Shibuya, Tokyo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shibuya (渋谷区, Shibuya-ku^?) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2005, it had an estimated population of 195,877 and a density of 12,960 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km².

The name "Shibuya" is also used to refer to the central business district of Shibuya Ward, which surrounds Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo's busiest railway stations. Shibuya is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.

[edit] History

Following the opening of the Yamanote Line in 1885, Shibuya began to emerge as a railway terminal for southwestern Tokyo and eventually as a major commercial and entertainment center. It was incorporated as a village in 1889, as a town in 1909, as a ward of Tokyo City in 1932, and as a ward of Tokyo Metropolis in 1943. The present-day special ward was established on March 15, 1947.

One of the most well-known stories concerning Shibuya is the story of Hachikō, a dog who waited on his late master at Shibuya Station every day from 1923 to 1935, eventually becoming a national celebrity for his loyalty. A statue of Hachikō was built adjacent to the station, and the surrounding Hachikō Square is now the most popular meeting point in the area.

Yoyogi Park in Shibuya was one of the main venues for the 1964 Summer Olympics.

Shibuya has achieved great popularity among young people in the last 30 years. There are several famous fashion department stores in Shibuya. Shibuya 109 is a major shopping center near Shibuya Station, particularly famous as the origin of the kogal subculture. Called "Ichi-Maru-kyū," which translates as 1–0–9 in Japanese, the name is actually a pun on that of the corporation that owns it — Tokyu (which sounds like 10–9 in Japanese). The contemporary fashion scene in Shibuya extends northward from Shibuya Station to Harajuku, where youth culture reigns; Omotesandō, the zelkova tree, and fashion brand lined street; and Sendagaya, Tokyo's apparel design district.

During the late 1990s, Shibuya also became known as the center of the IT industry in Japan. It was often called "Bit Valley" in English, a pun on "Bitter Valley," the literal translation of "Shibuya."

[edit] Geography

Shibuya Ward includes many well-known commercial and residential districts such as Daikanyama, Ebisu, Harajuku, Hiroo, Higashi, Omotesandō, Sendagaya, and Yoyogi.

[edit] Politics and government

Shibuya is run by a city assembly of 34 elected members. The current mayor is Toshitake Kuwahara, an independent backed by the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.

[edit] Elections

• Shibuya mayoral election, 2003

[edit] Sightseeing and historic sites

[edit] Green areas

• Meiji Shrine, Shinto shrine dedicated to the souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, surrounded by a 700,000-square-meter forest.
• Shinjuku Gyoen (Sendagaya), former Imperial gardens now open to the public as a park.
• Yoyogi Park, once a training base for the Imperial Japanese Army, later the Washington Heights housing area for the Occupation of Japan, then the lodgings for contestants in the Tokyo Olympics.

[edit] Buildings

• Shibuya 109, Hugely popular and trendy place for mostly Japanese young women to shop.
• Bunkamura, theatre and concert hall complex
• Cerulean Tower, the tallest building in the Shibuya Station area
• Ebisu Garden Place (Ebisu), site of the former Sapporo Beer brewery, now featuring restaurants and shopping, along with the Westin Hotel
• National Noh Theatre (Sendagaya)
• New National Theatre (Hatsudai), site of opera, ballet, and other performances
• NHK Broadcasting Center, headquarters of the NHK radio, television, and satellite broadcasting system
• NTT DoCoMo Yoyogi Building (Sendagaya), the third-tallest building in Tokyo, patterned after the Empire State Building
• Omotesandō Hills, a shopping mall completed in 2006
• Southern Terrace (Sendagaya)
• Takashimaya Times Square (Sendagaya), one of the largest department stores in Japan
• Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (Sendagaya), a major indoor arena complex
• Yoyogi National Gymnasium, designed for the 1964 Olympics by Kenzo Tange.

[edit] Streets and places

• Aoyama Dōri, a major east-west thoroughfare
• Dōgen-zaka, a road in central Shibuya famous for its surrounding nightclubs and love hotels
• Komazawa Dōri – running past Daikanyama, down the hill to Ebisu, crossing Meiji Dōri and up the hill through Higashi, Tokyo and Hiroo . The road stops at the Shuto expressway in Minami Aoyama. Famed for its beautiful trees that turn bright yellow in autumn, cafes, restaurants and large replica of Michelangelo's David outside of the Papas building. Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi have their official residence in a palace in large gardens off Komazawadori in Higashi ^[1]
• Kōen Street, in central Shibuya between Shibuya Station and Yoyogi Park
• Meiji Dōri, a major north-south thoroughfare parallel to the Yamanote Line
• Miyamasu-zaka
• Omotesandō, an avenue leading up to the Meiji Shrine with a number of famous-brand boutiques
• Spain-zaka
• Takeshita Street, a shopping street through Harajuku
• Yamanote Street
• Shibuya
• Ebisu
• Harajuku
• Hiroo
• Sendagaya
• Yoyogi

[edit] Other

• Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing which is reportedly the world's busiest. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachiko exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. Three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is also one of the busiest in the world. The 2003 American movie Lost in Translation featured a scene at the crossing.
• On the NorthWest side of Shibuya station, there is a popular meeting place with a statue of Hachiko the dog, while on the NorthEast side of Shibuya station there is another popular meeting place with a statue called "Moyai". The statue resembles a Moai statue, and it was given to Shibuya by the people of Niijima Island in 1980.
• Eighteen embassies are located in Shibuya.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Rail

The main station in Shibuya is Shibuya Station.

