Shibuya
10°

Shibuya

Where many of Japan's fashion trends come from

About Shibuya
Photo: Alex Knight / Unsplash

Things to do in Shibuya

Upcoming Shibuya Events

Canine Fashion in Japan

Canine Fashion in Japan

Scott Brause

Pet ownership in Japan is at an all-time high, with lapdogs and smaller canines leading the pack. The Yoyogi Park WanWan Carn...

Tokyo

Top Articles

Where to eat in Shibuya

Places to stay in Shibuya

Harajuku

Harajuku

Ignatius Koh

Step into the world of youth subculture and quirky fashion in Harajuku, where you will be greeted by groups of teenagers in t...

Tokyo

Latest Shibuya Reports

Toy Story Pop-Up Cafe

Toy Story Pop-Up Cafe

Kim

For fans of the Toy Story franchise, there's a way you can connect with the series via food in Japan this spring – there are ...

Tokyo
Close

About Shibuya

If you could only choose one place to shop in Tokyo, then Shibuya is the place to be. Famous for its busy and colorful district, packed to the gills with shops, restaurants, clubs and avid shoppers. Shibuya is also famous for its enormous intersection which hundreds of people crossing at any one time. You can even experience this marvelous view from the second story window of the probably most profitable Starbucks in the world.

Just around the corner you will find Center Gai, a busy pedestrian area filled with shops selling the latest wear and accessories. Strolling through this neon lit zone is an experience in itself. For the ladies it would be a sin to miss out on the iconic cylindrical building that is known as Shibuya 109, where you can find hundreds of boutiques spanning ten floors of fashionable goodness. However, do not fear gents, because there is a Shibuya 109 Men opposite from Starbucks, although not as grand as its counterpart.

Over a dozen department stores are dotted around the area, where corporate giants Seibu and Tokyu own the majority of them. As for dining, you are spoilt for choice since you can find pretty much any type of cuisine to suit even the fussiest of eaters. You can entertain yourself endlessly by going the one of the many game centers, indoor sports facilities, cinemas, clubs, bars, the list goes on.

However, do not fear if you are a bit scared of the crowds; there is much more to discover in the surprisingly quiet back streets. I am thinking of the goat cafe just a 5-minute walk from the station. In that same are is a wonderful macrobiotic cafe, run by a young couple, and they serve excellent vegan but very creative food. For a very different bar experience, check out Nonbei Yokocho, or Drunkard’s Alley, also just a stone's throw away from the station—just to give you a few ideas.

Shibuya’s icon is the infamous Hachiko dog statue, situated next to the train station's Hachiko Exit. You can see people taking snaps of the floppy-eared canine with their cell phone cameras at any given moment. This is quite possibly the most famous waiting area in all of Japan, as is evident by the dense crowd that engulfs the area.

Close