Shibuya

Shibuya 渋谷区
Special ward
Shibuya City
Skyline in 2024 Yoyogi Park Takeshita Street in Harajuku Shibuya Crossing
Flag Seal
Location of Shibuya in Tokyo
Shibuya   Show map of Special wards of Tokyo Shibuya Shibuya (Tokyo) Show map of Tokyo Shibuya Shibuya (Kanto Area) Show map of Kanto Area Shibuya Shibuya (Japan) Show map of Japan
Coordinates: 35°39′34″N 139°42′02″E / 35.65944°N 139.70056°E / 35.65944; 139.70056
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
Government
• Mayor	Ken Hasebe [ja] (since April 2015)
Area
• Total	15.11 km2 (5.83 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2020[1])
• Total	243,883
• Estimate  (2024)	230,609
• Density	16,140/km2 (41,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Zelkova serrata
• Flower	Iris ensata
City office	Shibuya 1-18-21, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8010
Website	www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp

Shibuya (渋谷区, Shibuya-ku, IPA: [ɕibɯja] ^ⓘ) is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station.

As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,609 in 142,443 households^[2] and a population density of 15,262.01 people per square kilometre (39,528.4 people/sq mi). The total area is 15.11 km² (5.83 sq mi). Notable neighborhoods and districts of Shibuya include Harajuku, Ebisu, Omotesandō, Yoyogi and Sendagaya.

Shibuya came into the possession of the Shibuya clan in the early 1160s, after which the area was named. The branch of the clan that ruled this area was defeated by the Later Hōjō clan on January 13, 1524, during the Sengoku period, and the area then came under their control.^[3] During the Edo period, Shibuya, particularly Maruyamachō on Dōgenzaka, prospered as a town on Oyama Road (present-day Route 246), and in the Meiji era, as a Hanamachi. Shibuya emerged as a railway terminus during the expansion of the railway network beginning in the 19th century, and was incorporated as a ward in the City of Tokyo on October 1, 1932.^[4]

Shibuya, once a mediocre area developed around the railway terminus, overtook Shinjuku as a hub for youth culture in the 1970s. The coinciding competition between Seibu (whose most notable development projects include Shibuya Parco) and Tokyu (Tokyu Hands,Shibuya 109) to develop the area as a commercial center added to its appeal to young people, which in turn spread to other neighborhoods in the ward, such as Harajuku.^[5][6]

The Shibuya Scramble Crossing, known as the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, the panoramic view of the city from the rooftop of Shibuya Scramble Square, and the statue of Hachikō are internationally recognized tourist attractions.^[7]

Since the beginning of the 21st century, large-scale redevelopment has been underway in the area surrounding Shibuya Station. The scale of the project has been described as something that happens once in a hundred years.^[8] In 2005, the Japanese government designated the district as an Urban Renewal Area. Following discussions among scholars, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Shibuya City Office, and railway operators such as Tokyu Corporation, JR East, and Tokyo Metro, a master plan was announced in 2008.^[9] In 2010, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government approved the implementation of the redevelopment plan, and full-scale construction officially began.^[10] As part of the redevelopment, the existing station facilities were demolished. The Tōyoko Line was moved underground, the Ginza Line platform was relocated, and the Saikyō Line platform was placed parallel to the Yamanote Line platform. Several existing commercial buildings were also demolished and replaced by high-rise complexes such as Shibuya Hikarie, Shibuya Stream, Shibuya Fukuras (ja), Shibuya Sakura Stage (ja), and Shibuya Scramble Square.^[11] Because railway operations had to continue during construction, and because the pedestrian network plan around the station was revised during the process, the overall completion of the redevelopment is now scheduled for fiscal year 2034, which is seven years later than originally planned.^[8][12]