Shibuya


Shibuya is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station.
As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,609 in 142,443 households and a population density of. The total area is. Notable neighborhoods and districts of Shibuya include Harajuku, Ebisu, Omotesandō, Yoyogi and Sendagaya.
Shibuya came into the possession of the Shibuya clan in the early 1160s, after which the area was named. The branch of the clan that ruled this area was defeated by the Later Hōjō clan on January 13, 1524, during the Sengoku period, and the area then came under their control. During the Edo period, Shibuya, particularly Maruyamachō on Dōgenzaka, prospered as a town on Oyama Road, and in the Meiji era, as a Hanamachi. Shibuya emerged as a railway terminus during the expansion of the railway network beginning in the 19th century, and was incorporated as a ward in the City of Tokyo on October 1, 1932.
Shibuya, once a mediocre area developed around the railway terminus, overtook Shinjuku as a hub for youth culture in the 1970s. The coinciding competition between Seibu and Tokyu |Tokyu Hands], 109 to develop the area as a commercial center added to its appeal to young people, which in turn spread to other neighborhoods in the ward, such as [Harajuku.
The Shibuya Crossing, known as the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, the panoramic view of the city from the rooftop of Shibuya Scramble Square, and the statue of Hachikō are internationally recognized tourist attractions.
The area surrounding Shibuya Station has been undergoing large-scale redevelopment since 2010, with the entire project scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2034.

History

Shibuya came into the possession of the Shibuya clan in the early 1160s, after which the area was named. The clan was a cadet branch of the Taira clan descended from Taira no Yoshifumi. The clan built a fortress near the present-day Konnō Hachimangu Shrine. The branch of the clan that ruled this area was defeated by the Later Hōjō clan on January 13, 1524, during the Sengoku period, and the area then came under their control. During the Edo period, Shibuya, particularly Maruyamachō on Dōgenzaka, prospered as a town on Oyama Road, and in the Meiji era, as a Hanamachi.
The village of Shibuya was incorporated in 1889 by the merger of the villages of Kami-Shibuya, Naka-Shibuya and Shimo-Shibuya within Minami-Toshima County. The village covered the territory of modern-day Shibuya Station area as well as the Hiroo, Daikanyama, Aoyama, and Ebisu areas. Shibuya became a town in 1909. The town of Shibuya merged with the neighboring towns of Sendagaya and Yoyohata to form Shibuya-ku suburban ward upon being absorbed into Tokyo City in 1932. Shibuya became an urban special ward under the Local Autonomy Act in 1947.
The Tokyu Toyoko Line opened in 1932, making Shibuya a key terminal between Tokyo and Yokohama, and was joined by the forerunner of the Keio Inokashira Line in 1933 and the forerunner of the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line in 1938. The story of Hachikō, a dog who waited for his deceased master at Shibuya Station every day from 1923 to 1935, created a national sensation due to his unwavering loyalty. A statue of Hachikō was built adjacent to the station, and the surrounding Hachikō Square is now one of the most popular meeting points in the area.
During the occupation of Japan, Yoyogi Park was used as a housing compound for U.S. personnel known as "Washington Heights". The U.S. military left in 1964, and much of the park was repurposed as venues for the 1964 Summer Olympics. The ward itself served as part of the athletics 50 km walk and marathon course during the 1964 games.
In the mid-1990s, Shibuya-kei, a microgenre of pop music, became mainstream in Japan. Distinguished by a "cut-and-paste" approach, it peaked in the late 1990s and declined after its principal players began moving onto other music styles.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, large-scale redevelopment has been underway in the area surrounding Shibuya Station. The scale of the project has been described as something that happens once in a hundred years. In 2005, the Japanese government designated the district as an Urban Renewal Area. Following discussions among scholars, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Shibuya City Office, and railway operators such as Tokyu Corporation, JR East, and Tokyo Metro, a master plan was announced in 2008. In 2010, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government approved the implementation of the redevelopment plan, and full-scale construction officially began. As part of the redevelopment, the existing station facilities were demolished. The Tōyoko Line was moved underground, the Ginza Line platform was relocated, and the Saikyō Line platform was placed parallel to the Yamanote Line platform. Several existing commercial buildings were also demolished and replaced by high-rise complexes such as Shibuya Hikarie, Shibuya Stream, Shibuya Fukuras, Shibuya Sakura Stage, and Shibuya Scramble Square. Because railway operations had to continue during construction, and because the pedestrian network plan around the station was revised during the process, the overall completion of the redevelopment is now scheduled for fiscal year 2034, which is seven years later than originally planned.
Miyashita Park closed in 2017 and reopened in July 2020 as a shopping complex with a rooftop park.

