Tag - shibuya-ward

 
 

SHIBUYA WARD

Fans celebrate at the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo on Friday as Japan advanced to the knockout round in the World Cup.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 26, 2026
Fans take over iconic Shibuya Crossing as Japan reaches World Cup knockout round
Fans watched in packed bars, cafes and even on the side of the road as the Samurai Blue secured a second-place finish in Group F at the World Cup.
Artist Yoshitoshi Kanemaki's exhibition "Emergence Entity" at Shibuya Parco is a rare chance to see a bigger collection of his works together, as they sell out fast.
CULTURE / Art
Jun 24, 2026
This is not AI. It’s intentionally, painstakingly human-made art.
Yoshitoshi Kanemaki’s handcarved sculptures have a digital aesthetic, but they are firmly anchored in three-dimensional space.
Tokyo Freedom Toastmasters Club, part of the Toastmasters International network, allows members to hone their public speaking skills in both Japanese and English.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 13, 2026
Bilingual speech club offers freedom to be yourself
No topic is off-limits at Tokyo Freedom Toastmasters Club, where participants open up about grief, trauma and other emotional experiences.
Tourists in the Shibuya area of Tokyo are stopped by a group of multilingual officials who hand out fines to people caught littering on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 6, 2026
On patrol with Tokyo’s new litter police
On the streets of Shibuya, patrol teams caught 10 people littering on the first day of the new ordinance, 15 on the second day and nine on the third, according to city officials.
Tokyo's Shibuya Ward has begun handing out ¥2,000 ($12) fines to litterbugs.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 2, 2026
Shibuya begins handing out ¥2,000 fines for littering
Patrol officers will now monitor the ward and collect the fine on the spot from anyone caught throwing away trash improperly, with cashless payments accepted.
Hands, a beloved DIY and lifestyle store, has announced that it will close its Shibuya location in November.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
DIY and lifestyle store Hands exits Shibuya after 48 years
Beloved for its selection of stationery and crafts, as well as woodworking and gardening supplies, retailer Hands announced it will close its Shibuya location after 48 years.
Japan’s iconic department stores, once central to urban culture, are rapidly declining due to e-commerce growth, tourism-driven sales and changing consumer behavior.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 17, 2026
Has the death of the department store reached Japan?
Many thought Seibu would be one of the few landmarks to survive. Yet the owners were unable to renew terms with the Shibuya landowners, and it will close after nearly 60 years.
A fire burns in the middle of a busy intersection crossing in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo in this photo taken by a bystander.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 4, 2026
Man arrested after admitting to starting fire at Tokyo’s Shibuya crossing
The suspect, who is in his 50s and from Nagoya, turned himself in at a nearby police station at around 9 p.m. Friday, about 20 minutes after the incident.
Seibu department store in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2026
Sogo & Seibu to close Shibuya store in September
The company failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension with the rights holder for the land and buildings housing the store over the redevelopment of the site.
Anzu Kojima (right) and Francois Proust of Three Grapes wine bar want guests to keep an open mind when they try Japanese wines.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 25, 2026
‘For Japanese wine, you must forget everything you know about wine’
Leave your preconceived notions of vino at the door of Three Grapes, a new bar offering in-depth, guided tastings of domestic wine.
Yoyogi-Uehara is home to eclectic dining options, such as La Pita de Maison Cinquantecinq, which offers pita sandwiches and other Middle Eastern fare like falafel and hummus.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 6, 2026
Pitas, parfaits and more in Yoyogi-Uehara
Just a 10-minute train ride away from bustling Harajuku, the calm residential neighborhood is home to several gourmet options that locals would prefer to gatekeep.
Metropolitan police have arrested a director at NHK on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2026
NHK sports news director arrested on suspicion of sexual assault
The suspect, Kensuke Nakamoto, is the chief director for the broadcaster’s sports news programs.
Setagaya Mayor Nobuto Hosaka (right) speaks during a symposium on partnership systems held on Dec. 10 in Tokyo. Hosaka has described his ward's system as being "connected to human dignity."
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Feb 18, 2026
A decade on, Japan steadily warms to same-sex partners
As lawsuits seeking the recognition of same-sex marriage proceed in courts nationwide, municipalities and others continue to explore how best to protect individual rights.
Southern California native Hector Herrera is one of three pastors at Tokyo Union Church in Omotesando.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 12, 2025
Hector Herrera: ‘Tolerance means remaining in the conversation’
Music, incense and natural wines — a pastor at Tokyo Union Church talks about his hobbies and inspirations, both in and out of the church.
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 qualifying countries scoured the streets of Shibuya for all manners of trash as part of the Spogomi litter-picking competition.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 9, 2025
Cleanliness gets competitive at Tokyo’s Spogomi world cup
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 countries scoured Tokyo’s streets for discarded wrappers, crushed cans and cigarette butts.
The capital city's Harajuku district in December 2024. Tokyo’s “coolest” neighborhood is subjective and constantly shifting, as the city’s appeal lies in its diversity of areas, each offering a unique mix of trends, culture and hidden gems.
COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 2025
Tokyo’s coolest neighborhood? There isn’t one.
Tokyo can’t be reduced to a single trendy suburb: What’s appealing is precisely the incongruity of its locales.
Local authorities want Japanese Halloween to refocus on the children, so expect plenty of community-organized events that are family friendly.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 23, 2025
Have you heard? This year Shibuya wants us to have a ‘good Halloween’
As Shibuya moves from prohibition to permission, learn how to ask where and how to celebrate Japan’s most haunted holiday.
Costumed revelers stand next to police officers controlling crowds at the scramble crossing in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Oct. 31, 2022.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 3, 2025
Tokyo’s Shibuya calls on foreign visitors not to have a ‘disruptive Halloween’
The ward, a hot spot for Halloween revelers, is taking a step back from its “don’t come” messaging of the recent past.
Plotter's signature customizable leather binder is just one of many products contributing to the ongoing boom in the popularity of Japanese stationery.
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 2, 2025
Tokyo’s newest stationery store sells ‘a slower, more human rhythm’
After years of selling its products in third-party stores, Japanese brand Plotter has officially opened a dedicated storefront in Tokyo.
Bartender and raconteur Shingo Gokan wants his new Tokyo bar, Sangai, to tell the story of Japan's terroir.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kanpai Culture
Sep 23, 2025
With new Tokyo bar, Shingo Gokan’s bartending journey comes full circle
After a nomadic career, a charismatic bartender now finds home to be a vibrant source of tippling inspiration.

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