Shibuya is where young people in Japan hang out and it is a must-visit place if you are coming to Tokyo.
Be prepared to be overwhelmed seeing a lot of people walking! (Just seeing that will be a unique experience for a tourist though)
Shibuya is always busy day and night, and during some kind of events like World Cup, Olympics, or New Year’s, so many people gather at the famous crossing and you can not even move a single step….
Shibuya has a lot of clothes stores, and there are some nice museums and parks as well.
It is a home of Japanese pop culture and it sure is an exciting place.
Here are some areas I recommend that you visit in Shibuya.
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Famous spots
Shibuya crossing
It is the famous crossing, the busiest intersection in the world.
Hundreds and thousands of people cross at a time from all directions everyday.
It is perticularly busy on weekends and at night time.
It is pretty overwhelming watching so many people walk at a time. People living in Tokyo are so used to walking in crowds that they somehow manage to walk through without hitting each other.
The crossing is one of the most popular spots for tourists to take pictures.
It’s pretty cool if you are just visiting but imagine if you are working and living there and have to walk in crowds everyday and night… it’s pretty crazy and stressful. Even I, as a guy grew up in Tokyo, feel really uncomfortable being there for too long!
You can have a good view of the crossing from the Starbacks coffee and Shibuya station.Hachi kou Statue
There’s a small statue of a dog named “Hachikou” near the crossing.
He was very loyal to his owner, Hidesaburou Ueno, who was a professor.
Hachi kou used to greet Ueno every time he goes to work and wait for him to come back at Shibuya station.
One day during a lecture, Ueno passed away because of a cerebral hemorrhage and did not return to the station.
Hachi kou waited for his owner to come for over 9 years at Shibuya station, until he was found dead on the street due to the terminal cancer and dirofilaria immitis.
The dog’s loyalty was highly praised and the statue was made near Shibuya station later on as a great example of fidelity and faithfulness.People still respect and adore Hachi Kou by giving the statue coats in the winter and offering some food or drinks.
Hachi kou Statue is a popular meeting spot as well.
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Fashion
Shibuya 109
It has been a landmark in Shibuya especially for young girls since it’s opening in 1979.
All floors are filled with latest fashion brands and you can find the trendy casual clothes just shopping inside of the building.
As products there are aimed for young people, they are relatively low priced.
If you are into Japanese pop culture, this place is a really good one to check.
(Open from 10:00 to 21:00 everyday)Shibuya cat street
Off the main street of Harajuku, there’s a fashion street called Shibuya cat street.
It connects Shibuya and Harajuku, and there are various clothes stores as well as stylish cafes like The Roasters by Noze Coffee, Gongcha, Number Sugar and more.
Unlike other fashion areas in Tokyo, this street has some male fashion, and it is a popular shopping street for fashionable young couples.
I would say it it relatively a short fashion street compared to other streets of the kind in Tokyo, but it is very cozy and you can enjoy drinking/eating plus finding cool clothes.
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Parks
Yoyogi Park
It is one of the biggest parks in Tokyo and there are always a lot of young people (and sometimes you see street performers) .
The park has a lot of Sakura trees, and it is a very popular place especially during Spring.
Very good place to relax reading books, or exercise jogging.Meiji Jingu
There’s another big park area called Meiji Jingu which is a shrine build in 1920, dedicated to the sprits of Emperor Meiji and the consort, Empress Shoken.
There are a lot of beautiful trees inside and if you go inside, you will feel that a small forest suddenly appeared in front of you in Tokyo.
There’s a inner garden(it requires an entrance fee of 500yen), and this shrine is packed especially during New years with people coming to pray for good luck for the new year.
To get there, it is the best to go from Harajuku or Meiji-Jingu-Mae station.<
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Museums
Bunkamura
Bunkamura has been one of the largest cultural hubs in Tokyo since its opening in 1989.
It has not only a museum but also a theater, concert hall, and some shops and restaurants.
About 3 million people visit the place every year and it is a good place to check some contemporary art works.
(Open from 10:00 to 22:30 everyday)Ota Memorial Museum of Art
It has a wide collection of Ukyo-e by Ota Seizo V.
There are about 12,000 pieces of art works and is a great place to learn about Japanese visual arts.
It is quite inspiring to see different art works from different times.
Highly recommended for artists and for people who like manga or Japanese paintings.
(Open from 10:30 to 17:30 everyday)Toguri museum of art
It is a museum near Bunkamura, which has more than 7,000 pieces of Japanese(as well as Chinese and Korean) ceramics from Edo-era.
It is amazing to see the detailed drawings on potteries.
The colors and designs on them are very unique and inspiring.
(Open from 10:00 to 17:00, 10:00 to 20:00 on Friday)
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Night life
Dougenzaka
It is a street where a a lot of bars and restaurants stand.
There are also many night clubs as well as love hotels.
It is a good area to hang out at night and enjoy drinking till sun rises.
Many places in Tokyo are very clean, but this area is always crowded and messy.
It is not recommended for anyone wants a peaceful night, but if you want the lively, party-hard atmosphere of Tokyo, Dogenzaka is the place to go!Center Gai
It is a short street in the middle of Shibuya.
It is one of the most popular places for young people to hang out all night. If you go there, you will see at least a few people walking drunkenly.
Many fast-food restaurants there are open 24 hours and the street is always busy and bright.
Many fashionable young people often take the street, and it is a popular place to take pictures for tourists nowadays.Ebisu Garden Place
If you like Japanese beer, you should visit Ebisu(or written as Yetisu) Garden Place at Ebisu station in Shibuya-ward.
There is the museum of Ebisu beer where you get to taste the fresh beer and learn about the history of the beer brewery.
It also has a lot of fine restaurants. The area is much more calm than places around Shibuya crossing, so if you would like to enjoy your visit with less noise, it is a good place to visit.
(Open from 11:00 to 20:00 everyday)
Access
From Tokyo Station
Take JR Yamanote line Bound for Shinagawa, Shibuya
(Time: About 23 min Price:200yen)
Where do young people hang out in your country?
Taka
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