The organiser of the Sanja Matsuri festival in Tokyo's Asakusa district has decided to ban members of organised crime groups from wearing hanten coats bearing their groups' names at the event, it has been learned. Following the enforcement last year of a Tokyo metropolitan government ordinance aimed at the ultimate elimination of crime syndicates, festival organiser Asakusa Jinja Hosan-kai hopes to improve the atmosphere of the annual event starting Friday. During the 10 years through 2007, 33 members of organised crime groups were arrested on suspicion of violating various regulations during the festival, including the metropolitan government ordinance on the prevention of public and private nuisances. For example, gangsters often clambered onto mikoshi portable shrines being carried during the festival. Due to such incidents, the carrying of the three Honsha Mikoshi portable shrines, the main event of the festival, was cancelled in 2008. In the past few years, no major trouble has been reported. However, some gang members wearing hanten coats bearing their groups' names carried portable shrines, while other members showed off tattoos on their upper body. This resulted in numerous complaints from spectators to Asakusa Jinja Hosan-kai. The ordinance put into force last year includes a provision on festivals that says, "Organisers shall endeavour not to have members of organised crime groups involved in the operation of events." Asakusa Jinja Hosan-kai has been working with Asakusa Police Station since the year-end to make the festival a wholesome one.
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