A series in which students participating as interns at Future Design Shibuya conduct interviews about projects that interest them.
This time, we spoke to Chairman Sato of the Shibuya Station East Exit Shopping Association, which will be holding Halloween costume events and other events at Shibuya Stream Inaribashi Plaza and Kinnobashi Plaza this year. Speaking of Halloween in Shibuya, it is featured in the news every year, but what does Chairman Sato think about Halloween at the relatively calm east exit side of the station?
*The following article was created by the intern student himself.
Naganuma: Thank you very much for your time today. First, I would like to hear about the details of the costume event, the highlights, and what kind of people this event is aimed at.
SatoWe decided to hold a Halloween costume contest in Shibuya about eight years ago in hopes of revitalizing the Shibuya Station East Exit Shopping Association. However, from three years ago, the winners were decided through a photo contest. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was advised not to gather too many people, and there was also a commotion in Center Gai where a visitor was flipping over a car, which created a very negative image of Halloween. .
However, Halloween is originally a festival that children look forward to, so we thought we shouldn't take away their dreams, so last year we started holding it again, focusing on children's costume contests.
Meanwhile, the other day, the mayor of Shibuya Ward issued a message saying, ``Do not come to Shibuya on Halloween,'' in order to prevent such accidents, in response to a major accident that occurred in Seoul last year. . Our costume contests are centered around children, so they usually end by the evening. Therefore, I think it is unlikely that an accident will occur due to too many people gathering, and we have a thorough security system in place, so I don't think there will be any concerns.
So, rather than saying, ``Please don't come to Shibuya at all costs because it's Halloween,'' we are doing things in an orderly manner, so we would like people from the east exit to come as long as it is not dangerous. .
After all, it is one of the fun festivals that children attend once a year. I think we should not take away children's dreams.
In particular, in our case, we call it Halloween month, and Halloween usually only falls on one day, October 31st, but we decided to do something that we could enjoy during the month, and the center of that month is October 28th. It has become a kids costume contest.
Thank you Naganuma. It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun as long as it's safe.
Sato: That's right. We, the Shopping Association, are responsible for the East Exit Halloween event. We are also co-sponsoring the event with several other shopping associations, so we would be happy if you could visit not only the Shibuya Station East Exit Shopping Association but also the surrounding shops.
Thank you Naganuma. I thought it was an event that could be enjoyed as a part of Shibuya's development and culture.
As you mentioned earlier, I would like to hear more about what Chairman Sato thought when he heard the message, ``Do not come to Shibuya on Halloween.''
Sato: That's because the ward mayor said this with the intention of preventing the accident that occurred in Seoul last year from happening again. I agree with that, but it doesn't mean that everything is a no-go. There are some shopping associations like ours that are doing things in a well-organized manner, so I hope everyone knows that and our Shibuya Stream. I would like people to come by my side.
Also, in all the years I've been doing this, I've never had a problem with too many people gathering together. Therefore, I would like people not to think that they should not go to Shibuya at all on Halloween. Shibuya City is also supporting our project as a co-sponsor. The mayor of the ward is not opposed to anything, but believes that the main purpose is to prevent accidents from occurring.
Thank you Naganuma. Lastly, please give a message to the children who come to the Halloween event.
Sato Junior high school students and younger can participate, and it's free, so please come and have fun. Even people who don't live in Shibuya are welcome, so we hope you can feel at ease. We also have various wonderful prizes donated by everyone, so please look forward to those as well.
If you come to the kids' costume contest on Saturday, October 28th from around 2pm, you'll have a lot of fun. In addition to the costume contest, there will also be various mock shops, so I think both parents and children can enjoy it.
NaganumaThank you very much for today.
Shibuya Station East Exit Shopping Association Halloween
https://shibuya-halloween.com
