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Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

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People at busy intersection, Hachiko exit, Shibuya Station.

© Anthony Plummer 2007

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Overview

Shibuya, the heart of Tokyo's youth culture, hits you over the head with its sheer presence: the continuous flow of people, the glowing video screens and the tangible buzz. All of this is summed up by its top attraction, Shibuya Crossing. It's a neighbourhood that is currently undergoing a massive transformation, evidenced by new developments like Shibuya Stream. A short train ride away, Shimo-Kitazawa offers an alternative vision of Tokyo: what it might look like if hippies – not bureaucrats – ran the city.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Tokyo, Japan view of Shibuya Crossing, one of the busiest crosswalks in the world. aerial, architecture, asia, asian, billboards, buildings, business, city, cityscape, commercial, cross, crosswalk, crowd, district, downtown, dusk, evening, famous, futuristic, japan, japanese, landmark, lights, location, metropolis, metropolitan, modern, morning, night, office, pedestrian, people, place, plaza, road, scene, scenery, scenic, shibuya, shopping, signs, skyline, skyscrapers, square, street, tokyo, twilight, urban, view, walk

    Shibuya Crossing

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Rumoured to be the busiest intersection in the world (and definitely in Japan), Shibuya Crossing is like a giant beating heart, sending people in all…

  • Asia, Japan, Tokyo, Shibuya ward, Hachiko dog meeting point, Christmas lights

    Hachikō Statue

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Every evening, Akita dog Hachikō would go to Shibuya Station to greet his companion. It's a practice he kept up everyday for 10 years after the professor…

  • Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan-September 18, 2018: Myth of Tomorrow: Myth of Tomorrow is a wall painting painted by Taro Okamoto in Shibuya station. 1045197788 myth of tomorrow

    Myth of Tomorrow

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Okamoto Tarō's mural, Myth of Tomorrow (1967), was commissioned by a Mexican luxury hotel but went missing two years later. It finally turned up in 2003…

  • Shibuya Sky

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    From below, Shibuya Sky, the rooftop observatory atop Shibuya's newest tower, Shibuya Scramble Square, looks like one of those harrowing infinity pools –…

  • Japan Folk Crafts Museum

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    The mingei (folk crafts) movement was launched in the early 20th century to promote the works of artisans over cheaper, mass-produced goods. Central to…

  • Shimo-Kitazawa

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    The narrow streets of ‘Shimokita’, barely passable by cars, create a streetscape like a dollhouse version of Tokyo. It’s been a favourite haunt of…

  • Toguri Museum of Art

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    The Toguri Museum of Art has an excellent collection of Edo-era ceramics, displayed in informative, thematic exhibitions with English explanations – great…

  • Fukutoshin Shibuya Station

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Deep underground, Tadao Ando's design for the Shibuya terminus of the city's newest subway line, the Fukutoshin Line, resembles a concrete space ship, or…

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