On weekends, this subterranean club has two shows: live music in the evening and a DJ-hosted event that gets started around midnight. The solid line-up includes Japanese indie bands, veterans playing to a smaller crowd and overseas artists making their Japan debut. Unit is less grungy than other Tokyo live houses and, with high ceilings, doesn’t get as smoky.
Liquid RoomLIVE MUSIC
(リキッドルーム MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5464-0800; www.liquidroom.net; 3-16-6 Higashi, Shibuya-ku; dJR Yamanote line to Ebisu, west exit)
When this storied concert hall moved to Ebisu from seedy Kabukichō, it cleaned up its act. Liquid Room is still a great place to catch big-name acts in an intimate setting. Both Japanese and international bands play here, and every once in a while there's an all-night gig. Tickets sell out fast.
7Shopping
oOkuraFASHION & ACCESSORIES
(オクラ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.hrm.co.jp/okura; 20-11 Sarugaku-chō, Shibuya-ku; h11.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-8.30pm Sat & Sun; dTōkyū Tōyoko line to Daikanyama)
Almost everything in this enchanting shop is dyed a deep indigo blue – from contemporary tees and sweatshirts to classic work shirts. There are some beautiful, original items (though unfortunately most aren’t cheap). The shop itself looks like a rural house, with worn, wooden floorboards and whitewashed walls. Note: there’s no sign out the front, but the building stands out.
KapitalFASHION & ACCESSORIES
(キャピタル MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5725-3923; http://kapital.jp; 2-20-2 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku; h11am-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Ebisu, west exit)
Cult brand Kapital is hard to pin down, but perhaps a deconstructed mash-up of the American West and the centuries-old Japanese aesthetic of boro (tatty) chic comes close. Almost no two items are alike; most are unisex. The shop itself is like an art installation. The staff, not snobby at all, can point you towards the other two shops nearby.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
MEGURO INTERIOR SHOPS
Meguro-dōri, the broad boulevard that runs southwest from Meguro Station, is known as Tokyo’s interior-design district. Some 30 shops punctuate a 3km stretch of the road, starting after the intersection with Yamate-dōri. Even if you’re not planning to shop, it’s interesting to poke around and imagine what Tokyo’s concrete-box apartments might look like on the inside.
When you've had enough, simply hop on any bus heading back up Meguro-dōri; they all stop at Meguro Station. Note that many stores close on Wednesdays.
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Neighbourhood Top Five
1Shibuya Crossing Losing yourself in the crowds at Japan's busiest intersection – and getting swept along in the beating heart of desire, aspiration and materialism that is Shibuya.
2Shibuya Center-gai Eating, drinking and shopping your way down the neighbourhood's always lively, neon-lit main drag.
3Shimo-Kitazawa Getting lost in the tiny alleyways of this well-loved, bohemian neighbourhood, which offers a picture of how Tokyo might look if hippies – not bureaucrats – ran the city.
4Dōgenzaka Scoping out the all-night club scene on the sloping stretch also known as Love Hotel Hill.
5Tomigaya Checking out the hip hang-outs, such as Fuglen, in this 'un-Shibuya' neighbourhood, favoured by young creatives.
Explore Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Shibuya is a neighbourhood that gets a late start – after all it was partying until the first trains started running in the morning. Come for lunch. Ease your way in by starting with the Shibuya of the future: Shibuya Hikarie, a light and airy complex connected to the train station with views over the neighbourhood.
Then head down into the fray: exit the train station for Shibuya Crossing, the epic neon-lit intersection that has become synonymous with Tokyo. From here, the pedestrian traffic flows onto Shibuya Center-gai, the neighbourhood's lively main artery, lined with shops, cheap eateries and bars.
Shibuya is, above all, an entertainment district and it really comes alive at night. There are dance clubs, live-music venues, theatres and cinemas galore. While weekends are the busiest, you’ll find people from all over Tokyo here any night of the week (and you may find yourself drawn back night after night). Bars and karaoke parlours stay open until dawn.
