Shibuya is currently undergoing what’s been called a once-in-a-century redevelopment, with high-rises such as Shibuya Stream and Shibuya Scramble Square rising one after another. The station and its surroundings seem to change by the day.
Yet not everything has been swept up in this wave of change. You can still find pockets of old Showa-era (1926–1989) atmosphere, from the tiny bars of Nonbei Yokocho to Shibuya Hyakkendana Shopping Street, home to long-established institutions like the classical music café Meikyoku Kissa Lion.
A world away from that lively energy, the Shoto district is one of Tokyo’s finest residential neighborhoods, lined with stately homes. In the Meiji era, the Nabeshima family of the former Saga domain opened a tea plantation here called Shotoen, cultivating a premium tea known as “Shoto.” The name lived on as the district’s own, and its legacy survives today in Nabeshima Shoto Park.
【The Walking Route】
Start: Shibuya Station is 6 minutes (¥200) from Shinjuku Station and 13 minutes (¥210) from Shinagawa Station on the JR Yamanote Line; 8 minutes (¥180) from Jiyugaoka Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line; and 16 minutes (¥210) from Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
JR/Metro/private-line Shibuya Station → (3 min / 0.2 km) → Shibuya Hikarie → (4 min / 0.3 km) → MIYASHITA PARK → (4 min / 0.3 km) → Shibuya PARCO → (15 min / 1.0 km) → Oku-Shibu → (13 min / 0.9 km) → Toguri Museum of Art → (3 min / 0.2 km) → Nabeshima Shoto Park → (2 min / 0.2 km) → Shoto Museum of Art → (11 min / 0.8 km) → Shibuya Hyakkendana Shopping Street → (10 min / 0.7 km) → SHIBUYA SKY → (immediately) → JR/Metro/private-line Shibuya Station
Goal:For transportation from Shibuya Station, see “Start” above.
This route: approx. 4.6 km / approx. 1 hr 10 min / approx. 6,200 steps
●Shibuya Hikarie: The High-Rise Complex Connected Directly to Shibuya Station
Home to buzzworthy shops, a theater, and more, Hikarie is especially popular for its free-to-enter observation floor, “Sky Lobby,” and the Kihachiro Kawamoto Puppet Gallery.
Shibuya Hikarie[Shibuya / Shopping]
Address: 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: Varies by shop (Sky Lobby: 7:00–24:00; Kihachiro Kawamoto Puppet Gallery: 11:00–19:00)
Closed: No fixed closing days (varies by facility)
Access: Directly connected to Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
●MIYASHITA PARK: Shops and a Hotel Beneath a Rooftop Park
This low-rise complex stretches roughly 330 meters and brings together three elements in one: a shopping facility with about 90 stores, including several opening their first Japanese branch; Shibuya’s Miyashita Park, laid out on the rooftop; and a hotel.
MIYASHITA PARK[Shibuya / Park]
Address: 6-20-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00–21:00 (varies by facility and shop); the park itself is open 8:00–23:00
Closed: Irregular
Access: 2-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
●Shibuya PARCO: A Hub for Shibuya Culture
This commercial complex captures everything that’s happening in Shibuya right now, including fashion, theater, and galleries. One distinctive feature is the staircase that wraps around the building’s exterior like a three-dimensional street, passing plazas and greenery along the way.
Shibuya PARCO[Shibuya / Shopping]
Address: 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00–21:00 (6th floor from 10:00; restaurants 11:30–23:00; varies by shop)
Closed: Irregular
Access: 8-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
●Toguri Museum of Art: A Showcase of Fine Ceramics
The museum’s core collection was assembled by founder Toru Toguri, and centers on Hizen porcelain such as Imari and Nabeshima ware, alongside East Asian ceramics from China and the Korean Peninsula. Special exhibitions are held four times a year.
Toguri Museum of Art [Shibuya / Art Museum]
Address: 1-11-3 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00–16:30 (also open 17:00–19:30 on Fridays and Saturdays)
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (following weekday if either falls on a holiday), and during exhibition changeovers
Access: 15-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway), or 10-minute walk from Shinsen Station on the Keio Inokashira Line
●Nabeshima Shoto Park: A Green, Historic Retreat
In the Meiji era, this was the site of a tea plantation run by the Nabeshima family of Saga. It was donated to the City of Tokyo in 1932 and later transferred to Shibuya Ward. Besides playground equipment, the park has a pond, and it fills with cherry-blossom viewers each spring.
