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Shibuya's Halloween Parties Have a Trash Problem
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Shibuya's yearly Halloween party is no joke, with plenty visiting the area up to three days early just to take part in the event. Local businesses are also getting in on the action by offering Halloween-related events while the increased foot traffic also means increased trash and vandalism. The holiday has only grown in popularity in Japan over the years and Shibuya is feeling the stretch as the mecca of the celebrations.
Tatsuya Kitahara, the deputy director of the Environment Protection Division's Shibuya branch, the area becomes overrun with garbage following Halloween night, with some people even ditching their costumes in the street before heading home. Glass and plastic bottles and plastic bags from nearby shops litter the streets. Clothing and make-up too, are left behind by partygoers in public bathrooms.
The event participant's bad manners led to the creation of the "Operation Zero Halloween Trash in Shibuya". The operation's committee organized temporary changing facilities, more bathrooms, and garbage disposal areas to try to combat the overwhelming litter. They also bring in individuals to come through the next morning with garbage bags to pick up the streets. How many volunteers does it take to clean up Shibuya? This year the operation welcomed 1,700.
Kitahara thinks the reason there's so much trash is because the event itself isn't organized. It's costumed individuals roaming the streets so the responsibility of who is supposed to pick things up is ambiguous. There is also an increase in police presence, not for the trash necessarily, but to make sure pedestrians don't overflow into traffic.
Kitahara is asking that, as an event reliant of participant's individual responsibility, that they have a good time but please manage their own trash.
Source: Ryo Morita at ASCII.jp Digital
