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Tokyo · Special ward

Shibuya

渋谷区しぶやくShibuya-ku

Fashion, youth culture and a forest shrine in the heart of Tokyo

Shibuya is the special ward in south-western central Tokyo known for the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the youth fashion of Harajuku and the boulevard of Omotesando. It also contains Meiji Jingu, Tokyo's great forest shrine, Yoyogi Park and the stylish neighbourhoods of Ebisu and Daikanyama.

Overview

Shibuya lies in a valley – shibu-ya, possibly 'astringent valley' – where the Shibuya River cut into the Musashino terrace. Until the late nineteenth century it was a rural area of farms and daimyo villas on the road to Oyama; the railway, which arrived in 1885, turned it into one of Tokyo's great terminals, where commuter lines from the south-western suburbs meet the Yamanote loop.

From the 1960s Shibuya became the centre of Tokyo's youth culture. Department stores, fashion buildings and music shops made the area around the station a trend-setting district, while Harajuku's Takeshita-dori and the side streets of Ura-Harajuku gave birth to street-fashion movements known around the world. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing in front of the station, where thousands of people cross at once, has become an image of Tokyo itself; a large redevelopment of the station area has added high-rise towers and the Shibuya Sky observation deck.

A different side of the ward is found in the 70-hectare forest of Meiji Jingu, the shrine to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, and the adjoining Yoyogi Park, once the Olympic village of 1964. Further south, Ebisu and Daikanyama are known for restaurants, boutiques and a more relaxed residential atmosphere.

Landmarks

  • Shibuya Scramble Crossing

    渋谷スクランブル交差点Shibuya Sukuranburu Kōsaten

    The diagonal pedestrian crossing in front of the station's Hachiko exit, among the busiest in the world.

  • Hachiko statue

    忠犬ハチ公像Chūken Hachikō-zō

    Bronze statue of the loyal Akita dog, a meeting point since the 1930s; the present statue dates from 1948.

  • Meiji Jingu

    明治神宮Meiji Jingū

    Shrine of 1920 to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken in a planted forest of some 100,000 trees, with a giant wooden torii and an inner garden.

  • Yoyogi Park

    代々木公園Yoyogi Kōen

    Large park of lawns and woods beside Meiji Jingu, busy with musicians, picnickers and weekend events.

  • Yoyogi National Gymnasium

    国立代々木競技場Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyōgijō

    Kenzo Tange's suspension-roofed arenas for the 1964 Olympics, a landmark of modern Japanese architecture.

  • Takeshita-dori

    竹下通りTakeshita-dōri

    Narrow pedestrian street in Harajuku lined with youth fashion shops, crêpe stands and character goods.

  • Omotesando

    表参道Omotesandō

    Zelkova-lined avenue leading to Meiji Jingu, with flagship stores by leading Japanese and international architects.

  • Shibuya Sky

    渋谷スカイShibuya Sukai

    Open-air rooftop observation deck atop Shibuya Scramble Square, looking down on the crossing.

Districts

  • Shibuya Station area

    渋谷Shibuya

    Department stores, fashion buildings, Center-gai and the Dogenzaka slope with its clubs and live-music venues.

  • Harajuku

    原宿Harajuku

    Youth fashion around Takeshita-dori and the independent boutiques of Ura-Harajuku.

  • Ebisu

    恵比寿Ebisu

    Restaurants, bars and Ebisu Garden Place on the site of the former Yebisu brewery.

  • Daikanyama

    代官山Daikan'yama

    Low-rise district of boutiques and cafés around Fumihiko Maki's Hillside Terrace.

  • Sendagaya and Yoyogi

    千駄ヶ谷Sendagaya

    Residential areas around Shinjuku Gyoen's southern edge and the national sports facilities.

History

The name is linked with the Shibuya clan, local warriors of the twelfth century, whose guardian shrine is said to be Konno Hachimangu. In the Edo period the area was farmland and the site of daimyo villas and temples. Shibuya Station opened in 1885, and in 1920 Meiji Jingu was dedicated in the former grounds of a daimyo estate.

The faithful Akita dog Hachiko waited daily at Shibuya Station for his dead master from 1925 until 1935, becoming a national symbol of loyalty. After the war, the Yoyogi area was occupied by the US military housing of Washington Heights, which became the Olympic village in 1964 and then Yoyogi Park. In 2015 Shibuya became the first municipality in Japan to issue certificates recognising same-sex partnerships.

  1. 12th century

    The Shibuya clan is active in the area; the name is traditionally linked to them.

  2. 1885

    Shibuya Station opens on the Shinagawa line.

  3. 1920

    Meiji Jingu is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

  4. 1925–1935

    The dog Hachiko waits daily at Shibuya Station for his late master.

