2017.01.01

First Hoko heaven around Shibuya Station, celebrate the New Year countdown event!

New Year's Eve of 2016 December 31, 2008 at Shibuya Station, including Shibuya scramble crossing, the official countdown event to celebrate the New Year, "YOU MAKE SHIBUYA COUNTDOWN 2016-2017" was held for the first time. Shibuya countdown Executive Committee sponsored (Shibuya-ku, Shibuya shopping Federation of Shibuya Station Area Management Council).

The original of an eye to the 20 years of Shibuya-ku, "Shibuya-ku, basic concept", "YOU MAKE SHIBUYA" as a campaign slogan, new efforts of the public and private sectors together, such as district-store meetings and area management organizations.
As people visit the Shibuya greeted the New Year in safety and security, including the Shibuya scramble intersection, Dogenzaka, cultural village street, Inokashira street, in a wide range of the main street near Shibuya station, such as Koen-dori traffic control (vehicle traffic prohibited) then, everyone has been carried out with the aim of realization of enjoy countdown.
Than at 31, 22, start the vehicle traffic prohibition around Shibuya Station. Already in the Hachiko square in front, but a had been confused by such as young people and foreign tourists to plan and about to enter the New Year in Shibuya state, of people who had been crowded with road open starts than 30 minutes at 22 Namigamachi spreading to the whole. Shibuya Station Hachiko in the vicinity of the scramble intersection and SHIBUYA109 from the square, was crowded with people look forward to the countdown of that it can not be hamstrung. According to the organizers announced, came a city person that counted about 67,000 people.
Than at 23, running to the streets vision total of 13 cars all at once, including the scramble crossing area, Haruka Ayase is the Ambassador of Japan Coca-Cola of the special sponsor, Kosuke Kitajima's, carry Pamyu's, Hiroshi Abe's message There aired.
Furthermore Tetsuya Bessho of Shibuya tourism Association Honorary Chairman actor, Kenji Onishi Shibuya countdown Executive Committee Vice Chairman, Ken Hasebe Shibuya mayor, Maki Nomiya of Pizzicato Five, followed by a greeting of Yuriko Koike Governor of Tokyo, finally to the countdown.
When the number of the countdown of "10, 9, 8 ..." is displayed on the streets vision, including the large chorus in unison the people of the city, after the "... 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!", "2017", " at the same time the character of SHIBUYA "is projected, the voice of joy, such as" sugar in the rain! "is wrapped the whole city.
It is this time that became a countdown inaugural, but I just surprised really to multi of the crowd of about not a football W Cup and Halloween ratio of up to now. Toward the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, also has a significant meaning as a simulation of the order not to generate a crowd accident in large-scale events, or would not than has been seen also challenges for the continuation of the event in the future. In the future as in the countdown event in Times Square in New York, I would like to hope that that will grow into a worldwide spotlight big event.