I Visited the Busiest Crossing in the World

[@weirdfish1216]

it’s so funny seeing hundreds of pedestrian each scramble crossing followed by like 20 cars

[@handlingitwell]

Frustrating how people say "wow this crossing is so cool" when I see it as a bit of a fail in terms of actually moving people the most efficiently. Why do hundreds of pedestrains have to wait in the summer heat for just a dozen cars or so? I personally use the subway exits at the crossing.

[@GuidingOlive]

@@handlingitwell Having been there, you're not really waiting that long. It's probably a minute or two wait and cars are waiting for just as long. Sure you could have an even more efficient space like a raised plaza but for its cost I can't imagine much more efficiency.

[@faenethlorhalien]

@@handlingitwell Absolutely.

[@handlingitwell]

@@GuidingOlive I've been there too; I'm speaking from experience. The time to cross is really not that long and there genuinely aren't that many cars. I wouldn't suggest a raised plaza either - Shibuya already has too many of those and they just make walks longer. I just think that with the sheer amount of people waiting to cross at any given moment, cars should have to wait for the sake of efficiency. After all, the goal of an intersection is to move as many *people* as possible.

[@JosuaKrause]

@@handlingitwell the whole area should be a plaza

[@Chihi101]

Hi, Tokyo local adding some context: Shibuya is a valley. The ya谷 in Shibuya literally means valley. In particular, the crossing is the lowest point in the area, where 5 streets converge. A lesser-known topographical feature at work here is the Shibuya River, which now is largely diverted underground or ferried along in pipes (occasionally above people’s heads!). It used to flow in from the north, thru the crossing, then southeast towards Tokyo Bay. For those visiting, a section is visible outside the aptly named Shibuya Stream building. Not only did the river shape the complicated winding streets, it had attracted human settlements to the spot since prehistoric times. Additionally, this was one of the earliest examples in Japan of diagonal crossings. Some say that, in the contemporary climate of car traffic becoming increasingly invasive, diagonal crossings and pedestrianised streets were and are a form of taking back human spaces and an expression of the freedom of mobility. Presumably this attracted a more youthful or counter-culture population. Also additionally, Shibuya sucks. I hate that they drove out unhoused people to demolish Miyashita Park to build a bougie shopping center. The “quaint” drinking alleys are fake establishments by big developers. Mom-and-pop eateries have been driven out. There are no benches so the infinite number of Starbucks’ are perpetually full. Sorry for the essay, love the channel!

[@handlingitwell]

Can't even walk 50m down Dogenzaka without having to wait 2 minutes at a light.

[@Chihi101]

@@handlingitwellvery true, one could probably swim faster than the average Dogenzaka walking pace

[@davidblackburn2567]

Love the comment - in heavily developed urban centers we often loose sight of the geography and landscape elemetns that influenced that development. In many cases, those elements are bulldozed or underground. Think of how Broadway cuts across the urban grid of Manhattan or the street development in European centers {London/Rome, etc.}

[@inuendo6365]

They got rid of Miyashita park?! Boooo I haven't been to Shibuya since 2015 due to the pandemic then family things in Hokkaido and Aomori prefecture taking priority. Even nearly a decade ago Shibuya definitely had an eerie corporate feel to it, like Disneyland. It was fun, I loved the arcades (RIP Border Break my dear) and some of the underground stores were punk but the area as a whole was clearly moving towards the mainstream. Honestly I like northern Japan much more than Tokyo or Osaka now. Sapporo stays cool in the summer and even Aomori or Akita have plenty to do.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Thank you for information👍 you have beautiful city

[@Oshjoshua]

Shibuya ward resident here 👋🏼 Hachiko statue is known as a common meeting place when friends are planning to meet up at Shibuya because it’s so recognizable. Also when looking for fun things to do / shopping / everything else, a lot of it is on the Hachiko side compared to the other side of the station, and especially ACROSS the scramble intersection so you basically have to cross it

[@Oscar92839]

Nice

[@knowledgeandpleasure]

I used to live in Woonsocket, RI, which I think is considered a “sister city” of some sort. The Hachiko movie was filmed there and they have their own Hachiko statue at their train station.

[@hikosaemon]

25 year Tokyo resident here - I only have anecdotes myself but let me try to help. YES the thesis that the intersection as a tourist attraction becomes a self fullfilling prophesy is part of it. But it was still the busiest intersection before mass international tourism took off in 2010. As a local, the main reason I end up crossing that intersection most times that I get to Shibuya is that multiple exits from subway and JR open into Hachiko Square, and to get across to the most popular shopping and restaurant districts young people meet up and go to, you need to cross over that intersection from there. Dogenzaka and Harajuku on the left, Sentagai right in front, and shops going out to Omotesendo. While you can cross the intersection underground, the above ground JR lines and Tokyo lines are so far from the entry to the undreground passageways most just cross overground - plus Sentagai shops are all above ground. Add to that that Hachiko is one of the most popular "meetup" spots in Tokyo. People agree to meet friends there - and wherever you go from there, other than the station you NEED to cross at that intersection. Shibuya has other exits in other directions as you point out, but most only have one or two streets with shops and things. That intersection opesn up to three major shop and restaurant areas. If you don't know what to do or just want to hang out in Shibuya and soak up the vibe (which young people and tourists do), that side across from the intersection is the main place to go. The current redevelopment of Shibuya is a bit of a mess, but the goal as I understand is to spread those crowds better around the station, and to new developments away from that intersection. But until now, EVERYTHING worth going to in Shibuya required you to cross there. AAAND yes, that creates a self-fulfilling tourist attraction. If you're a tourist, you have to go check it out, but also see all the cool stuff on the other side of the intersection which is why everyone crosses there.

[@hikosaemon]

BTW, I love you are making these and the history of Shibuya stuff was cool for me. Thank you for making this content! I was subbed to you before you made Tokyo content so nice to see you covering my "home town"!

[@part-slimer]

Yes this is exactly what I was thinking. The comparison to Shinjuku, as you rightly imply, is that the final destinations of people arriving there will be spread around way more evenly than those arriving into Shibuya. Even those heading for the Sanchome and Kabukicho areas have multiple different exits and routes available. The underground complex is better integrated with the JR station and significantly more extensive, with many buildings directly accessible at the basement level. It’s also just much bigger. If we think in terms of the number of rail platforms in the overall complex, Shinjuku has 53 versus Shibuya’s 14.

[@fnorgen]

I remember that's how I ended up there as a tourist. I just heard that my friends had gone to check out some trendy shopping district with a bunch of unique stores, so I travelled there as well. I followed the signs out the main gate and boom, I was found myself right there at the famous crossing. And most everything I wanted to see was right over on the other side. The design of the station and distribution of shops just naturally funnels everyone through this one intersection.

[@miyakawaso]

Yes, that's my impression too. At Shinjuku, you can exit in any direction and find a huge urban center.

[@starrwulfe]

I need to make a KZbin video about Tokyu Corp- one of my old employers. The other reason why Shibuya Crossing is very busy that isn’t very apparent- the Shibuya River runs literally underneath the station on the east side. For decades, there was no way to put any underground pedestrian facilities on that side so lots of surface pedestrian traffic happened. Underground, the Hanzomon connected to Tokyo’s Den’en Toshi line and the river was placed in a big conduit sandwiched in thr underground labrynth that’s now there. And finally with the rebuilding in the area in the last 15 years (which was my job to document!) there’s a very efficient underground passageway. Basically, it’s more due to up until 15 years ago, you couldn’t leave the JR part of the station and cross over to the Center-gai corridor like you can when you get off the subway lines. However Shibuya crossing is the most famous.

[@kevintuttle5026]

Another reason for marginally more people to be at that Crossing is that it is possibly number one but certainly in the top three number of meeting places in all of Tokyo before you go out for dinner or drinks. Living there for 15 years I can’t count the number of times that people said, just meet me at Hachiko at 7 o’clock.

[@Chihi101]

your work sounds very intriguing! the Shibuya underground seems utterly unmappable to me as just a regular citizen. would love to see this video when you make it!!

[@GlenMcCabe]

​@@Chihi101sign me up for the Tokyu video too! One thing that City Beautiful didn't mention in this otherwise great video is all the drivers of pedestrian traffic e.g. Centregai, all the big department stores, 109, Bunkamura etc etc. People cross the street as there's plenty to do! The foot traffic in Centregai is massive, I remember someone from a vending machine company telling me how much the machines at the Hachiko end of Centregai turn over and the figure was mind blowing.

[@krissp8712]

Adding to the interest in the Tokyu Corp info!

[@Cal3000]

@@GlenMcCabe People also tend to cross multiple times which adds to the traffic. But yeah, there are a lot of drinking and hang out spots around.

[@211teitake]

You missed some important context here. Shibuya established itself as the de facto cultural hub for young adults. It houses fashion and music stores as well as bars, nightclubs, and music venues, especially targeting the age group, so it gets busy, especially in the evening, not just on Fridays and weekends. On the other hand, Shinjuku was designed to be a transportation hub due to its surrounding business and government entities. As a result, Shinjuku station has a large surface area curved out for station use. This meant that the surrounding areas became more distinct geographically, and the station had to extend the reach of the exit. On top of this, Shinjuku station redesigned its infrastructure to bypass large road crossings right up to the station. That's why there are only very narrow streets next to the station which aliviate the need for traffic lights and mass of people waiting for it. Considering the collective society and centralized media portrayal of Japan, combined with the existence of famous landmarks like Hachiko, it makes sense that it is one of the busiest.

