Shibuya, Shinjuku Hope for Quiet Halloween
Last year, officials in Tokyo's Shibuya ward asked people not to gather in the area to celebrate Halloween.
Many people did as they were told and stayed away from the area around Shibuya station. However, some moved instead into the neighboring ward of Shinjuku.
This year, officials from the two wards are working together to send the same message.
They haven't banned Halloween, but they have tried to make it more difficult for people to party in these parts of town.
Shibuya has already banned people from drinking alcohol on the streets in the area around the station at night.
Until recently, alcohol around the station had only been banned on certain special days, including Halloween. But starting this month, drinking on the streets around the station between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. has been banned all through the year.
Shinjuku, which includes the popular Kabukicho area, has also banned people from drinking on the streets from 5 p.m. on October 31.
That ban will last for 12 hours.
It's hoped that these rules will reduce litter, noise and antisocial behavior in the area, although there are no penalties for people who are caught drinking.
Both wards will also have a large number of officials and police officers on the streets on October 31.
In Shibuya, the famous statue of the dog Hachiko will also be fenced off, according to SoraNews24. The statue is a popular meeting place outside the station.
However, many people — including the large number of tourists who have been visiting Japan this year — will still want to celebrate Halloween.
This may mean they move to other nearby wards where the rules are different.
For example, there will be Halloween events in Toshima ward between October 25 and 27. Last year, about 140,000 people attended these events.
