Shibuya Ward has enacted an ordinance prohibiting nighttime street drinking in the popular tourist area around Shibuya Station in Tokyo, Japan, to address public drinking issues.
According to NHK, the governing municipality approved the ordinance in June, with the new rules taking effect immediately. As a result, drinking will be banned in streets and parks near Shibuya Station from 6 PM to 5 AM year-round.
Previously, Shibuya Ward had implemented temporary bans on street drinking during specific periods, such as Halloween. However, ongoing problems related to public drinking prompted officials to extend the ban to all years. Shibuya Ward expressed optimism about the new regulations, stating, “This allows us to go beyond merely urging people not to drink in the streets; we can now provide guidance based on the ordinance.”
Despite these measures, concerns have been raised about the ban’s effectiveness due to the absence of associated penalties. NHK noted that “this is the first time in Japan that a city area has implemented an ordinance banning nighttime street drinking year-round.”
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