[@ulterior_web]

You are right that Shinjuku is more geographically distributed than Shibuya - if you actually leave from any of the other exits they’re much quieter parts of the neighborhood. Aside from some office towers, the vast majority of stuff to do stems from the scramble intersection. As for why 10am on a random weekday is sleepy - Shibuya is primarily a leisure and entertainment district more than an office district. The traffic pattern follows.

[@Gerryjournal]

It's fascinating to have lived so long that cities have completely changed. When I lived in Japan in the 60s, Shibuya was a small outer suburb with only one small department store. Shinkuku then had the busiest crossing

[@weirdfish1216]

i was not emotionally ready for the hachiko story 😢

[@joost8176]

Hecking good boy though!

[@arrietty12]

Seriously, how am I supposed to watch the rest of the video when I'm sobbing over this dog waiting for his dead owner for the rest of his life

[@ThysiosX]

There's a movie too. 'Hachi: A Dog's Tale.' Can recommend!

[@reckonerwheel5336]

There I was, folding my laundry, thinking I was just gonna learn some neat stuff about the crossing.... then I had to pause the vid and wipe my tears with a fresh towel 😭

[@rezoanmahmud5165]

I knew this story, still got me emotional 🥺

[@barryrobbins7694]

That is great observation about tourists contributing to the Shibuya crossing. It is one the rare cases where the more people there are, the better the experience becomes.

[@churrascodupao6410]

Times Square too

[@chineserockethands4578]

The only videos I see of the crossing are always just time lapses, which makes it look really frantic. But in reality for the volume of people moving, it’s a pretty mellow place considering.

[@LeonSKennedy7777]

Interesting point! There is actually an official 24/7 live-feed of the crossing which you can find on KZbin. If you want some live ambiance in real-time 😂

[@gumerzambrano]

I absolutely loved visiting Shibuya multiple times on my Japan trip. Especially at night. It's such a cool area to walk around. As someone who's never been to Europe id much rather go back to Japan than any European country

[@brian9438]

8:52 Green space is 80% concrete. Still love Tokyo and Japan, though.

[@TheHappybunny671]

Yoyogi Park is like as big as Central Park he shoulda showed that

[@After4th]

​@@TheHappybunny671Which half of that green tree space seen above is property of Meiji Jingu shrine.

[@Martin-dz7gy]

I shed a tear every single time I hear the Hachiko story again

[@barryrobbins7694]

3:57 The Movie “Hachi: A Dog's Tale” was based on the famous Tokyo dog, but set in Rhode Island.

[@Nakaska]

Shibuya Crossing is like Spanish Steps in Rome. Nothing all that interesting on its own (all things considered) but people go there simply because it is a popular spot. Idk, maybe it's the combination of being a landmark and a piece of regular infrastructure that draws people in, a place where the crowd and the movement becomes the attraction itself.

[@douglasboyle6544]

"International Intersection Certification Committee" You #$%^ing got me with that one. I literally said, "huh who knew such a thing..." before you dropped the punchline. I can't stop laughing at my gullibility.😆

[@jeff__w]

I wondered why there was only one diagonal (and not a corresponding one at the other two corners) across the intersection and I figured the reason is that that diagonal leads directly to the train station and probably there is not as much demand for people on the other two corners to go from one to the other.

[@dsch772]

10:00 Why get lost in the maze of underground passages when there's a famous statue that serves as a meet up point on the plaza right in front of the station's main entrance.

[@tigpowerleck998]

Shibuya station is downhill. I get off at the train stop closest to my destination and walk downhill to work, shopping or whatever then either I walk 5min uphill and get sweaty or stroll 5mins downhill and maybe see something new (there’s always something new) and end up at Shibuya station. All those streets lead to universities, schools, harajuku, omotesando, yoyogi park etc. think of people descending to the crossing from every direction like walking downhill from fingertips to the palm. Make sense?

[@SnapDash]

While in Montreal, I came across a scramble crossing. As I made my way through, I realized that I was checking off an item that I didn't even know was on my bucket list. It was no Shibuya, but it sure felt amazing.

[@darthbakercamelia]

Was it the one near Square-Victoria metro? I didn't even know it was a tourist thing. That's funny.

[@alexkpai]

@8:52 "it's one of the few green spaces in the area" *shows literally no greenery*

[@joostglas5631]

That’s Japanese cities for ya right there. Lots of streets also do not have any trees compared to streets in Europe

[@Luna04567]

I was wondering if you would mention, the Hachiko statue is also a popular meet up spot! Lots of people meet friends there before heading out for the evening in Shibuya

[@adamkeifenheim1727]

I went to Shibuya crossing on December 17th at peak hours. I think it may have been over 3k people.

