The most filmed intersection in the world, the finest department store food halls in Japan, and the neighbourhood of Nakameguro and Daikanyama that most visitors to Shibuya miss entirely.
Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s most visited areas and one of its most misunderstood. Most visitors photograph the scramble crossing, walk the main shopping street, and leave. The best of Shibuya is in the quieter neighbourhoods immediately south and southwest, accessible on foot from the crossing but completely different in character from the commercial core.
Getting to Shibuya
- JR Yamanote Line: Shibuya Station is on the main loop. 4 minutes from Shinjuku, 6 minutes from Harajuku, 12 minutes from Tokyo Station.
- Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Hanzomon Line, Fukutoshin Line: All terminate at Shibuya. Suica card covers all.
- Haneda Airport: Keikyu Line to Shinagawa (13 minutes), then Yamanote to Shibuya (12 minutes). Or direct Limousine Bus (30 to 50 minutes). See the Haneda to Shibuya guide.
The Shibuya Scramble Crossing
The most famous intersection in the world. At peak times, up to 3,000 people cross simultaneously from all directions in one controlled surge. The on-foot experience from the centre is chaotic and oddly celebratory. The view from above is what most photographers seek.
Best viewing points: Shibuya Sky observation deck (entry 2,000 yen; 45th and 46th floors of Shibuya Scramble Square; booking recommended) offers the finest aerial view. The Mag’s Park observation terrace at Shibuya 109 is free to access. The Starbucks on the second floor of the Tsutaya building, facing the crossing, offers a ground-level frontal view.
Best time: Evening rush hour (5 pm to 8 pm) for the largest crowds. The crossing operates with equal drama at midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Daikanyama
Walk 15 minutes south from the scramble crossing into Daikanyama, one of Tokyo’s most design-conscious residential and commercial neighbourhoods. T-Site bookstore (a complex of three interconnected buildings by Tsutaya) is the finest bookshop in Japan by design and one of the world’s most photographed retail spaces. The surrounding streets have independent boutiques, architecture studios, highly regarded cafes, and the kind of neighbourhood feel that Tokyo’s central areas have largely lost.
Nakameguro
The canal-side neighbourhood is a 10-minute walk from Daikanyama (or one station from Shibuya on the Tokyu Toyoko Line). The Meguro River runs through the centre, lined with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants in buildings that incorporate the canal-side setting. In cherry blossom season, the trees above the canal create a pink canopy visible from every bridge. In autumn, the same canal is lined with yellow ginkgo and red maple.
Nakameguro’s restaurant scene is excellent. The quality per yen is better than Omotesando or Ginza for equivalent food. The streets running off the main canal are worth exploring on foot.
Omotesando and Harajuku
Walk north from Shibuya Station to Omotesando, the tree-lined boulevard connecting Shibuya to Harajuku. Flagship stores for every major international brand alongside the finest Japanese architectural retail designs (Prada building by Herzog and de Meuron, Omotesando Hills by Tadao Ando). Takeshita Street in Harajuku (5 minutes north) is the antithesis: youth fashion, crepes, and the most densely packed shopping street in Tokyo.
Department Store Food Halls
Shibuya’s depachika (department store basements) are among the finest in Japan. Shibuya Hikarie’s food floor on Level B2 has prepared food from restaurants throughout Tokyo, excellent Japanese sweets, and fresh produce. The Tokyu Food Show in the basement of the main Tokyu department store is more extensive, with over 200 food stalls. Both are best visited around 7 pm when items are discounted.
Where to Eat in Shibuya
Around the Crossing
The main Shibuya commercial area has every major chain and several reliable independent restaurants. Ichiran ramen (the famous individual booth ramen) has a branch near the crossing. For a proper sit-down meal, the streets east of the station toward Dogen-zaka have a good concentration of mid-range Japanese restaurants.
Nakameguro and Daikanyama
The best food in the Shibuya area is in these two neighbourhoods. Excellent coffee, serious Japanese restaurants, and creative fusion cooking at prices that reflect the local clientele rather than tourist markup.
