"Drinking Parties Erupt Every Night Near Station"…Tokyo Shibuya's Drastic Measures

Tokyo Shibuya-gu Struggles with Nighttime Drinking Near Stations
Complete Ban on Street Drinking from Night to Dawn
No Penalty Regulations in Place

Tokyo Shibuya Street [Reference Photo]

As street drinking around Shibuya Station in Tokyo continued unabated, Shibuya Ward has introduced drastic measures.

According to NHK, Shibuya Ward will enforce a new ordinance starting from the 1st that bans street drinking year-round. This is the first time in the country that an ordinance prohibiting street drinking year-round in an urban area has been implemented. Around Shibuya Station, street drinking by young people and foreigners became commonplace after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, leading to issues such as littering of empty cans and conflicts related to drinking. To address these problems, Shibuya Ward revised the ordinance, originally enacted in 2019 to ban street drinking only during Halloween and year-end/new year periods, in June this year to extend the ban throughout the year.

The revised ordinance takes effect from the 1st, prohibiting drinking on the streets and in public places such as parks around Shibuya Station from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day year-round. The scope of the ban has also been expanded to include areas around the Shibuya Ward Office and the eastern part of Miyashita Park.

However, there are no penalty provisions. Shibuya Ward stated, "We have repeatedly requested people to refrain from street drinking, but now, with the ordinance in place, we can provide guidance and work to suppress street drinking."