Police Clamp Down On Yoyogi Parties

[Mulboyne]

"I Rub Your Brog" has a post about how police last year put an end to music performances and parties in and around Yoyogi Park. In the eighties and nineties Yoyogi was famous for its "pedestrian paradise" where a street running alongside the park was closed to traffic on Sundays and national holiday. Bands would line the street with their equipment and perform only yards away from each other. Overseas, it was easily one of the best-known centres of Japanese youth culture and was a regular stop for foreign tourists across the years. The road was re-opened to traffic, however, ostensibly to ease congestion but actually because police were concerned about increased deliquency in the area. This put an end to large-scale performances but, eventually, bands began to creep back, setting up on the pavement or else adjacent to the park. Also, DJ's started to set up equipment to practice and these performances turned into impromptu rave events which then became a fairly regular feature.

Now, however, the police and park authorities have stepped in once again. According to the blog post:

Towards the end of last summer there were murmurings around the park scene of the police clamping down on street lives and raves, then we saw a couple of parties shut down by police, and then by about mid-November the signs went up. Basically the signs say "On the street, the playing of instruments, and the selling of goods or food is prohibited".

[Behan]

Back in the 90s lots of Iranians used to gather there, too. They outnumbered the bands and dancers, from what I saw.

[GuyJean]

Flashbacks..

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GJ

[cot faulking]

Back in the 90s lots of Iranians used to gather there, too. They outnumbered the bands and dancers, from what I saw.

Are the elvis presley wannabes. They blocked the entrance to Yoyogi park and then they get press for being a pack of losers.

The skateboarders are just doing their own thing without inconveniencing other people. This is Japan the wannabes should be thrown out first.

[omae mona]

The skateboarders are just doing their own thing without inconveniencing other people.

I don't know what your definition of "inconveniencing" is. But a few weeks ago I had to pick up my daughter and carry her on our way out of the park for fear of her getting run over by one of those guys. That was inconvenient to me.

Right as we were about to pass them, an ojiisan on a patrol bicycle came by and made them stop, so we were able to go back to our leisurely stroll.

[Neo-Rio]

I don't know what the authorities are thinking. Ever since I came to Japan, Yoyogi has been steadily going downhill. Is the government just trying to wipe out a tourist attraction? To me it makes no sense.

Granted, what makes it so great is that it is probably the only place where you could get away with having an impromptu rave. They've been GREAT.
I can't imagine another country in the world where you could get away with having one without some major security nightmare.

[Behan]

It seems like you would want a place for young people to hang out and do constructive things. At least they wouldn't be up to anything bad.

In my little town they changed the tiles in the ekimae square to a type that it's impossible to skateboard on. They weren't hurting anyone. Noone was using the square but them anyway.

But in cases like what happened to Omae Mona and his family, the authorities should do something. Maybe they could set aside an area of the park for skateboarders. Make everybody happy and safe.

[Iraira]

But in cases like what happened to Omae Mona and his family, the authorities should do something. Maybe they could set aside an area of the park for skateboarders. Make everybody happy and safe.

As a reformed skate punk, I'll declare on the behalf of my brethren (who would just call me an old fart) that it's only fun to skate where it's not permitted.

[Samurai_Jerk]

If there's one group I despise it's fucking skaters. I'd love to see the cops go in with batons and beat them all senseless.

[omae mona]

[Ketou]

[Samurai_Jerk]