Overview

• The Harajuku Police Station arrested an 18-year-old construction worker from Higashiyamato City on July 27 on charges of property damage.
• The suspect admitted spraying graffiti on a Sendagaya beauty salon shutter during a predawn tagging spree on May 31, causing roughly ¥230,000 in damage.
• Since 2021, Shibuya Ward’s Graffiti Countermeasure Project has erased about 1,400 incidents across roughly 15,000 square meters of urban surfaces.
• In fiscal 2025, the ward allocated ¥200 million to cover graffiti removal costs and provide subsidies for installing security cameras.
• Officials plan to strengthen cooperation with law enforcement and expand surveillance grants to deter future vandalism.