Geography

Shibuya includes many well-known commercial and residential districts such as Daikanyama, Ebisu, Harajuku, Hiroo, Higashi, Omotesandō, Sendagaya, and Yoyogi.

Districts

Per Japanese census data, the population is rising again after decline between 1960 and 2000.

Politics and government

Shibuya is run by a city assembly of 34 elected members. The mayor is Ken Hasebe, an independent.

Elections

In 2015, as the council passed "Ordinance for Promoting Respect of Gender Equality and Diversity in the Ward", Shibuya Ward became the first Japanese municipality that issues same-sex partnership certificates. According to this ordinance, same-sex couples who live in Shibuya are allowed "to rent apartments together, and have gained hospital visitation rights as family members". The ordinance was intended to bring three benefits to same-sex couples: " rental housing within the ward, medical institutions within the ward, and employment conditions within the ward ". In order to apply for the certificate, couples must be 20-years-old or older residents of Shibuya Ward and have to state that "their relationship is based on love and mutual trust" in a notarized document. Koyuki Higashi and Hiroko Masuhara, a lesbian couple, were the first to receive this certification. Since the Shibuya Ward passed the ordinance, seven other municipalities in Japan have begun offering similar certificates.
The BBC notes that in practice, the ordinance is not binding, though their names will be posted on the ward's website if they violate the ordinance. Shimizu says the system "is not equivalent to marriage, as it does not accord same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples when it comes to inheritance, joint filing of taxes, or social welfare". As it requires at least a hundred thousand yen to apply for the certificate, it can be restrictive to some couples. Shimizu argues that Shibuya Ward has been criticized for pinkwashing as "while passing this ordinance, the administration also moved to expel the homeless in Miyashita Park and other parks in the ward". Pointing out that the mayor of Shibuya Ward in an interview stated that this is not a matter of human rights, but of diversity, Yuri Horie claimed that the term of diversity seems to be used to divide citizens into the good and the bad; it raises only the ones who contribute to the consumeristic society as representer of "diversity of sexuality" while excluding the useless ones. Yuki Tsuchiya, a lesbian activist, also argues that LGBT individuals are used to promote the ward.

Sightseeing and local landmarks

Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing, called Shibuya 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. Shibuya Crossing is the "world's busiest pedestrian crossing", with upwards of 3,000 people at a time. A statue of the dog Hachikō, remembered for his unwavering loyalty to his deceased owner, is installed outside Shibuya Station. The statue and its surrounding Hachikō Square are a common meeting place and are almost always crowded. On the southwest side of Shibuya Station, there is a Moyai statue, given to Shibuya by the people of Niijima Island in 1980.

Green areas

Rail

The main station in Shibuya is Shibuya Station. The southern half of Shinjuku Station, including the New South Entrance, is located in Shibuya.
Several companies are headquartered in Shibuya.
Calpis, Casio, Mixi, Niwango, Nihon Dempa Kogyo, and Tokyu Corporation have their headquarters in Shibuya. East Japan Railway Company have their headquarters in Yoyogi, Shibuya. 81 Produce has its headquarters in Tomigaya, Shibuya.

