to counter overtourism.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in and giving your name and contact details at the reception.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/EGGTRjnaZZ6wmWfu8
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee