Shibuya, Tokyo - The Crossing Everyone Knows

I’m pretty sure everyone knows Shibuya. 

It’s one of those places that almost feels like a must visit whenever you’re in Tokyo. 

Located in the western part of central Tokyo, Shibuya is known for its busy streets, endless shopping, cafes, restaurants, and of course, the famous Shibuya Crossing.

You’ve probably seen Shibuya Crossing even if you’ve never been to Tokyo. 

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people crossing from every direction when the traffic lights change. It’s one of those scenes that immediately makes you think, yessss! this is Tokyo.

Shibuya has also appeared in a few movies over the years. 

If you’ve watched Tokyo Drift, you might recognise some of the streets.

Resident Evil also featured Shibuya, making the area even more familiar to people who have never actually been there.

If you’re following me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I’ve already written about Shibuya in one of my Instagram posts. So yessss.. I’m writing about it again here.

Why?

Because this blog is my travel journal :)

I want to keep my travel memories here, not just on Instagram where everything eventually gets buried under newer posts. I want to be able to come back to these entries years from now, look at the photos, read what I wrote, and remember how it felt to be there. Because this is definitely one of those places I want to remember :)

Shibuya is basically a paradise for anyone who loves shopping.

There are department stores, fashion stores, beauty shops, lifestyle stores, small boutiques, and just about everything in between. You can easily spend hours walking around without even realising how much time has passed.

If you’ve been reading my travel posts, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve mentioned this many times.. I’m not really a fan of crowded places. I prefer somewhere I can walk around slowly, take my time, sit down with a coffee and just enjoy my surroundings without having people constantly walking into me.

But somehow, every time I’m in Japan, I still end up going to Shibuya.😂

I think that says quite a lot about how much I enjoy this place.

Shibuya is just too tempting, especially when it comes to shopping. Haha

But I think.. Shibuya felt so different this time.

The last time I visited Shibuya a few years ago, it was crowded, of course. 

But I remember there were still moments when I could find somewhere to sit, take a break and just watch the city move around me.

This time?

It was on another level.

There were people everywhere.

The streets were packed, the crossing was busy, and finding somewhere to sit and relax was almost impossible. I walked around for a while and eventually realised that I wasn’t going to get the slow, relaxed Shibuya experience I had in mind.

And honestly, I couldn’t stay for too long. 😓

I ended up doing what I actually came to do. 

Shopping for a few personal things, getting myself a coffee, and just enjoying the view before heading back to Akihabara.

It wasn’t a long visit, but it was enough for me.

But actually, there’s one thing I really enjoy about Shibuya, though.

The people.

Shibuya almost feels like one big fashion show.

I love looking at what people are wearing here. 

Everyone seems to have their own style. Some are dressed casually, some are incredibly fashionable, some have outfits that I would never have the courage to wear, 

and some are just.. so interesting. 😂

But that’s exactly what makes it fun.

You can chill somewhere with a coffee and spend quite a while just watching people walk by.

I find it fascinating how different everyone looks. 

You see different styles, different personalities, different ways of putting an outfit together. Some outfits are beautiful, some are unusual, and some make me think, I could never pull that off. lol

But I enjoy seeing all of it :)

Would I Go Back to Shibuya?

Absolutely. Yes!

Even though I complain about the crowds, I know I’ll probably end up here again and again the next time I’m in Tokyo. 😂

There’s something about Shibuya that makes it hard to skip. 

Maybe it’s the shopping. Maybe it’s the energy of the streets. Maybe it’s the people, the fashion, the big buildings, or the feeling of standing there and watching Tokyo move at its own pace.

For me, Shibuya is one of those places that I don’t necessarily need to spend an entire day exploring.. Sometimes, a few hours are enough :)

Walk around. 

Shop for something. 

Get a coffee. 

Watch the crossing. 

Look at people. 

Take a few photos. 

Then go somewhere quieter.

That’s probably my ideal Shibuya visit :)

If you’re planning your first trip to Tokyo, 

I definitely recommend experiencing Shibuya for yourself. 

Even if crowded places aren’t really your thing, I think it’s worth seeing at least once. :)

 Stand near the crossing, watch the crowd move when the lights change, walk through the shopping streets and just take everything in. 

You might love it :)

Or, like me, you might love it while also quietly wishing there were fewer people. 😂

Either way, Shibuya is one of those places that feels very Tokyo to me.

Busy, colourful, fashionable, a bit overwhelming, but always interesting.

And despite all my complaints about the crowd, I still love Shibuya.

I guess that’s why I keep coming back :)

And actually, I still have a few more stories from my time in Shibuya that I want to share. There are a few more places I visited, things I saw, and moments I want to keep in this travel journal.

But I’ll save those for the next post.

So, this is not the end of my Shibuya story yet.

See you in the next one :)