Shibuya

One of the most famous shopping districts in Tokyo is Shibuya. Touted as a youth fashion and culture centre (alongside neighbouring Harajuku), it is literally chock full of large shopping malls and independent department stores all competing for a slice of the rambunctious Japanese youth fashion scene. In addition, it is also one of Tokyo's busiest and most colourful entertainment and nightlife districts, with no shortage of karaoke, dining, and nightclub options to while away one's time and money. In short, Shibuya is where you go to shop and be entertained.

That said, I am in no way a fashion pupil nor ever a nightlife connoisseur. My visits to Shibuya have been solely for the purposes of sightseeing and bargain-hunting, and there are a handful of famous landmarks and a bucketload of small shops there to meet my 'touristy needs'. Here are my photos of Shibuya:

1) One of the most famous landmarks here in Shibuya is the statue of a loyal dog called Hachiko. The story goes that Hachiko was taught by its owner to wait at Shibuya station for his return from work. One day its owner suffered a stroke at work, passed away, and never returned. Hachiko, however, continued its wait daily at Shibuya Station, surviving on scraps of food and the charity of local business owners. This went on for 12 years until its own death. Hachiko became a local symbol of loyalty, and its statue is a very popular meeting spot outside Shibuya Station.

The Hachiko Statue. 

(Note: That white band is apparently a political party's propaganda, and is not always on the statue.)

2) Another famous local landmark is the Shibuya Crossing. It is basically a big six-way traffic intersection right outside Shibuya station where the lights turn red all at once every so often, turning it into a massive pedestrian crossing with 'swarms' of shoppers heading in every direction. It's usually much busier during the rush hours, the evenings, and the weekends.

 Ground level shot of the Shibuya Crossing facing the train station.

 The 'swarms' of shoppers from the train station's viewpoint.

First floor shot of a less busy crossing during the day.

3) Centre Gai ("Centre Street") is a busy pedestrian zone to the North-West of Shibuya Station beyond Shibuya Crossing where there is a high concentration of boutiques, eateries, and 'unique' stores catering to various youth sub-cultures. One of the more unusual things I'd encountered there were young African(?) touts speaking very bad Japanese with heavy accents trying to get me to visit a game centre (which I presume they were working for). Of course, I politely refused. Lol.

 Entrance to Centre Gai from the Shibuya Crossing.

 The cosy lanes of Centre Gai.

Lots of advertising in the stores.

An eatery with lots of local 'salarymen' (office workers) during lunch time.

4) Other miscellaneous locations.

 Various karaoke centres for the musically challenged.

The start of Koen Dori ("Park Street") leading to Yoyogi Park. You can also see Shibuya 109 (large shopping mall) to the right.

And lastly, a wrong turn took me into the Love Hotel Hill - a location with lots and lots of "love hotels". I stayed long enough to take this photo and then hightailed out of there.