Man Sprays Fire Extinguisher at Shibuya Crossing Shares Shocking Excuse

“Stop!” Ignoring the police officer’s attempts to stop him.

On the morning of December 24, just before 4 a.m., two motorcycles appeared at JR Shibuya Station’s Scramble Crossing, where only a few hours earlier, the area had been bustling with people. The motorcycles entered the crosswalk as the pedestrian signal turned green. Honking and creating chaos, they began spinning in circles, unconcerned about nearby pedestrians.

When a police officer emerged from a nearby police box to warn them to stop, the motorcycles briefly left the area, only to return moments later. One of the motorcycles, carrying two people, emitted thick white smoke as someone on the back sprayed what appeared to be a fire extinguisher.

Despite repeated warnings from police to cease their dangerous actions, the motorcycles continued to disperse smoke multiple times before speeding away. The area was left filled with a dense cloud of smoke, impairing visibility for a period.

Six days later, on December 30, the Shibuya Police arrested Taji Watanabe (29), an unemployed resident of Kawasaki City, and a 16-year-old high school student for suspected violations of traffic laws, including unauthorized driving and dangerous joint actions. Watanabe admitted to the charges, claiming, “We did something similar in the past, and no one got caught. I thought if we just acted a little recklessly, we wouldn’t get arrested.”

Additionally, about two and a half hours before the Shibuya incident, two motorcycles were spotted in Kawasaki City, scattering what appeared to be a large amount of fire-extinguisher-like substance along the Fuchu-kaido road near a police box. Evidence of this remained visible in the form of pink powder on the road even into the following day. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are investigating whether Watanabe and his associates were involved in this earlier incident as well.

Towns like “The Idiot’s Tenkaichi Martial Arts Festival.”

The reaction to the incident on social media has been cold and critical. Comments included:
“A 29-year-old reckless driver with no license?”
“I thought Shibuya Scramble Crossing would trend on Christmas Eve, but for this reason?!”
“When did Shibuya become a place like a battleground for idiots?”

Criticism was widespread following the incident.

In October, a similar event occurred when a 20-year-old man from Ibaraki drove a modified lowrider into a sidewalk at Shibuya Scramble Crossing, injuring seven people. He stated that he wanted many people to see his performance driving. Concerns about dangerous stunts involving modified vehicles in the area have existed for a long time.

On New Year’s Eve, the Hachiko statue in Shibuya was barricaded and covered with a curtain, echoing the tight security seen during Halloween. Following Halloween, local authorities and businesses have decided not to hold countdown events for both 2024 and 2025 to ensure safety, as an increasing number of visitors, including tourists, seek out Shibuya. Specifically, areas around Shibuya Scramble Crossing have become overwhelmed by the demand for unique experiences, surpassing their capacity.

Shibuya, now an icon for Japanese culture on a global stage, faces the challenge of maintaining its reputation as a safe and respectable destination.

 

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