Japan’s big warning to tourists amid Seoul’s Halloween crowd crush tragedy

Japan has warned Aussies and other tourists to “stay away” from a popular location – known for being crowded – on three specific days.

Japan has warned Aussies and tourists alike to “stay away” from Shibuya City, Tokyo, on October 27 to 31 amid last year’s Halloween tragedy in South Korea.

Tens of thousands of mostly young people flocked to Itaewon in Seoul to celebrate the day on October 29 when tragedy unfolded.

The streets were packed for the first virtually unrestricted festivities in three years (post-pandemic) with an estimated 100,000 people cramming into narrow alleyways in the popular neighbourhood.

But shortly after 10pm, chaos erupted when partygoers became trapped as the crowd crammed into a tight downhill street in the heart of the party district.

More than 150 people were killed, including two Australians. – friends Justina Cho, 28 and Grace Rached, 23.

Japanese officials want Aussies and tourists alike to ‘stay away’ from Shibuya during Halloween.

Japanese officials fear the same thing will happen in Tokyo at the Shibuya Scramble crossroad, which often draws thousands of locals and foreigners.

“To prevent trouble and disaster from happening, we ask tourists to refrain from coming to Shibuya during the Halloween period. We deeply appreciate everyone’s understanding of this matter,” Shibuya City mayor Ken Hasebe said in a recent statement.

The city has gone as far as to prohibit drinking in the street near Shibuya Station during October 27 to 31.

“Under local ordinance, drinking in the street will be prohibited in the area around the station from 6pm to 5pm (during that period),” Shibuya City said in a statement.

Nearby liquor stores will be requested not to sell alcohol during those days.

More than 150 people were killed when a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in a night-life district in Seoul, South Korea last year. Picture: Twitter

“The area around Shibuya Station is often crowded with tourists from Japan and abroad,” the statement read.

“However, the damage caused by over-tourism has become serious, resulting in property damage caused by drinking in the street, altercations with local residents, and littering of

large amounts of empty cans and bottles.

“In addition, every year during Halloween, the area around Shibuya Station becomes so crowded that it is nearly impossible to move.”

Japanese officials are concerned the same thing may happen in Shibuya, at the Scramble crossroad, which is a well-known spot among young people.

The City anticipates Shibuya will draw even more people than usual this year, with officials “fearful of a disastrous crowd crush similar to the one in the Itaewon district in Seoul”.

“Therefore, to protect the safety of residents, businesses, commuters, and tourists around

Shibuya Station, the city is asking Japanese and international visitors to refrain from

Halloween celebrations around Shibuya Station,” the statement said.

Grace Rached, 23, was the first Australian victim of the crowd crush. Picture: Supplied by family

Grace’s friend, Justina Cho, who travelled to South Korea to chase her dream of starting her own fashion label, also died. Picture Supplied 3.JPG

The City also plans to “strengthen accident prevention measures” compared with last year,

including increasing the number of security guards and traffic regulations in co-operation with police and railway operators.

Meanwhile, bar and nightclub owners in Itaewon where the tragedy unfolded have decided not to promote Halloween-themed events this year.

A man looks at flowers and notes left in memory of victims at the site of the October 29, 2022 crowd crush, in the popular Itaewon night-life area in Seoul on October 25, 2023. Picture: Anthony Wallace / AFP

A woman walks past newly unveiled-lettering on October 25, 2023, that reads ‘October 29 Memorial Alley’ under Korean writing that translates as ‘Alley of Memories and Safety’, in memory of the victims. Picture: Anthony Wallace / AFP

But they are hopeful that a sizeable crowd will turn out and bolster confidence in the neighbourhood, whose entertainment area became a ghost town in the months after the disaster, the New York Times reports.

Seoul officials came under fire and were heavily criticised over the tragedy and as such will be adding hundreds of high-resolution surveillance cameras and plans to use artificial-intelligence technology to watch crowds in Itaewon and other entertainment zones.

This year, officials in the South Korean capital said they would work with police, emergency services and local officials to ensure “not a single person gets hurt” during Halloween celebrations, Reuters reported.

There will be up to 300 officials and police officers on standby to intervene if streets become congested with the city having also changed street tiles to make Itaewon’s sloping alleyways less slippery.

Halloween festivities have also been banned in Hongdae, another popular drink-and-party neighbourhood in Seoul, to help prevent congestion-related accidents, the New York Times reported, as it was expected to attract more crowds this year if people shunned Itaewon for Halloween.

“Halloween in Itaewon had drawn large crowds in the previous years, too,” Yoon Yong-Kyun, an expert in disaster prevention at Semyung University, told the publication.

“If only one of the top bosses — the chiefs of Yongsan, the police and Seoul City or the president — had asked officials whether they had safety plans in place, the disaster would not have happened.”