Shibuya in Tokyo is one of the most visited districts of this massive metropolis. The place is also well known as one of the most exciting shopping places in Japan, and anyone who visits Tokyo will surely pay a visit to this unique district.

The most prominent building here is the Shibuya 109 Building, which you see in the main photo. Overall, there are many skyscrapers and interesting buildings found around Shibuya.

Photos of Shibuya in Tokyo

During the last 30 years of travelling, I have visited Shibuya numerous times, the first being in 1990 when I used to work in Tokyo. To this very day, I have never tired of visiting this part of Tokyo, simply due to the vibrant Japanese lifestyle and culture found here. My last trip to Shibuya was also in March of 2017, and it brought back some perfect and fond memories.

Below are just random photos of Shibuya taken from my many trips here, but I am sorry that I cannot post my 1990 photos because they are in 3R prints. You know, back then, there were no digital cameras.

Shibuya in 1990s

While many travellers only recently visited Japan, they would not know of the early days of Shibuya as I did over 30 years ago. I was fortunate to have the luxury of fully exploring the original culture of Shibuya, and so much has changed in three decades.

When I worked in Tokyo, Shibuya was my place to find obscure shops selling clothing or vinyl records. It was a film camera; hence, I took photographs, but they are all in 3R prints.

The most famous part of Shibuya back then, and still is today, is the Shibuya Crossing or the Shibuya Scramble Crossing as it is now called. The number of people that crossed back then versus now has increased, but imagine 30 years ago, purely Japanese-dominated Shibuya, and I hardly saw foreigners here.

Deep in Shibuya, I remember buying a pair of Dr Martens boots for a reasonable price; it was one of the unique designs specially made for the Japanese market. So, for any Dr Mart fans, this is to let you know that the trend goes way back to the 80s and early 90s.

Music was huge back then, but in cassette, CD and records form, and Japan was one of the first to come out with portable CD players, so Tower Records was also one of my favourite haunts, as I used to get the latest Japanese rock CDs, which were one of the first places to be released.

Exploring Shibuya

Shibuya is much talked about due to two main attractions: the Hachiko Dog Statue at the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit. This is a famous story about a dog that waits for his master’s return, and it attracts dog lovers and commercial tourists to take photos of the statue. The other is the famous Shibuya Crossing, where hundreds to thousands of people will cross the main intersection outside the Shibuya Station.

The crossing is unique because people cross from all four directions of the intersection here. The best place to photograph this would be from one of the cafes or coffee joints on a high floor of the buildings facing the Shibuya Crossing.

So, if you are walking around the main road area here and suddenly see a bunch of cartoon character go-karts, do not be alarmed; this is the Mario tour.

Other than that, there are many new buildings, department stores, women’s and men’s fashion outlets, unique cafes and many Japanese restaurants all over Shibuya. For Muslim travellers, a popular Halal Japanese Curry shop in Shibuya is worth checking out, as they are pretty famous here.

Without fail, anyone visiting Tokyo will want to see this fantastic place. The best way to get here is by using the Tokyo Metro line, which is well-connected throughout Tokyo. Other train companies also stop here, as the Shibuya Station is one of the largest train stations in Japan. I still remember someone I knew getting lost in the ’90s while trying to transit.

To get to Shibuya, you can take three main subway lines. They are;

1. Ginza Line (Gold Color)
2. Hanzomon Line (Purple Color)
3. Fukutoshin Line (Brown Color)

Depending on which part of Tokyo you are in, you can catch a direct subway there or have to interchange at one of the stations. After all, Tokyo is well connected by the subway system. I have also written about the Tokyo Metro subway, sharing some of the perks tourists get when using this train service.