• JR East
  • Yamanote Line: Yoyogi, Harajuku, Shibuya, Ebisu stations
  • Chūō-Sōbu Line: Yoyogi, Sendagaya stations
  • Saikyō Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line: Shinjuku (the part south of Kōshū Kaidō, including the New South Entrance, is in Shibuya), Shibuya, Ebisu
• Tokyo Metro
  • Ginza Line: Shibuya Station
  • Hibiya Line: Ebisu Station
  • Chiyoda Line: Meiji Jingū-mae, Yoyogi Kōen, Yoyogi Uehara stations
  • Hanzōmon Line: Shibuya Station
  • Tokyo Metro Line 13 (not yet open in Shibuya): Shin Sendagaya, Meiji Jingū-mae, Shibuya stations
• Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Toei Oedo Line: Shinjuku (in Yoyogi), Yoyogi, Kokuritsu Kyogi-jo stations
• Tokyu Corporation (Tōkyū)
  • Tōyōko Line: Shibuya, Daikanyama stations
  • Den-en-toshi Line: Shibuya, Ikejiri Ohashi stations
• Keiō
  • Inokashira Line: Shibuya, Shinsen
  • Keiō Line: Sasazuka Station
  • Keio New Line: Hatsudai, Hatagaya, Sasazuka stations
• Odakyū Odawara Line: Minami Shinjuku, Sangubashi, Yoyogi Hachiman, Yoyogi Uehara stations
• The Royal Platform (kyūtei hōmu), used by the Japanese Imperial Family on rare occasions, is located along the Yamanote Line, a few minutes walk from Harajuku Station in Sendagaya 3-chome.

[edit] Highway

• Shuto Expressway
  • No.3 Shibuya Route (Tanimachi JCT – Yoga)
  • No.4 Shinjuku Route (Miyakezaka JCT – Takaido)
• National highways
  • Route 20, the Kōshū Kaidō
  • Route 246, with the local names Aoyama-dōri and Tamagawa-dōri

[edit] Education

[edit] Colleges and universities

• Aoyama Gakuin University
• Bunka Women's University (Yoyogi)
• Jissen Women's University
• Kokugakuin University (Higashi, Tokyo)
• University of the Sacred Heart (Hiroo)
• Tokai University

[edit] Primary and secondary schools

Shibuya operates public elementary and middle schools, while Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education operates public high schools.

• Aoyama High School [1]
• First Commercial High School [2]
• Hiroo High School [3]

[edit] People

• Yamaguchi Momoe: actress
• Yoshinaga Sayuri: actress

[edit] Companies

• Calpis: beverage maker
• Casio: electronics company
• Coca-Cola Japan
• Cyber Agent Ltd.: Internet advertising agency
• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) (Yoyogi)
• Gap Japan
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Google Japan
• Ito En Ltd.: Bottler of tea, coffee, vegetable drinks and other beverages
• Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan Ltd.
• Microsoft Japan
• NHK (Nippon Hoso Kyokai) (NHK Broadcasting Center)
• PPG: Manufacturer of industrial coatings
• Papas Kabushigaishi: a clothing, cafe and bakery company, headquarted on Komazawadori
• Sapporo Breweries Limited
• Square Enix: videogame, manga producer
• Teichiku Records: record label
• Tokyu Corporation
• Trend Micro Japan: security software company

[edit] Shibuya in popular culture

• Shibuya is the setting of many popular manga and anime series such as Super GALS!, and also features prominently in several movies and games.
• Shibuya-kei is also a name given to a particular style of Japanese pop music
• There is a Japanese television drama series called Sh15uya, which is about 15-year-olds in a virtual-reality Shibuya.
• The film "Lost in Translation" was set and filmed largely in Shibuya and nearby Shinjuku
• The Shibuya Crossing and Football pitch on top of a nearby building are both featured in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

[edit] Gallery

[edit] See also

• List of upscale shopping districts

[edit] External links

• Shibuya official website in English
• Wikitravel Tokyo/Shibuya
• Podcast on Shibuya, Tokyo in English
• Shibuya Gallery
• Shibuya Information and Gallery

[edit] References

1. ^ *Kunaicho |The Imperial Palace and other Imperial Household Establishments

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