It's difficult to pinpoint the exact genre of theater I witnessed at Shibuya crossing last Saturday, Oct. 26, but it's probably best described as comedy-meets-monotonous-action-thriller ... dramatized in the form of a musical.
Despite the creative choreography, the director appears to have run short on inspiration, repeating the same act over and over in a never-before-seen attempt to lose the audience.
This particular number was that of 100-plus police officers protecting Shibuya crossing from another bout of Halloween chaos. Police plinths on top of cars manned the perimeter, mimicking the formation of a panopticon prison. Sirens flashed, instructions revolved on neon signs and police grew hoarse issuing order after order into megaphones. Anything they missed was filled in by the automated speaker system that kindly asked people in both English and Japanese to "not drink alcohol or smoke on the street," to "not lean on buildings," to not engage in groping or violence and, most importantly, to continue moving when crossing the street.