TOKYO — Aiming to wipe out unsightly graffiti under elevated train tracks and other areas as soon as possible, the capital’s Shibuya Ward Office has agreed with East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) to start removing such graffiti about a week after notifying the company.
Previously, the ward needed to apply to JR East for permission to erase the graffiti, and it took roughly two months to start the process.
Spray-painted graffiti has surfaced on building walls, utility poles and vending machines in Shibuya Ward. The ward government has been running a project to erase graffiti reported by residents since fiscal 2021 on the grounds that leaving it unattended spoils the appearance of the ward and could open the door for further crimes to occur. The ward erased approximately 3,800 square meters of graffiti in fiscal 2021 and 4,100 square meters in fiscal 2022.
Since the areas where graffiti has been wiped out include facilities operated by JR East, such as bridges supporting elevated tracks, the ward office decided to conclude an agreement with the company. The new agreement covers 13 locations, and the ward government is considering increasing the number if it finds the measure effective.
The ward office has also decided to paint arrows on JR East facilities that provide directions to temporary evacuation areas in the event of disasters to prevent graffiti from reappearing after it has been erased. It plans to do so at three locations within the current fiscal year ending in March 2024.
(Japanese original by Yusuke Kato, Tokyo Bureau)