Former operations

At one time Smilesoft had its headquarters in the CT Sasazuka Building in Shibuya. In May 1985 the headquarters of Bandai Visual moved to Shibuya. In March 1990 the headquarters moved to Shinjuku.
A.D. Vision - Tokyo, Y.K., the Japanese subsidiary of A.D. Vision, was in Shibuya. Acclaim Entertainment once had its Tokyo office in the Nomora Building. The Japanese subsidiary of Titus Interactive, Titus Japan K.K., had its head office on the eighth floor of the Kotubuki Dogenzaka Building in Dōgenzaka. The former animation studio; Group TAC was also located here.
Square Enix headquarters were located in Yoyogi before moving to Shinjuku in 2012.

Companies

Colleges and universities

The operates public elementary and junior high schools, while Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education operates public senior high schools.
Public combined elementary and junior high schools
Junior high schools:
  • Hachiyama Junior High School
  • Harajuku Gaien Junior High School
  • Hiroo Junior High School
  • Sasazuka Junior High School
  • Shoto Junior High School
  • Uehara Junior High School
  • Yoyogi Junior High School
Elementary schools:
  • Hatashiro Elementary School
  • Hatomori Elementary School
  • Hiroo Elementary School
  • Jingumae Elementary School
  • Jinnan Elementary School
  • Kakezuka Elementary School
  • Nagayato Elementary School
  • Nakahata Elementary School
  • Nishihara Elementary School
  • Rinsen Elementary School
  • Sarugaku Elementary School
  • Sasazuka Elementary School
  • Sendagaya Elementary School
  • Tokiwamatsu Elementary School
  • Tomigaya Elementary School
  • Uehara Elementary School
  • Yoyogisanya Elementary School
Private schools include:
  • Aoyama Gakuin Elementary, Junior and Senior High School—private co-ed school, in Shibuya, affiliated with Aoyama Gakuin University
  • —public co-ed school, in Jingūmae
  • First Commercial High School—public co-ed school, in Daikanyama
  • Fujimigaoka Junior and Senior High School—private girls' school, in Sasazuka
  • Hiroo Gakuen Junior and Senior High School—private co-ed school, in Hiroo
  • Hiroo High School—public co-ed school, in Higashi
  • International School of Sacred Heart, in Hiroo
  • Jingūmae International Exchange School, within the Shibuya Ward Jingūmae Elementary School in Omotesando
  • Jissen Joshi-Gakuen Elementary, Junior and Senior High School—private girls' school, in Higashi, affiliated with Jissen Women's University
  • Kantō International Senior High School—private co-ed school, in Honchō
  • Kokugakuin Senior High School—private co-ed school, in Jingūmae
The British School in Tokyo Shibuya Campus was previously in operation.

Public libraries

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.

In popular culture

Shibuya has appeared in the manga Alice in Borderland, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen with its 'Shibuya Incident' arc, Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran, Tokyo Revengers and Ya Boy Kongming!.
It has featured in the television series Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night.
It featured in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing
It has also appeared in the videogames Chaos;Head, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!, Persona 5, The World Ends With You, Neo: The World Ends with You, Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, Reynatis and Forza Horizon 6. In Kingdom Hearts IV, the city of Quadratum is based on Shibuya, and in Project Gotham Racing, Race Driver: Grid, Colin McRae: Dirt 2, Dirt 3, and Dirt Showdown as race tracks.
It was mentioned in the 2021 Kanye West song "Life of The Party" with Andre 3000.

International relations

Friendship city

There are following offices at the United Nations University Headquarters Building in Jingūmae, Shibuya.
  • ILO Office for Japan
  • UNDP Representation Office in Tokyo
  • UNFPA Representation Office in Japan
  • UNIC Tokyo
  • UNICEF Tokyo Office
  • UNIDO ITPO, Tokyo
  • UNOPS（United Nations Office for Project Services）Tokyo Liaison Office
  • UNU-IAS

    Diplomatic missions in Shibuya

Following countries operate their embassies in Shibuya.
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