It's also worth spending some time in down-to-earth Shimo-Kitazawa, home to cafes and vintage shops, dive bars and underground live-music venues.
Local Life
ATeen Culture Local teens love fashion hive Shibuya 109 and the 'print club' photo booths at Purikura no Mecca.
ARecord Stores Shimo-Kitazawa and the Udagawa-chō neighbourhood of Shibuya are studded with tiny specialist record shops that are popular with local DJs. Pick up event fliers here.
AHang-outs The neighbourhood Tomigaya is the centre of a hip cafe and bistro scene.
Getting There & Away
ATrain The JR Yamanote line stops at Shibuya Station. The Keiō Inokashira line departs from Keiō Shibuya Station for Shinsen, Komaba-Todaimae and Shimo-Kitazawa.
ASubway The Ginza, Hanzōmon and Fukutoshin lines stop in Shibuya. The Chiyoda line stops at Yoyogi-kōen Station (for Tomigaya); some trains continue on the Odakyū line for Shimo-Kitazawa.
ABus Bus No 1 departs for Roppongi from the east side of Shibuya Station, on the corner of Meiji-dōri and Miyamasu-zaka.
Lonely Planet's Top Tip
Missed the last train? You’re not alone – or stuck for options. Shibuya has plenty for night crawlers who were lured out late by the neighbourhood’s charms but who’d rather not fork over the yen for a taxi ride home. In addition to love hotels and manga kissa (cafes where you pay by the hour to read manga, Japanese comic books), consider waiting for the first train at a karaoke parlour; most offer discounted all-night packages from midnight to 5am.
Best Places to Eat
A d47 Shokudō
A Shirube
A Matsukiya
Best Places to Drink
A Good Beer Faucets
A Ghetto
A Fuglen Tokyo
A Womb
Best Places to Shop
A Tokyu Hands
A Fake Tokyo
A Shibuya 109
TOP SIGHT
Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya Crossing | SEAN PAVONE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Rumoured to be the busiest intersection in the world (and definitely in Japan), Shibuya Crossing, also known as Shibuya Scramble, is like a giant beating heart, sending people in all directions with every pulsing light change. Perhaps nowhere else says ‘Welcome to Tokyo’ better than this.
Hundreds of people – and at peak times said to be more than 1000 people – cross at a time, coming from all directions at once yet still managing to dodge each other with a practised, nonchalant agility. Then, in the time that it takes for the light to go from red to green again, all corners have replenished their stock of people – like a video on loop. The intersection is most impressive after dark on a Friday or Saturday night, when the crowds pouring out of the station are dressed in their finest and neon-lit by the signs above. (Rainy days have their own visual appeal, with all the colourful umbrellas).
The plaza in front of the station is a spectacle too: it's Shibuya's main rendezvous point and there are usually dozens (hundreds?) of people milling about. So much so that you might miss the famous Hachikō statue (ハチ公像 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Hachikō Plaza; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit), commemorating a loyal Akita dog. Hachikō came to Shibuya Station everyday to meet his owner, a professor, returning from work. The professor died in 1925, but Hachikō kept coming to the station until his own death 10 years later – a story that won the hearts of many Japanese.
Shibuya Crossing feeds into Shibuya Center-gai (渋谷センター街; Shibuya Sentā-gai MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dJR Yamanot
e line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit), the neighbourhood's main drag, closed to cars and chock-a-block with fast-food joints and high-street fashion shops. At night, lit bright as day, with a dozen competing soundtracks (coming from who knows where), wares spilling onto the streets, shady touts in sunglasses, and strutting teens, it feels like a block party – or Tokyo's version of a classic Asian night market.
Hachikō statue | PIGPROX / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Did You Know?
Shibuya Crossing sits over the confluence of two rivers, Shibuya-gawa and Uda-gawa, which were routed underground in the 1960s.
