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My Walking Tour through Shibuya, Tokyo

Writer's picture: JWJW

To get a bit more insights into the city and also to meet new people, I booked a walking tour through the Shibuya district online. The start of the tour was at the Hachikō monument.



The history of Hachikō

If the name doesn't ring any bells yet - do you know the movie of the same name with Richard Gere? If no, then I'll tell you briefly and if yes you can skip this paragraph. 😊 Hachikō was an Akita dog who lived with his master in this district from 1924, a professor at the Imperial University of Tokyo. Every day he accompanied his owner to the Shibuya train station and waited for him again in the afternoon when the owner returned. Then, when his owner died very suddenly in 1925, Hachikō continued his daily walk to the train station for many years until his own death. Because of this behavior, he is the epitome of loyalty here in Japan and many people visit his memorial. Hachikō's body was prepared and you can still see it at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Tokyo.


Shibuya Crosswalk

Besides the story of Hachikō, the Shibuya district is also very famous for something else - namely the Shibuya Crosswalk, the most visited crosswalk in the world! Yes that's right - the world - I personally was amazed because I was sure that this place 1 would go to New York, but it is the Shibuya crosswalk in Tokyo. The traffic light there is switched so that all pedestrians in the crossing can cross at the same time. At peak times, up to 2500 people then cross this intersection PER AMPLE SWITCHING.


From numerous buildings in the vicinity, such as shopping malls, you have a great view over the intersection and can watch the action.


Snacks along the way

Did you know that in Japan there are an incredible number of different (allegedly up to 200) varieties of the KitKat chocolate bar? From matcha, green tea or wasabi - there is no end to creativity. A variety of varieties can be found in the store "Mega Donki".


Additionally, you generally see matcha on every street corner in Japan. I had never tried it until that day. When my guide raved to me how good a matcha latte is, I spontaneously invited him to one and tried it myself.


So I must say matcha is for me the same phenomenon as coriander - I just can not understand how people can taste that! But well, I tried it and now know that it remains a unique experience.


Nonbei Yokocho

This narrow alley in Shibuya is very inconspicuous during the day. Its nickname is also "Drinkers Alley". There is one small inconspicuous bar after the next. And when I write small, I mean small - most bars there have between 5-7 seats.


According to my guide, the most famous bar on this street is the bar "Tight". This is somewhat larger and even has 2 levels in a small space.


So, those were the highlights of my walking tour. I can only recommend walking tours with locals to everyone in general. In addition to interesting places that you visit, you also have the opportunity to ask the guide about the country, people and culture questions and that is at least as much worth it for me.


In which city have you already visited a walking tour? What did you like most?

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