“Welcome to Japan.”

Shibuya is, above all, an entertainment center and it really comes alive at night. There are dance clubs, live music venues, theaters, and cinemas galore. It’s a place where bars and karaoke parlours stay open until dawn.

Shibuya Crossing

As we exited the subway, heading up for the streets of Shibuya, we popped right out at a corner of the busiest sidewalk crossing- Shibuya Crossing. Shibuya Crossing is an epic sight! Rumored to be the busiest intersection in the world (and definitely in Japan), it is said that perhaps nowhere else says “Welcome to Japan” better than this! Hundreds of people- at peak times said to be over 1,000 people- cross here every time the light turns green. 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. Shibuya Crossing is a prime photo opportunity, but a still image doesn’t do justice to the energy and the sense that this is the center and heart of Shibuya.

        

        

        

        

        

Hachiko Statue

In the early 1920’s, a professor who lived near Shibuya Station kept Hachiko, a small akita dog, who came to the station every day to await the return of his master. The professor died in 1925, but the dog continued to show up and wait at the station until his own death 10 years later. The story became a legend and a small statue was put here in the dog’s memory. Hachiko is perhaps Tokyo’s most famous meeting spot.

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