Published on October 28, 2026. The images in this article are AI generated illustrations.
This Saturday, Halloween falls on October 31 for real, and on a weekend night, which Japanese media expect to draw larger crowds than usual to the spots famous for the celebration. Municipalities are on guard across the country, and nowhere more than in Shibuya, the Tokyo district that has turned crowd control for Halloween into an annual exercise. Its campaign, titled « GOODBYE BAD HALLOWEEN », repeats and tightens a set of measures that now shape what visitors can and cannot do this weekend. (Source : Tokyo Shimbun, October 27, 2026, voir la source ; FNN Prime, fnn.jp, September 30, 2026, voir la source)
The measures in Shibuya this weekend
The most visible one concerns the district's most photographed landmark. The famous Hachiko dog statue next to the station will be enclosed behind temporary fencing from Friday October 30 at 6am until the morning of Sunday November 1, and the ward suggests planning any statue visit before October 29 or after Sunday morning. Two press areas, including Hachiko Square, will be set up for media from 5pm on Saturday until 1am on Sunday. The ward also warns that the crowds may affect public transport operations around the station. (Source : Shibuya City, city.shibuya.tokyo.jp, October 20, 2026, voir la source)
Shops around the station are asked to refrain from selling alcohol from 6pm on October 31 until 5am the next morning, a request the ward renews every year after street parties repeatedly turned into trouble. Traffic restrictions will apply around Shibuya Station, and some shared electric kickboard ports, including LUUP stations, will be out of use during the period. (Source : FNN Prime, fnn.jp, September 30, 2026 ; NHK, news.web.nhk, September 30, 2026, voir la source)
Littering now costs 2,000 yen
The rule that has changed the most since last year is financial. Since June, Shibuya Ward collects a 2,000 yen administrative fine for littering, enforced by patrol teams, and it collected 1,412 such fines between June and the end of September. Patrols will be reinforced on Halloween night itself. The campaign's messages are also multilingual this year, with warnings published in English, Chinese and Korean alongside Japanese. (Source : FNN Prime, fnn.jp, September 30, 2026 ; Tokyo MX, s.mxtv.jp, October 1, 2026, voir la source)
Note also that street drinking is not a Halloween exception in Shibuya: a ward ordinance in force since October 2024 bans drinking on the streets around the station year round, independently of the seasonal measures. The weekend rules add a temporary layer on top of a framework that already exists. (Source : Tokyo Weekender, tokyoweekender.com, October 5, 2026, voir la source)
A quieter kind of warning campaign
The ward has also changed its tone. Instead of posters alone, it released a short animated video showing typical « nuisance Halloween » scenes, with the message « Already, should we stop? », and local media reported that the Hachiko statue enclosure would stand through the whole period. The message targets residents and visitors alike: come, enjoy, but the street is not a trash can or an open bar. (Source : Huffington Post Japan, huffingtonpost.jp, October 25, 2026, voir la source ; FNN Prime, fnn.jp, September 30, 2026)
Traveling this weekend? Also read: Japan scraps instant tax free shopping: pay now, get refunded at the airport, our article of October 26.
Key takeaways
If you plan to be in Shibuya on Halloween night, the practical list is short. Do not count on buying alcohol in the area after 6pm on Saturday, and do not drink on the street, which is banned there all year, with littering now carrying a 2,000 yen fine. Carry a bag for your own trash, expect crowds and possible transport disruption around the station, and leave the Hachiko photo for Sunday afternoon unless you are fond of construction fences. And if Shibuya feels too regulated this year, remember that the same weekend offers Halloween events across Japan, from theme parks to local festivals, many of which are far gentler than the scramble crossing.
Sources
- Shibuya City, city.shibuya.tokyo.jp : « ハロウィーン期間中の忠犬ハチ公像周辺の仮囲いおよびプレスエリアの設置について », official press release, October 20, 2026, voir la source
- FNN Prime, fnn.jp : « 「グッバイ・バッド・ハロウィーン」渋谷区が対策を発表 ハチ公像を仮囲い、酒販売の自粛依頼、ポイ捨て対策の巡回強化など », September 30, 2026, voir la source
- NHK, news.web.nhk : « 東京 渋谷区 ことしもハロウィーン対策で酒類販売自粛要請 », September 30, 2026, voir la source
- Tokyo Shimbun : « ハロウィーン騒動、自治体が警戒 当日土曜日で例年より人出増予想 », October 27, 2026, voir la source
- Tokyo MX, s.mxtv.jp : « 渋谷区が今年も“迷惑ハロウィーン”対策 英語・中国語・韓国語 », October 1, 2026, voir la source
- Tokyo Weekender, tokyoweekender.com : « Shibuya Halloween 2026: New Rules, Fines and Hachiko Closure », October 5, 2026, voir la source
- Huffington Post Japan, huffingtonpost.jp : « 迷惑ハロウィーン…東京・渋谷区“もうやめよ？”アニメで迷惑行為を再現、期間中はハチ公像に囲いも », October 25, 2026, voir la source
