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Jujutsu Kaisen’s Shibuya Incident arc seems to have become a reason for concern to Japanese government officials, as Shibuya City has banned gatherings during this year’s Halloween. The main reason for this ban is due to the tragic crowd rush that happened on Halloween 2022 in Seoul, Korea. The incident in question claimed the lives of over 150 people, with many more injured.
Speculations also suggest that the government’s concerns for the public’s safety has skyrocketed due to Jujutsu Kaisen’s popularity. Currently, the show is exploring a story arc that is set in Shibuya - civilians in the show were initially gathered here for Halloween and things take a sharp turn when dangerous sorcerers get involved.
Jujutsu Kaisen fans and civic leaders concerned over possible crowd surge incidents
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Shibuya City has doubled down on safety precautions ahead of Halloween celebrations. The government officials recently took to X and announced that drinking on the streets is prohibited. The message also stated that Shibuya won't have a Halloween event, and therefore, urged people to refrain from gathering in large numbers. This concern was shared by Jujutsu Kaisen fans as well.
Given its popularity, it is highly likely that the number of people turning up at Shibuya this Halloween will increase multifold. Thus, a majority of the Jujutsu Kaisen fanbase was quite relieved to hear about the restrictions and appreciated the government’s efforts to avoid casualties.
It is noteworthy to mention that a crowd of over 40,000 had assembled during Halloween in 2019. Now that the entire world has more or less recovered from COVID-19, reports suggest that a larger crowd is set to gather
In an interview with CBS News, Ken Hasebe, the Mayor of Shibuya, gave some insight into the reason for this decision:
“This year we're making it clear to the world that Shibuya is not a venue for Halloween events. Please do not come to the Shibuya station area for Halloween.”
Aside from the crown surge, the Mayor shared details surrounding other major concerns:
“The situation is much more serious than just over-tourism," he said. "We're talking about massive dumping of trash, arrests for m*lestation, voyeurism, property destruction.”
The Mayor of the Shibuya Ward also went on to share his thoughts on Halloween as a festival in Shibuya, noting that it began as a wonderful event that featured tons of people flaunting their homemade costumes and indulging in revelry.
With time, however, the celebration has morphed into something that resembles an out-of-control party.
Final Thoughts
Jujutsu Kaisen’s popularity certainly increases the chance of a larger crowd gathering in Shibuya. However, civic leaders are doing their best to prevent casualties and safeguard their citizens. For the most part, fans of the anime series and citizens are quite happy to see the efforts being put in by government officials.
Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.
