Tag - shibuya

 
 

SHIBUYA

Japanese project Serani Poji, founded and operated by musician Tomoko Sasaki, was a relatively under-the-radar group during the early 2000s. Thanks to short-form video platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts, however, it has suddenly become one of the most successful Shibuya-kei groups in terms of streaming numbers.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 25, 2024
Serani Poji’s retro Shibuya-kei sounds find viral fame
The video game-related pop project gets a second life after online listeners rediscover chipper cuts from a 2002 album.
Rainbow flags were flown through the capital's busy Shibuya and Harajuku areas for Tokyo Rainbow Pride events this weekend as organizers hailed 30 years of one of Asia's largest LGBTQ celebrations.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 21, 2024
Tokyo Rainbow Pride lights up capital as organizers celebrate 30 years
Under the theme “Until it changes, don’t give up,” this year’s Tokyo Rainbow Pride was held after an eventful 12 months for Japan’s LGBTQ movement.
Sunrockers fans at a game in Tokyo in March.
BASKETBALL / B. League
Apr 20, 2024
'Mr. Incredible' and Japan’s improbable bid to compete with the NBA
Japan is a latecomer to basketball’s global expansion, but it has stratospheric expectations for its future.
A car that accelerated toward a police officer in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Friday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 19, 2024
Police officer shoots at car accelerating toward him in Shibuya Ward
The driver of the vehicle was hospitalized but is not in a life-threatening condition, and the officer was unharmed.
Harakado will open next Wednesday and aims to be a place where creators can gather.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 9, 2024
New Harajuku complex aims to become next cultural creators hub
The nine-story building — named Harakado — will open next Wednesday and is designed to be “a commercial complex where creators (can) gather.”
Foreign tourists get their photos taken in front of a public toilet that was redesigned as part of a project to transform public toilets into restrooms that can be used comfortably by everyone, during a Tokyo Toilet Shuttle Tour, in Shibuya Ward, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 6, 2024
Flushed with pride, public toilets a tourist draw in Tokyo
Along with taking in temples and cherry blossoms, Tokyo visitors can now join a curated pilgrimage of the city's more modern wonders: its public toilets.
Sapporo Beer President Hiroyuki Nose (left) and actor Yuki Yamada at Yebisu Brewery Tokyo in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Tuesday, prior to its opening the following day.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2024
Sapporo Beer opens first brewery in Tokyo's Ebisu in 35 years
With no entrance fee, the new brewery will be located in the Yebisu Garden Place complex in Shibuya Ward.
Public restrooms designed by Shigeru Ban
JAPAN / Society
Mar 24, 2024
Revamped public toilets tours give visitors unique view of Tokyo
Participants involved in the project include some of Japan's most well-known architects, including Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban and Toyo Ito.
Tokyo is filled to the brim with anime-related activities and attractions, but the best require a little digging to enjoy to the fullest.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 10, 2024
An anime otaku's blueprint to nerding out in Tokyo — and beyond
The first step to taking anime otaku-dom to the next level is to educate yourself on the history and evolution of the medium.
Girl group Atarashii Gakko! will be joined by two other Japanese acts, Yoasobi and Hatsune Miku, at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 25, 2024
Pack your bags, J-pop acts. There's a whole world of fans to meet!
Expect Ado, King Gnu and Lamp to revel in the spotlight abroad with overseas tours, while the sounds of Shibuya-kei look to make a welcome return.
A view of a plaza within Shibuya Sakura Stage, what Tokyu Land Corporation is calling the final puzzle piece in its redevelopment of the area around Shibuya Station.
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2023
Shibuya Sakura Stage to cap once-in-a-century redevelopment around station
The new complex is part of an ambitious urban renewal endeavor by Tokyu Land Corporation in the area around Shibuya Station.
A member of the India team sorts through rubbish at the end of the first round of the Spogomi World Cup 2023 final, in which teams pick up as much rubbish as possible in a set amount of time, in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2023
Load of rubbish: Litter-hunters vie for world title in Tokyo
The Spogomi World Cup saw 21 countries battle it out to collect the most rubbish within a set time limit.
The Hachiko pop-up artwork display in front of Shibuya Station
JAPAN
Nov 12, 2023
Japan's beloved Hachiko dog statue showcased in pop-up art display
The art installation comes as commemorative events are being held to mark 100 years since the birth of Hachiko.
A tourist takes a photo with the statue of Hachiko in front of Shibuya Station in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2023
Loyal dog Hachiko still loved 100 years after birth
The statue of Hachiko in front of the station is known as a meeting place and also a popular spot for foreign tourists.
A crowded crossing near Shibuya Station in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN / Society
Nov 1, 2023
Shibuya Halloween passes without fuss following ‘don’t come’ message
Shibuya's mayor has expressed satisfaction with the reduction in crowds and public drinking this year.
Shibuya's local government has mounted a campaign to dissuade revelers from visiting the neighborhood for Halloween celebrations and has banned drinking in the streets.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 30, 2023
Shibuya wants to cancel Halloween. That's a mistake.
This year, Shibuya isn't dressing up for Halloween. The neighborhood is turning revelers away, ignoring its role as a youth culture hub.
People visit Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on Saturday, including a handful of costumed revelers gathering in the trendy area to celebrate the weekend before Halloween.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 29, 2023
Security tight for Halloween in Shibuya as costumed crowds fail to show
Measures to deter costumed revelers from gathering in the trendy area — including a ban on street drinking — appeared to be relatively effective.
A banner at the entrance to Shibuya’s Center Street makes it clear this is no place for a party.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 26, 2023
The specter of Itaewon has Shibuya spooked
One year on, Elizabeth Beattie joins us to discuss where Itaewon stands after its Halloween disaster, and what its legacy means for celebrations in Japan.
Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe speaks during an interview at his office on Oct. 19.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 26, 2023
Can Shibuya's mayor turn his ward into a global icon?
For Mayor Ken Hasebe, reining in Halloween revelers is just one step on the way to transforming Shibuya.
Japan-based DJ and broadcaster Peter Barakan invites artists from around the world to perform at his two-day roots music festival, Peter Barakan’s Live Magic!.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 19, 2023
Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! festival celebrates 10th edition
The two-day roots music festival in Tokyo features sounds from around the world with acts such as Minyo Crusaders, Jon Cleary and Oreka TX.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores