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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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Things to do in Ginza – explore the hidden back alleys!

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Who hasn’t heard of Tokyo’s Ginza district? A globally renowned glitzy mecca for high-end shopping and fine dining. A must on the list of places to visit for tourists. But there is a side to Ginza that few people ever see. In fact, I doubt that most visitors are even aware of its existence. I’m talking about the intricate artery of narrow alleys that lead to the back entrances of the shops, bars and restaurants. Ginza’s hidden back streets These alleys are often difficult to find, since there are no signs. They are sometimes so narrow that only one person …

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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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