Practicalities
A渋谷スクランブル交差点; Shibuya Scramble
A MAP GOOGLE MAP
AdJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit
1Sights
Shibuya Crossing Top Sight
MAP GOOGLE MAP
Myth of TomorrowPUBLIC ART
(明日の神話; Asu no Shinwa MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
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 and, in 2008, the haunting 30m-long work, which depicts the atomic bomb exploding over Hiroshima, was installed inside Shibuya Station. It's on the 2nd floor, on the way to the Inokashira line.
Spain-zakaAREA
(スペイン坂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
Shibuya's most atmospheric little alley is typical Tokyo bricolage, with a Mediterranean flavour, a mismatch of architectural styles, cutesy clothing stores and a melting pot of restaurants all along a narrow, winding brick lane.
DōgenzakaAREA
(道玄坂; Love Hotel Hill MAP GOOGLE MAP ; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
Dōgenzaka, named for a 13th-century highway robber, is a maze of narrow streets. Home to one of Tokyo's largest clusters of love hotels (hotels for amorous encounters), it's also known as Love Hotel Hill. It's more than a little seedy, but some of the older hotels have fantastical (if not a bit chipped and crumbling) facades.
Toguri Museum of ArtMUSEUM
(戸栗美術館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.toguri-museum.or.jp; 1-11-3 Shōto, Shibuya-ku; adult/student/child ¥1000/700/400; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
The Toguri Museum of Art has an excellent collection of Edo-era ceramics, displayed in informative, thematic exhibitions with English explanations – great for getting to know the symbolism of the different motifs and the techniques of the different styles. The museum is in the exclusive Shōto neighbourhood, 1km from Shibuya Station.
Head down the Kamiyama-chō shōtengai until the Kamiyama-chō Higashi (神山町東) intersection and then turn left; the museum will be on your right, after the bend.
d47 MuseumMUSEUM
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.hikarie8.com/d47museum; 8th fl, Hikarie bldg, 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku; h11am-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, east exit)F
Lifestyle brand D&Department combs the country for the platonic ideals of the utterly ordinary: the perfect broom, bottle opener or salt shaker (to name a few examples). See rotating exhibitions of its latest finds from all 47 prefectures at this one-room museum. The excellent d47 Design Travel shop is next door.
WORTH A DETOUR
NIHON MINGEI-KAN
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 the mingei philosophy is yo no bi (beauty through use). The excellent Japan Folk Crafts Museum, west of Shibuya, houses a collection of some 17,000 pieces in a farmhouse-like building designed by one of the movement’s founders. From Komaba-Tōdaimae Station, walk with the train tracks on your left; when the road turns right (after about five minutes), the museum will be on your right. Note that it closes between exhibitions (check the schedule online).
5Eating
od47 ShokudōJAPANESE¥
(d47食堂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.hikarie8.com/d47shokudo/about.shtml; 8th fl, Shibuya Hikarie, 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku; meals ¥1200-1780; h11am-2.30pm & 6-10.30pm; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, east exit)
There are 47 prefectures in Japan and d47 serves a changing line-up of teishoku (set meals) that evoke the specialities of each, from the fermented tofu of Okinawa to the stuffed squid of Hokkaido. A larger menu of small plates is available in the evening. Picture windows offer bird's-eye views over the trains coming and going at Shibuya Station.
Gyūkatsu MotomuraTONKATSU¥
(牛かつ もと村 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 03-3797-3735; basement fl, 3-18-10 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku; set meal ¥1200; h10.30am-10.30pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-8.30pm Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, east exit)
You know tonkatsu, the deep-fried breaded pork cutlet that is a Japanese staple; meet gyūkatsu, the deep-fried breaded beef cutlet that is Tokyo's latest food craze. At Motomura, the beef is super-crisp on the outside and still very rare on the inside; diners get a small individual grill to finish the job to their liking. Set meals include cabbage, rice and soup.
Motomura is exceeding popular, with long queues common. It has since opened other shops in Shibuya and around Tokyo to handle the overflow; check inside for other locations.
SagataniSOBA¥
(嵯峨谷 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 2-25-7 Dōgenzaka, Shibuya-ku; noodles from ¥290; h24hr; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
Proving that Tokyo is only expensive to those who don't know better, this all-night joint serves up bamboo steamers of delicious noodles for just ¥290. You won't regret 'splurging' on the ごまだれそば (goma-dare soba; buckwheat noodles with sesame dipping sauce) for ¥390. Look for the stone mill in the window and order from the vending machine.
Food ShowSUPERMARKET¥
(フードショー MAP GOOGLE MAP ; basement fl, 2-24-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku; h10am-9pm; v; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
This take-away paradise in the basement of Shibuya Station has steamers of dumplings, crisp karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), artfully arranged bentō (boxed meals), sushi sets, heaps of salads and cakes almost too pretty to eat. It's also home of the ¥10,000 melons. A green sign pointing downstairs marks the entrance at Hachikō Plaza.
Nagi ShokudōVEGAN¥
(なぎ食堂 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://nagishokudo.com; 15-10 Uguisudani-chō, Shibuya-ku; lunch/dinner set menu ¥1050/1550; hnoon-4pm daily, 6-11pm Mon-Sat; v; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, west exit)
A vegan haven in fast-food-laced Shibuya, Nagi serves up dishes such as falafel and coconut curry. The most popular thing on the menu is a set meal with three small dishes, miso soup and rice. It's a low-key, homey place with mismatched furniture, cater-corner from a post office (and hidden behind a concrete wall; look for the red sign).
KaikayaSEAFOOD¥¥
(開花屋 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3770-0878; www.kaikaya.com; 23-7 Maruyama-chō, Shibuya-ku; lunch from ¥850, dishes ¥850-2300; h11.30am-2pm & 5.30-10.30pm Mon-Fri, 5.30-10.30pm Sat & Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)S
Traveller favourite Kaikaiya is one chef's attempt to bring the beach to Shibuya. Surfboards hang on the walls and much of what's on the menu is caught in nearby Sagami Bay. Seafood is served both Japanese- and Western-style. One must-try is the maguro no kama (tuna collar; ¥1200). Reservations recommended; there's a table charge of ¥400 per person.
From Dōgenzaka, turn right after the police box, and the restaurant, with a red awning, will be on your right.
MatsukiyaHOTPOT¥¥¥
(松木家 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3461-2651; 6-8 Maruyama-chō, Shibuya-ku; sukiyaki from ¥5400; h5-11pm Mon-Sat; dJR Yamanote line to Shibuya, Hachikō exit)
Matsukiya has been making sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef, simmered and then dipped in raw egg) since 1890, and the chefs really, really know what they're doing. It's worth upgrading to the premium course (¥7500) for even meltier meat. Prices are per person and for a full course that includes vegies and finishes wit
h noodles cooked in the broth.
There's a white sign out front and the entrance is up some stairs. Reservations are recommended.
2Local Life
A Night Out in Shimo-Kitazawa
For 50 years, Shimokita (as it’s called here) has been a prism through which to see the city’s alternative side. While other neighbourhoods go big, Shimokita fiercely defends its small stature, its narrow, crooked roads (the bane of taxi drivers) and its analogue vibe. Spend an evening here and raise your glass to (and with) the characters committed to keeping Shimokita weird.
1 Step Out on the Southside
The Minami-guchi shōtengai (南口商店街), marked by an arch, is the main drag heading south from the station. It's here where the crowds get so thick that cars can't pass (though even without people it's still barely wide enough for cars to pass). As you walk, look out for the colourful murals on the shutters of shops that have closed for the day.
2 Books and Beer
First stop: happy hour with the bookish crowd. B&B ( GOOGLE MAP ; http://bookandbeer.com; 2nd fl, 2-12-4 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku; hnoon-midnight; dKeiō Inokashira line to Shimo-Kitazawa, south exit) – which stands for books and beer – represents the new wave of Shimokita: a painfully hip bookstore that serves craft beer (from ¥500; or coffee, if that's how you roll). There is a small but good selection of English books on Tokyo here. Readings and acoustic performances take place some evenings.
Lonely Planet Tokyo Page 14
