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Shibuya - Click here to see the gallery.
Shibuya (渋谷;) located in the Shibuya Ward.
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History
Following the opening of the Yamanote Line in 1885, Shibuya
began to emerge as a railway terminal for southwest Tokyo,
and eventually as a major commercial and entertainment
center. Shibuya was incorporated as a village in 1889, as a
town in 1909, as a ward of Tokyo City in 1932, and as a ward
of Tokyo Metropolis in 1943. The present-day special ward
was established on March 15, 1947.
Shibuya has achieved great popularity among young people
in the last thirty years. There are several famous fashion
department stores in Shibuya.
During the late 1990s, Shibuya also became known as the
center of the IT industry in Japan. It was often called "Bit
Valley" in English, a pun on "Bitter Valley", the literal
translation of "Shibuya".
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Sight Seeing, Entertainment, and Shopping
Shopping
Shibuya has lots and lots of interesting shopping opportunities. It's the home of the
huge Tokyo conglomerate (railways, department stores, hotels, housing
developments), and thus practically every major store in the area has Tokyo in its
name.
Cartoons
* Mandarake. BEAM B2F, Udagawa 31-2, [4]. Massive shop devoted to manga,
anime, figurines and collectible offshoots, with staff all dressed up as cartoon
characters. Worth a visit for the sheer bizarre spectacle.
* NHK Studio Park. Jinnan 2-2-1 (end of Koen-dori), [5]. Studio sightseeing
operation run by Japan's state broadcaster NHK, home to a gift shop selling the
widest collection of Domo-kun figures on the planet.
Fashion
Shibuya is the center of Japanese youth culture and it shows.
* 0101 (Marui).
* 109 Building (Ichi-maru-kyu). Shibuya 109 - called "Ichi-Maru-kyu", which
translates as 1-0-9 in japanese is actually a pun on the name of the corporation that
owns it "Tokyu", which translates as 10-9 in Japanese - is a major shopping center
near Shibuya Station, particularly famous as the origin of the kogal subculture. The
contemporary fashion scene in Shibuya extends northward from Shibuya Station to
Harajuku, where youth culture reigns; Omotesando, the zelkova tree and fashion
brand lined street; and Sendagaya, Tokyo's apparel design district. (See: List of
apparel design shops in Sendagaya)
Music
Shibuya has copious music shopping opportunities, but expect some sticker shock as
Japanese CDs often clock in at ¥3000+; imports are usually cheaper! In addition to
the superstores below, also check out the miniature alternative ghetto (Jinnan 11 and
nearby, just past Tokyu Hands), full of tiny specialist record shops.
* Disk Union. Antenna 21, Udagawa 30-7 (Center-gai) Used and new record dealer
with floors each specializing in punk, rock, jazz and dance music.
* HMV. Udagawa 24-1 (off Inogashira-dori). Six floors of music from all around the
world.
* RECOfan. BEAM 4F, Udagawa 31-2, (and other outlets incl. one on Center-gai).
Good shopping for second-hand music in this cavernous hall: all records are
categorized and alphabetized for quick browsing, and prices start at ¥100.
* Tower Records. Jinnan 1-22-14 (Koen-dori). For a while the largest record store
in the world, now merely mind-bogglingly huge. Good selection of English books and
magazines on the top floor.
* For musical equipment, there's a good cluster of shops just southwest of the JR
station. (Take the pedestrian overpass to cross the highway.)
Other
* Book 1st. (Bunkamura-dori) One of Tokyo's largest bookstores. Carries a good
range of foreign language magazines, add to a huge array of venues to eat and
drink.
* Tokyu Hands. (end of Center-gai). A department store specializing in all sorts of
home decorations and D.I.Y. gear (with a heavy emphasis on the all sorts, this place
is much more interesting than it sounds!).
Sight Seeing
Hachiko Statue - A statue of a loyal dog named Hachiko. According to a famous
story, the dog waited for his master every day in front of Shibuya Station, and
continued to do so for years even after his master had passed away. It is one of
Tokyo's most popular meeting points.
Center Gai (センター街 Sentaa-gai). The narrow street leading away from the station to
the left of the giant video screen, it's famous as the birthplace of many of Japan's
youth fashion trends. Center Gai is jam-packed with clothing stores, music stores,
and video game arcades. This is a great place to stroll and feel the Shibuya vibe.
Bunkamura, Bunkamura-dori. A complex featuring an excellent art museum, in
addition to theaters for film and stage plays. On the basement floor there's an art
and design bookstore as well as a branch of Paris' famous Les Deux Magots café.
Love Hotel Hill - A section of shibuya on a hill that contains hundreds of Love Hotels.
Entertainment
* Womb in Dogenzaka is one of Tokyo's newest, hottest and largest clubs, designed
by the people behind New York's Twilo. Entrance is fairly steep at ¥3500 with 2 drinks.
* Club Pure on Senta-Gai is a tiny little club usually offering ¥2500 nomihoudai (all
you can drink) on the weekends. Popular with foreigners and with "Gaijin Hunters."
* Club Harlem is large 2 floor all hip-hop club located in Shibuya. Few foreign patrons.
* Club Asia, situated in between dozens of love hotels is popular for trance music all
night long. This club isn't very popular with foreign patrons.
* Gas Panic
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How To Get There
By train
Shibuya's station is a notoriously convoluted web of passageways. Follow the
signage and you should find your way out (or in).
* JR Yamanote, Saikyo Line
* Tokyu Toyoko, Den-en-toshi Line
* Keio Inokashira Line
* Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G01), Hanzomon Line (Z01)
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