Shibuya, Tokyo
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Shibuya (渋谷区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan.
The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. As of 2003, the ward has an estimated population of 201,524 and a density of 13,337.13 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km².
Largely a commercial and entertainment district, Shibuya has achieved great popularity among young people in the last thirty years. There are several famous fashion department stores near Shibuya Station, but the most famous one is called "Shibuya 109" (ichimarukyū). This department store is very popular among young people, especially teens, and it is famous as the origin of the kogal subculture. The fashion scene extends northwards to Harajuku, and Shibuya is increasingly becoming a fashion trendsetter for all Asia. The plaza in front of JR Shibuya Station is known as Hachikō (ハチ公) Square, after a loyal dog who waited here for its master for years on end and is now commemorated with a diminutive statue.
Shibuya is also famous for its intersection crossing, reportedly the world's busiest, which is located in front of Shibuya Station and uses a four-way stop to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection (this is called a "pedestrian scramble", スクランブル交差点 sukuranburu kōsaten, or the Barnes Dance after traffic engineer Henry Barnes). Furthermore, the crossing has three large TV screens, which are on the buildings facing the crossing. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is reportedly the busiest in the world. The 2003 movie Lost in Translation featured a scene at the crossing.
To the north of Shibuya station is Dōgenzaka (道玄坂), offering entertainment for a more mature audience with many nightclubs and love hotels.
The main train stations in the ward are Shibuya Station itself, Yoyogi, Harajuku, and Ebisu. The southern part of Shinjuku Station also extends into Shibuya.
External links
- Official website (http://www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/eng/index.html) in English
- Official website (http://www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/) in Japanese
- Wikitravel: Tokyo/Shibuya (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tokyo/Shibuya)
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de:Shibuya es:Shibuya fr:Shibuya ko:시부야 구 id:Shibuya ja:渋谷区 sv:Shibuya, Tokyo zh:澀谷區