Shibuya
Shibuya, the Pulse and Heart of Tokyo’s Youth
The scramble intersection of the youth mecca of Shibuya is the world’s busiest, with 500,000 people crossing it daily. Besides the shopping and cuisine, enjoy the unique atmosphere of this neighborhood The appeal of Shibuya Out of all of the areas in Tokyo, Shibuya is the city center with the largest number of young people. A trendy area, it is filled with many stores and cafes. Once you leave Shibuya Station and walk straight across the main crossing, you will hit the main shopping street in Shibuya. Once known as ‘Shibuya Centre Street’, it is a place where you can find anything from amusement centers to fast food chains to large-scale CD shops.
The famous intersection in Shibuya is the busiest in the world. Everyday, about 500,000 people cross this intersection. Besides shopping and the cuisine, you can also enjoy the unique atmosphere of the neighborhood.
The appeal of Shibuya
Out of all of the areas in Tokyo, Shibuya is the city center with the largest number of young people. A trendy area, it is filled with many stores and cafes. Once you leave Shibuya Station and walk straight across the main crossing, you will hit the main shopping street in Shibuya. Once known as ‘Shibuya Centre Street’, it is a place where you can find anything from amusement centers to fast food chains to large-scale CD shops. From 2011 onwards however, there was a name change of the street to ‘Basketball Street’ to erase the bad reputation that Shibuya had begun to develop as a dangerous area.
Hikarie: Shibuya’s New Landmark
Shibuya’s evolution as a commercial center continues to progress, and Shibuya Station as a major transfer hub is undergoing further development towards 2027 as part of this evolution. One new commercial facility that opened in 2012 is Hikarie of which 70% of the 200-plus stores there have started for the first time in Shibuya. There is a restaurant floor which is the largest in the area, a theater for musicals, and an art space. If you would like to chime in on the latest trends in of Japan, you should certainly stop by Hikarie.
Shibuya Scramble
The bronze statue of Hachiko the dog whose story was filmed even in the USA, is one of the most popular meeting spots for young people in Tokyo. A lot of attention has recently been given to the scramble crossing directly in front of Shibuya Station, and it’s hard to miss as soon as you step out of the station. Many tourists often film or take photos of the crossing from the cafes and restaurants dotted around the Shibuya Scramble.
From Shibuya to Harajuku and Omotesando
Both Harajuku and Omotesando, two neighborhoods that are also particularly popular with youth in Tokyo, are extremely accessible from Shibuya, and you can get a glimpse of the young people of Japan. In the internationally popular Harajuku, you will find scores of young people dressed in cosplay. In recent years during Halloween, Shibuya has also become jam-packed with people dressed in cosplay costumes.
Shibuya also has free Wi-Fi that is generally accessible throughout the area. Furthermore, Shibuya has a great deal of signs and information centers geared towards foreign tourists in English.
Access
From Shibuya Station, take the Hachiko Exit to enter the heart of Shibuya, directly outside Shibuya Scramble.
From Shinjuku Station to Shibuya Station:
Take the Yamanote Line direct to Shibuya Station (11 minutes, ¥160)
From Tokyo Station to Shibuya Station:
Take the Yamanote Line direct to Shibuya Station (24 minutes, ¥200)