Nabeshima Shoto Park [Shibuya / Park]
Address: 2-10-7 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: Open at all times
Access: 15-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
●Shoto Museum of Art: A Striking Facade of Reddish Granite
The galleries fan out around a central atrium fountain at the heart of the building. In addition to special exhibitions, the museum also hosts open-call shows for residents, students, and workers of Shibuya Ward.
Shibuya City Shoto Museum of Art[Shibuya / Museum]
Address: 2-14-14 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00–17:30 (until 19:30 on Fridays; 9:00–16:30 during open-call and salon exhibitions)
Closed: Mondays (open if a holiday), the day after a holiday (open if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday), and during exhibition changeovers
Access: 15-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
●Shibuya Hyakkendana Shopping Street: Showa-Era Charm Lives On
This shopping street was developed just after the Great Kanto Earthquake around the concept of a “department store district.” Though it burned down entirely in the Tokyo air raids, it was rebuilt after the war into a bustling entertainment district lined with movie theaters. While it’s sometimes associated with adult entertainment venues, it’s in fact a unique area where old, insider-favorite establishments mix with a new generation of culture-forward shops.
Shibuya Hyakkendana Shopping Street[Shibuya / Shopping]
Address: 2-20-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 5-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
●SHIBUYA SKY: A Breathtaking Panorama 229 Meters Above Shibuya
This observation facility sits atop Shibuya Scramble Square. From the rooftop deck, “SKY STAGE,” the Scramble Crossing and the whole of Shibuya spread out below, and lying back in one of the hammocks lets you feel as though you’re floating right into the sky.
SHIBUYA SKY[Shibuya / Facility]
Address: Shibuya Scramble Square, 14F, 45F, 46F & Rooftop, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00–21:20
Closed: No fixed closing days
Access: Directly connected to Shibuya Station (JR, subway, and private railways)
[Shibuya Dining] Meikyoku Kissa Lion: A Quiet Hour Spent Listening to Classical Music
Opened in 1926 in Ebisu’s Namikibashi neighborhood before later moving to its present location, this classical-music café draws devoted listeners and holds a scheduled concert every day. Hot coffee costs ¥750, and the eggnog is ¥920.
Meikyoku Kissa Lion[Shibuya / Café]
Address: 2-19-13 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 13:00–20:00
Closed: No fixed closing days
Access: 5-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
[Shibuya Dining] Nonbei Yokocho: A Warm, Postwar Dining Alley
Running along the JR elevated tracks, this retro Showa-era drinking alley packs in 38 tiny izakaya, each just 2 to 3 tsubo (roughly 6.6 to 9.9 square meters) in size. Some have been open for more than 50 years, including the yakitori shop Namiki, now run by its third-generation owner, and Nadaichi, known for its generously sized oden ingredients.
Nonbei Yokocho[Shibuya / Izakaya & Bars]
Address: 1-25 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 2-minute walk from Shibuya Station (JR, private railways, and subway)
[Town Exploration] “Oku-Shibu” for Grown-Ups: Unforgettable Food You Can Only Find Here
One part of Shibuya that’s been drawing attention lately is what locals call “Oku-Shibu,” or “inner Shibuya.” The name refers to the Kamiyama-cho, Udagawa-cho, and Tomigaya area, stretching from the former Shibuya Tokyu Main Store toward Inokashira Dori near the NHK Broadcasting Center. Its main artery is the street of the Kamiyama Shopping Association, lined with boldly individual shops.
Among the well-known favorites here are Uoriki, a fresh-fish restaurant operating since the Showa era that’s even appeared on the TV show “Solitary Gourmet”; Musée du Chocolat Théobroma, run by one of Japan’s leading chocolatiers; and SHIBUYA CHEESE STAND, where the cheese is made right on-site. Then there’s Nata de Cristiano, a shop specializing in Portuguese sweets, whose ¥230 pastel de nata egg tarts are so popular that customers line up for them — definitely worth grabbing one.
Another hallmark of the area is its abundance of distinctive coffee stands, including THE LATTE TOKYO, which specializes in lattes, and CAMELBACK, famous for its egg sandwiches made by a former sushi chef. These are destinations worth seeking out for anyone who appreciates true craft.
Reporting, text, and photography: Ad Green
