Those wondering how the Netflix sci-fi thriller "Alice in Borderland" was able to completely empty one of the world's busiest pedestrian crossings will find their answer around 90 kilometers from the real thing, in the quiet suburbia of Tochigi Prefecture.
Ashikaga Scramble City Studio, built in 2019 by Tokyo-based visual arts company Nouvelle Vague Co., is a roughly 6,600-square meter open set that replicates the famous Shibuya intersection in true-to-life size.
In addition to recreating the iconic five converging crosswalks, the set features copies of some Shibuya ground-level structures, including entrances to the subway network, working traffic lights and even a set of public toilets inside the gates of one of the station's entrances.