Shibuya

Tokyo’s eccentric store fronts

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There is no shortage of crazy, attention-grabbing store fronts in Tokyo. Some are more eccentric than others, and it’s all about catching the attention of the people passing by. If you take a walk around Shibuya, Shinjuku or Ikebukuro, some of them will certainly catch your eye. Of course, whether you go inside or not is another story… No end to the ideas I love just walking around in random shopping areas of Tokyo and let my eyes wander. Sometimes I come across stores fronts that are beyond eccentric. It’s like a cry of “Please look at me!” Due to …

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Shibuya’s smallest park?

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Shibuya can be very much “in your face”. People everywhere, neon lights and giant screens competing for your attention, and bars and restaurants beckoning with their eye-catching entrances. Need a quick break in Shibuya? If you ever get tired from walking around and exploring Shibuya, and want to escape the hustle and bustle for a quick break, without emptying your wallet at one of the hip coffee shops, where do you go? The most obvious answer is Yoyogi Park, this giant green oasis located at the top of the hill, bordering to Harajuku and Meiji Shrine. You just need to …

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Shibuya contrasts – exploring old versus new

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Shibuya offers a mystical mixture of old and new. Modern versus traditional, all cramped into a compact space, somehow coexisting in a strange symbiosis. Although gradually the “old” is unfortunately disappearing, there is still plenty of it remaining. Even around the station, in the midst of all the flashy developments, some of the old still manages to survive. It’s amazing how close to each other the two different “worlds” exist! Nonbei Yokocho – a treasure from the past A great example is Nonbei Yokocho, or “drunkard’s alley”. This cluster of old two-story buildings packed with restaurants and bars still stands …

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Things to do in Shibuya – explore the “pencil buildings”!

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Why is it impossible to get bored in Shibuya? The answer is “pencil buildings”! What is a pencil building? For those of you who have never been to Japan, a pencil building is exactly what the name suggests; a building that is so thin that the shape looks like a pencil, balancing on its head. Pencil buildings can be found in any urban area of Japan, especially in the old parts of town, that modern urban planning has not yet extended its claws into. Shibuya, this crazy city within a city, has over two million people using its train station …

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