Akihabara district reopens pedestrian zone
The Akihabara district in Tokyo, popular with shoppers and tourists for its cluster of shops selling electronics gadgets, anime and pop culture items, reopened Sunday part of a vehicle-free pedestrian zone on January 23 for the first time since a fatal rampage in June 2008.The town opened a 570-meter section on its main street, Chuo-dori, to pedestrians. It will be open on Sundays from 1 p.m. on a trial basis until June.
The street was flooded with waiting shoppers and tourists when it reopened to pedestrians at 1 p.m.It will be open to 5 p.m. through March and 6 p.m. through June. If no problems are reported, it will remain open from July.
The street had been a car-free zone since 1973 on Sundays and holidays as it drew large crowds of shoppers.
But the local authorities decided to close the pedestrian zone after a man drove a truck into Chuo-dori just past noon on a Sunday in June 2008, hitting and killing three men before fatally stabbing four people and leaving 10 others injured.
A post manned by local residents, firefighters and police officers has been erected to ensure safety in the area. Signposts have also been put up around the area, urging people not to engage in antisocial activities, which were occasionally reported when the pedestrian zone was open.
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Comment from AKB48
Time 28/01/2011 at 20:44
Certainly hope it doesn’t get too crowded on weekends. And that the crowds during the opening was a one short thing.