Interest
Pom Pom Purin Wards Off Halloween Vandals in Shibuya
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Halloween has gotten pretty crazy in Shibuya over the years with parades and costumed participants increasing in size and number. The crowds have drawn police intervention to maintain order and Good Samaritans came out the next day to sweep up the trash. The party atmosphere has Shibuya City Tourism Association worried about vandalism. The information center located in a green train car at Shibuya Station was a target last year and has continued to be tagged as recently as August, so the association took special measures to thwart any would-be vandals.
The green train car, known as Aogaeru, is getting a fuzzy body-wrap to turn into a Halloween-themed Pom Pom Purin. The Sanrio mascot is a favorite and the tourism association is betting that it's just too cute to vandalize. The train car will remain in its costume until November 1.
The association is also throwing a Halloween party this year in Yoyogi Park to help combat congestion at Shibuya's scramble crossing and keep litter to a minimum.
Source: Daisuke Kikuchi at The Japan Times
