Shibuya on High

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Everyone wants to experience the iconic Shibuya Crossing at least once, and for good reason: the pedestrian intersection is often hailed as the world's busiest. But to fully appreciate the magnitude of this organized chaos, you have to see the landmark from above, and the best place to do that is at the 11th floor Sky Lobby in Shibuya Hikarie. We had lunch up there, and the view was spectacular!
This is not an observation deck, but with floor-to-ceiling windows, the Sky Lobby affords a panoramic view of Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Plus, it's free. Just take the B5 exit at Shibuya Station and hop on the elevator to the 11th floor.

But there i more to Shibuya than the scramble crossing. Nine rail lines run by four companies converge here. Everyone meets at Hachiko, the statue of the dog, who waited for his master every day, even after the death of his master. The statue was erected in his memory by the many yakitori vendors who befriended the dog and fed him every day until his death. The Japanese version of this movie (not the Richard Gere version) is well done but very sad.

Near the crossing is the famous Center Gai, a network of pedestrianized streets, lined with stores selling cheap goods, fashion, and cultural artifacts. And of course, the area is loaded with restaurants and karaoke joints. Two major stores attract shoppers, Tokyu Hands and Loft. But the street are rather labyrinthine, horizontally and vertically. It is easy to get lost as I recall.

Behind Tokyu is a rather eclectic place called Bunkamura, with an arts center, concert hall, theater, opera house and movie theater. Oh, and the area is full of love hotels and some of the hippest clubs in the city. It is a great place to just walk, find a small izakaya, and drink some beer. A perfect place for Gerry and Mike!

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