Shibuya imposes 78 littering fines around Halloween - NHKニュース

Tokyo's Shibuya Ward says it imposed littering fines in 78 cases around Halloween this year.

The area outside Shibuya Station was crowded with costumed people around the festive occasion, and an estimated 20,000 visitors were in the vicinity at around 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.

Officials beefed up patrols and worked with relevant organizations to put restrictions in place. They say there were no major problems.

Under a system introduced earlier this year, the ward started imposing a littering fine of 2,000 yen, or about 12.7 dollars.

Officials say from October 30 to November 1, they also cautioned 615 people who were drinking on public streets. A fine of about 12.7 dollars was also imposed in 582 cases for smoking in public.

Officials say the volume of garbage collected near Shibuya Station over the three days was about 20 percent less than last year, when there were fewer people out. They say overall manners have improved.

Shibuya Mayor Hasebe Ken said efforts will continue to prevent problematic behavior to protect safety in the ward.