Halloween Security Tight In Shibuya
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is stepping up security on the streets around Shibuya Station in central Tokyo, which are expected to draw large Halloween crowds on Monday.
Riot police are deploying a public relations unit known as the "DJ Police" on Shibuya's main street and the famous scramble crossing to deal with possible congestion.
Following Saturday's fatal stampede at a Halloween event in Seoul, South Korea, the police are concerned that crowds may become gridlocked if they get too concentrated in one area.
The police are guiding visitors, many in Halloween costumes, away from the main street as much as possible.
Officers are also patrolling alleyways and calling on people not to stop to take photos or for other reasons to prevent creating obstacles that could block the flow of foot traffic and lead to people stumbling.
The police plan to make some nearby roads pedestrians-only.
They expect the congestion to peak from late Monday through early Tuesday.