Dogenzaka is a downtown dining, nightlife and retail zone in the Shibuya ward of western Tokyo. Step off the train at one of the city’s busiest stations into a neon-lit wonderland of art, fashion and food. Visit Dogenzaka to shop for the latest trends, sing at karaoke bars and watch the scene unfold from an iconic intersection.
Shibuya Crossing is the chaotic and mesmerizing heart of modern Tokyo, a place made famous by the movie Lost in Translation. Wait for the traffic lights to turn red and join hundreds or even thousands of pedestrians walking smoothly across this diagonal intersection. Get a great top-down view of the crossing from the second floor of a nearby Starbucks café.
Say hello to the cherished Hachikō Memorial Statue on the southern side of the crossing. It portrays a remarkably loyal Akita dog that used to wait habitually for its owner outside Shibuya Station. When the dog’s owner passed away in 1925, the animal continued to wait until its own death 9 years later. Nearby, the Moyai Statue resembles the sacred Moai statues found on Easter Island.
Streets and alleys lined with cafés, noodle joints, pubs, sushi bars and restaurants fan out from the crossing. Follow the youthful crowd to Shibuya Center-Gai for bargain fashion, record stores, sub-culture and late-night parties at dive bars. Shibuya 109 mall has trendy female fashion and cosmetics spread over 10 floors. Shibuya Mark City is known for its lifestyle and clothing stores.
Bunkamura is a cultural complex with art, live music and theater venues. The Bunkamura Museum has traveling exhibitions of modern art and photography by artists such as Chagall and Kandinsky. Stroll around Love Hotel Hill, where amorous couples seek discreet moments at short-stay hotels.
Travel by train to Shibuya Station and get around Dogenzaka on foot. Don’t miss the Myth of Tomorrow mural on the station’s second floor. This masterpiece by Taro Okamoto is an allegory representing the explosion of World War II atomic bombs.
