Shibuya+district

The Shibuya District is one of Tokyo's 23 wards. It rests on only 15.11 km² (5.83 sq mi) of land! This district began to transform once the Yamanote train line was opened in 1885. Since then, it has raised in popularity through its shopping and entertainment located around the station. This has made the Shibuya District one of Tokyo's most colorful and busy districts. Only that was not enough for Shibuya. It, also, was home to the main venues of the 1964 Summer Olympics, held in Yoyogi Park.

Packed with shopping, dining and nightclubs, Shibuya has many popular places to go. There are many places to shop in Shibuya. It is consider to be the birth place of many Japanese fashions. There are three hot brands in Shibuya: Tokyu, Seibu, and Marui. Tokyu, which is actually more famous for its transportation, has four big stores in Shibuya: Tokyu, Shibuya 109, Shibuya Mark City, and Tokyu Hands. Seibu Department Stores has three popular stores within Shibuya: Seibu, Loft, and Parco. And lastly you have Marui, another department store. With all these stores and brands you can choose from, it’s no wonder Shibuya is the center for youth fashion and culture. Fashion statements like Lolita and Fairy Kei can be seen around.

There are about five other areas that are popular in Shibuya. One of them is Koen Dori, or literally Park Street. This is the area around the Marui store all the way to Yoyogi Park. Another area is Center Gai. This is where many Japanese fashion trends were born. Towards the evening, Center Gai becomes crowded with young people going to night clubs, restaurants and bars, or they go to loiter around and hang out. There's also a little of bit of Spain found in Shibuya. It's the area known as Supeinzaka, or Spain Slope. This area is a long and narrow road that leads its way up a slope to the Parco Department Store. Supeinzaka got its name from the way it resembles a Spanish street scene, because everything in Spain is uphill and in allies. One of the last areas is called Love Hotel Hill. This area is the part of Shibuya that is heavily dominated by love hotels. The fifth area in Shibuya is one that makes Shibuya quite famous. The Shibuya Crossing. Located right outside Shibuya Station by the Hachiko Exit, traffic stops in all directions. This allows pedestrians to cross the whole section of street. When this happens, it is like a swarm, flood, or even a wave of people merging. This area is decorated by many neon advertisements. There are, also, three jumbo TV screens playing more advertisements on the side of buildings facing the crossing. The Shibuya Crossing is a popular place to film TV shows and movies, like //The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift//. Shibuya Crossing and all of Shibuya its self, has also inspired many things other things, one of them being the video game //The World Ends With You//.

But if you’re tired of the all the fashion, there's more in Shibuya! They have the bronze statue of Hachiko, the loyal dog who sat in front of Shibuya Station waiting for his deceased master to return. Shibuya, also, is home to a Tobacco and Salt Museum. This museum introduces you to tobacco and salt in Japan and all around the world. Finally, Shibuya is home to one of the world's busiest Starbucks, located by the Crossing.