| Shibuya 渋谷 |
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| — Special ward — | |||
| 渋谷区 · Shibuya City | |||
| Shibuya crossing at night | |||
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| Location of Shibuya in Tokyo | |||
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Shibuya
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kantō | ||
| Prefecture | Tokyo | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Toshitake Kuwahara | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 15.11 km2 (5.8 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2008) | |||
| • Total | 208,371 | ||
| • Density | 13,540/km2 (35,068.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| Website | www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp | ||
Shibuya (渋谷区 Shibuya-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km².
The name "Shibuya" is also used to refer to the shopping district which surrounds Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo's busiest railway stations. This area is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.
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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 Minami-Toshima County (Toyotama County from 1896) 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. The ward itself served as part of the athletics 50 km walk and marathon course during those games.[1]
In 1965, 18-year-old Misao Katagiri, who had already shot and killed a policeman, went on a shooting rampage, and injured 16 more people. He was sentenced to death and was executed by hanging in 1972.
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 both "Bitter Valley," the literal translation of "Shibuya", as well as Bit, the computer term for binary digits.
Shibuya includes many well-known commercial and residential districts such as Daikanyama, Ebisu, Harajuku, Hiroo, Higashi, Omotesandō, Sendagaya, and Yoyogi.
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.
Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. The statue of Hachikō, a dog, between the station and the intersection, is a common meeting place and almost always crowded.
Three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing, as well as many advertising signs. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is also one of the busiest in the world. Its heavy traffic and inundation of advertising has led to it being compared to the Times Square intersection in New York City. Tokyo-based architecture professor Julian Worrall has said Shibuya Crossing is "a great example of what Tokyo does best when it’s not trying."[3]
Shibuya Crossing is often featured in movies and television shows which take place in Tokyo, such as Lost in Translation[4] and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, as well as on domestic and international news broadcasts.
On the southwest 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.
The main station in Shibuya is Shibuya Station.
Several companies are headquartered in Shibuya.
Calpis,[5] Casio,[6] Niwango,[7] and Tokyu Corporation have their headquarters in Shibuya.[8] East Japan Railway Company,[9] Square Enix,[10][11] and Taito Corporation have their headquarters in Yoyogi, Shibuya.[12] 81 Produce has its headquarters in Tomigaya, Shibuya.[13][14]
Campbells Soup's Japan division is headquartered in Shibuya.[15] The ABB Group's Japan headquarters are located in Shibuya.[16][17] Virgin Atlantic Airways's Japan office is on the sixth floor of the POLA Ebisu Building in Shibuya.[18] MTV Japan Ltd., which controls Nickelodeon Japan, has its headquarters in Shibuya.[19]
At one time Smilesoft had its headquarters in Shibuya.[20] In May 1985 the headquarters of Bandai Visual moved to Shibuya. In March 1990 the headquarters moved to Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo.[21]
A.D. Vision - Tokyo, Y.K., the Japanese subsidiary of A.D. Vision, was in Shibuya.[22] Acclaim Entertainment once had its Tokyo office in the Nomora Building.[23]
Shibuya operates public elementary and middle schools, while Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education operates public high schools.
Shibuya operates several public libraries, including the Central Library, the Nishihara Library, the Shibuya Library, the Tomigaya Library, the Sasazuka Library, the Honmachi Library, and the Rinsen Library. In addition, the Yoyogi Youth Hall houses the Yoyogi Library Room.[24]
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