  5. 1932

    Shibuya Ward is created within the City of Tokyo; it keeps its borders in the 1947 reorganisation.

  6. 1964

    The Olympic village and Kenzo Tange's Yoyogi National Gymnasium are built in Yoyogi.

  7. 1967

    Yoyogi Park opens on the former Olympic village site.

  8. 2015

    Shibuya introduces Japan's first same-sex partnership certificates.

  9. 2019

    Shibuya Scramble Square opens above the station with the Shibuya Sky deck.

Culture

Shibuya is Tokyo's laboratory of youth culture, from the 'Shibuya-kei' pop of the 1990s to the street fashion of Harajuku. Its live-music venues, cinemas, theatres and the Bunkamura arts complex make it a centre of performing arts, while the ward's pioneering recognition of same-sex partnerships and the annual Tokyo Rainbow Pride in Yoyogi Park reflect its progressive image.

Festivals

  • New Year at Meiji Jingu

    初詣hatsumōde

    In the first days of January Meiji Jingu receives more New Year visitors than any other shrine in Japan.

  • Harajuku Omotesando Genki Festival

    原宿表参道元氣祭 スーパーよさこいHarajuku Omotesandō Genki Matsuri Sūpā Yosakoi

    In late August, yosakoi dance teams from all over Japan parade along Omotesando.

  • Meiji Jingu Autumn Grand Festival

    明治神宮秋の大祭Meiji Jingū Aki no Taisai

    Around 3 November, Emperor Meiji's birthday, with traditional music, dance and horseback archery.

  • Tokyo Rainbow Pride

    東京レインボープライドTōkyō Reinbō Puraido

    Spring festival and parade in and around Yoyogi Park.

Food

  • Harajuku crêpes

    クレープkurēpu

    Rolled sweet crêpes with cream and fruit, a Takeshita-dori staple since the 1970s.

  • Nonbei Yokocho

    のんべい横丁Nonbei Yokochō

    A lane of tiny post-war bars and yakitori counters beside the tracks.

  • Yebisu beer

    ヱビスビールEbisu bīru

    Beer brand that gave the Ebisu district its name after its brewery and station.

  • Ramen and izakaya

    ラーメンrāmen

    Dense concentrations of ramen shops and izakaya around Dogenzaka and Ebisu.

Getting around

  • Shibuya Station is served by the JR Yamanote, Saikyo and Shonan-Shinjuku lines, the Tokyu Toyoko and Den-en-toshi lines, the Keio Inokashira Line and the Ginza, Hanzomon and Fukutoshin subway lines.
  • Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote) and Meiji-jingumae Station (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines) serve Harajuku and Meiji Jingu; Omotesando Station is on the Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines.
  • The Tokyu Toyoko Line runs from Shibuya to Yokohama and Minato Mirai in about 35 minutes.
  • Shibuya, Harajuku and Omotesando are close enough to walk between in about 15–20 minutes each.

Day trips

  • Yokohama

    Direct by the Tokyu Toyoko Line to Minato Mirai and Chinatown.

  • Kamakura

    About an hour by JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line.

  • Shinjuku

    Two stops north on the Yamanote Line.

  • Roppongi and Aoyama

    Art museums and design shops in neighbouring Minato.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalShinjukuShinjuku-kuSkyscrapers, neon and the seat of Tokyo's governmentSpecial wardChiyodaChiyoda-kuThe palace, the Diet and Tokyo Station at the heart of JapanSpecial wardChuoChūō-kuEdo's merchant heart, from Nihonbashi to GinzaCore cityHachiojiHachiōji-shiMount Takao and the silk town at Tokyo's western edgeSpecial wardMinatoMinato-kuEmbassies, art museums and Tokyo Tower on the baySpecial wardTaitoTaitō-kuTemples, museums and the old shitamachi of Asakusa and Ueno

Frequently asked questions

When is the Shibuya Crossing busiest?

In the evening and on weekend afternoons; the best views are from the station's corridors, surrounding cafés and the Shibuya Sky deck.

Who was Hachiko?

An Akita dog who met his owner, a university professor, at Shibuya Station every day and continued to wait there for nearly ten years after the professor's death in 1925.

Is Harajuku in Shibuya?

Yes. Harajuku, Omotesando, Ebisu and Daikanyama all belong to Shibuya Ward.

How do I get to Meiji Jingu's main hall?

From Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae Station, a gravel path leads through the forest and under the great torii to the main hall in about ten minutes on foot.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.渋谷区ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 渋谷区 (Shibuya City)
  2. 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
  3. 3.明治神宮 (opens in a new tab) — 明治神宮 (Meiji Jingu)
  4. 4.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO

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