New Year’s Eve in Tokyo 2012-2013 – Pictures & Video

Another year has come and gone. The traditional way to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Japan is to return to your hometown and spend time with family, visit a shrine (hatsumode), or enjoy a quiet evening watching Kohaku on television with friends. All of those things are great, but there’s another way to ring in the New Year in Tokyo – a huge street party at Shibuya Scramble.

As we’ve done for the last few years, we headed out to Shibuya to check out the scene (passing by Meiji Shrine and Ayumi Hamasaki’s annual New Year concert on the way). By the time we arrived, the crowd was already gathering. There is a substantial police presence in Shibuya on New Year’s Eve, but the police officers are extremely calm even in the face of massive partying crowds. Shibuya seemed even more crowded than previous years this New Year’s Eve. As the clock struck midnight and 2013 began, the streets were packed with people from Shibuya 109 all the way through Shibuya Scramble and over to Shibuya 109-2. The famous Center Gai shopping street also turned into a solid sea of New Year’s revelers.

It’s hard to convey how big and high-energy the Shibuya New Year’s Eve crowds were, but we brought back pictures and video to give you a taste of the fun. Happy New Year everyone and we hope you have a safe, healthy, happy, and prosperous 2013!

New Year’s Eve in Shibuya 2012-2013 – Video

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New Year’s Eve in Shibuya – Pictures

Click any of the New Years Eve pics to enlarge them.

Happy New Year!