Shibuya on New Year's Day appeared empty after the crowds dispersed.
Shibuya's New Year celebrations are stifled by police restrictions, highlighting ongoing issues with litter and city management.
So, the vibe in Shibuya on New Year's Eve has taken a hit lately—only a few years ago, it was all about celebration, but now the city’s cracking down on the unofficial street parties. Our guy Seiji Nakazawa, who knows the area well, decided to check it out around 2 a.m. after avoiding the midnight chaos. When he got to Hachiko Square, he was hit by the sight of barricades and police everywhere. The vibe? Dystopian. Cops shouting through megaphones? Yeah, not exactly the happy New Year he expected.
Fast forward to sunrise, and Seiji finds the streets littered with trash—you know, the kind of mess that leaves you questioning the city’s cleaning standards. There’s discarded cans and cigarette butts everywhere, and it’s surprising this is the after-cleaning state. Shibuya's got a lot of foreign visitors now, and the pressure on clean-up crews is real. Despite some corners looking decent, there’s no denying it—after six years of no official countdown, the cleanup on New Year’s Day is still a problem. So if you think Shibuya’s ready for a party, think again—it’s not what it used to be.
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