Wary of Halloween and New Year’s countdown crowds, Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward is ramping up efforts to tackle overtourism, urging visitors to explore beyond its iconic scramble crossing. Speaking to media on September 30, Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe said that with the recovery of foreign visitors to Japan in recent years, managing crowds has become even more of a critical challenge for the ward. “Foreign tourists in particular tend to stick to the famous spots in Shibuya like the scramble crossing intersection and the Hachiko statue. This contributes to dangerous levels of congestion,” he sai…READ FULL ARTICLE
