The good news is: Akihabara’s Pedestrain Paradise is back; the bad news is: there is a truckload of new rules that govern the roughly 2000-foot strip — all this according to a report on ANN.
Some of the new rules that threaten to stifle the once carnival-like atmosphere of Akihabara’s Pedestrian Parafise include bans on flyering, street performances, and sidewalk sales. The strip is now also covered by a network of CCTV cameras plus police patrol cars every couple of blocks.
The drastic increase in surveillance and police presence is directly connected with the deadly Akihabara killing spree that occured in 2008. The incident resulted in seven people dead and ten more seriously injured. The victims were either run over by a delivery truck driven by the perpetrator, or stabbed with a large knife by the same perpetrator.
