Shibuya is a competitor of Shinjuku, another shopping and entertainment district, located in the west of Tokyo. These two districts are both lively and faddish places for a visitor, though Shibuya is newer than Shinjuku and features a cleaner and safer reputation.
The best way to start your trip around Shibuya is the Hachiko Exit of the Shibuya Station. There is a large intersection in front of the exit, called a five-way "scramble crossing" under the giant video screens and neon advertisements. Here, you will see one of Tokyo's most popular meeting points, Hachiko Statue, a monument in memory of a legendary dog. There is a heart-touching tale that the dog used to wait for its master in front of the station Shibuya and when its master passed away, the dog continued to wait faithfully day after day and year after year. Finally, when the dog died, it was given an honor to rest in the national Science Museum and the statue was built to honor its memory.
The other points of interest in Shibuya include some museums, a stadium, a hotel region, and various shopping and entertainment options.
The Tobacco and Salt Museum introduces the history of tobacco and salt in Japan and throughout the world.
The Electric Power Museum shows numerous aspects of electric energy, such as the process of power generation and the role of electricity in the society and everyday life.
The NHK Studiopark is a part of the NHK Broadcasting Center, which is open to the public. It gives visitors a chance to look behind the scenes of television broadcasting, including the production of a live program on most days.
The National Yoyogi Stadium, built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by the renowned architect Tange Kenzo, hosted the Olympic swimming competitions. Now, it serves for ice-skating and volleyball competitions, concerts and other abundant events.
The Love Hotel Hill is the area of Shibuya with a high concentration of love hotels, which offer couples a private room for a two - three hour "rest" during the day (usually around five thousand Yens) or an overnight "stay" (usually around ten thousand Yens).
Bunkamura is a "culture village", consisting of a concert hall, a theater, two cinemas, a museum with constantly changing exhibitions, and a few shops and restaurants.
Along with attractions and entertainment complexes, Shibuya is a cradle of Tokyo shopping opportunities, representing two major conglomerates: Tokyu and Seibu. Perhaps, some of the most interesting points of Tokyu can be ascribed to Shibuya 109 and Tokyu Hands. Shibuya 109 is a trend, setting a fashion complex for young women with more than one hundred boutiques on ten floors. Tokyu Hands or "Creative Life Store" has everything from do-it-yourself, interior, hobby, crafts, outdoors to stationery and more. The Shibuya store spans eight floors.
Seibu is best represented through Loft and Parco. Loft is Seibu's answer to Tokyu Hands, also featuring a wide variety of products related to interior, hobby, crafts and gifts, but with a slightly less strong emphasis on do-it-yourself. The Loft Shibuya branch comprises seven floors. Parco is a shopping complex with an emphasis on fashion. The complex includes numerous buildings in the Shibuya area that are called Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, Quattro, Zero Gate and more.
Dining in one of Shibuya restaurants or having a snack in a café is an excellent break from Shibuya shopping. The district boasts at least one hundred of restaurants, cafes and fast foods options, ranging from traditional to exotic in cuisine and accumulating an abundance of world cuisines in one area. Here you can enjoy the taste of Japanese sushi, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese Italian and other countries' specialties, and unusual Belgian beers, the best Japanese sake and the finest Chilean and Argentine wines.