[@redfish337]

Shibuya is a valley. Several of the busiest lines coming in do so at the SECOND OR THIRD FLOOR. The B2 underground promenade serves the Fukutoshin/Toyoko Line and Hanzomon/Den-en-Toshi Lines. A lot of people coming in on those lines will follow signs to the most appropriate exit. People coming in on the 3rd floor aren't going to walk down to B2 to cross the street and then go back up 2 floors. When they get to ground level they're just going to exit. Keio, Ginza and in particular the Yamanote Lines all feed this, dumping people right next to the scramble. (Well, Ginza mostly dumps people farther east now, but by and large those people still funnel over to the crossing. A lot more of the train infrastructure for Shinjuku dumps people out at B1 so people use the underground promenades to get to a more appropriate exit.

[@Ice_Karma]

5:03 Interesting to note, "Washington Heights" is a name that transliterates into Japanese unusually well, for English: 「ワシントン・ハイツ」 ("washinton haitsu"). 😸

[@leoalmundo883]

Finally there's a video explaining one of my favorite places in Tokyo I'd like to visit someday :). Thank you

[@gumerzambrano]

It is well worth the hype!

[@shadowdragonv8256]

I feel like people tend to love intersections where you can cross diagonally. I'm sure that in my home town Turku Finland the busiest intersection is such one. It's also at a transportation hub and I always see it crowded.

[@ct6852]

I sat on the edge of that planter and smoked a couple cigarettes. Never felt so out of place in my life. To this day I don't know if that was illegal or not. Everything was freakishly clean for a huge city.

[@collectioneur]

Been there a couple of times and actually it doesn’t feel so busy at all. Once you walk into the shopping street it even gets quite peaceful..

[@After4th]

It was until the 2000s when Shibuya is getting mega skyscrapers since its located in a valley restricting it. Reason the Ginza subway is elevated at the terminus. The area is always under construction. Tokyu Denentoshi connects to Hanzomon subway and Toyoko connects to Fukutoshin subway. Also Keio Inokashira terminates in Shibuya.

[@adamhaggstrom7598]

Dude, I enjoy this channel and learning more about urban planning, but please, EASE UP on heart rending stories that make me cry!

[@thewackywabbit5080]

Somewhat reminds me the crossings in London that appeared on one of the Beatles album (abbey Road crossing). Tourists are going there to cross the road in groups of fours, and watch others crossing the road in groups of fours.

[@mdhazeldine]

I know what you mean, but Oxford Circus in London is probably actually the closest thing we have to it, as it is pretty much the busiest crossing in the UK and has a diagonal crossing too now.

[@carmenvallejo6133]

I was there last month, lots of people but I don't lose sleep over it. I had a great time climbing Mount Fuji

[@MistSoalar]

I heard Mt Fuji was also crowded like disneyland queues to get up. How was your hike like?

[@TurtleRawrrs]

One day I hope you get funding from some niche foundation to lead research teams in order to publish this kind of data in various journals lol I'm always blown away by your content.

[@SyaoranLiClow]

Love Shobuya. Was my 4th station snd 2nd ward I visited my first day in Japan back in 2015. After leaving Haneda, took the Monorrail to Hamamatsucho, then went to Inage-to in Chiba-ku to stay with a friend. Finally, after a good lunch near Chiba daigaju I went To Akihabara as a good anime fan does. So after that, Shibuya crossong was my next target I ended that day at Tochomae to visit the Observatory and then went back to Shinjuku-eki to go back Inage.

[@isaisotarriva8162]

In my personal opinion I think the reason why I need to cross over the street level In Shibuya but not in Shinjuku is because I always arrive to Shinjuku via either JR, Toei or Tokyo metro. In all those cases the best way to change from one to another is via the vast tunnels underground. However on Shibuya I usually arrive via Tokyu (from the suburbs) and then change to JR to go somewhere on the city, since JR entrance is at ground level and you are forced to leave the stations anyway (to change from one company to another) you might very well just cross the street overground instead of crossing inside the Tokyu station. Also Shibuya is easier to meet up since there are only 2 main entrances the 109 building(Tokyu lines) and the Hashiko square (both Tokyu and JR), in Shinjuku you have so many exits from the underground maze JR south, JR east, Jr west, kabukicho, Tokyo metropolitan, etc. And the worst is that they are kind of far apart from each other, and sometimes difficult to get from one another because the huge JR Shinjuku station is on the middle and you cannot cross from west to east unless you go either to the north of the station, south of the station or take the underground tunnel. So in summary Shibuya Is more compact so it has more people in one place (the busiest crossing) but Shinjuku is bigger overall (handles more passengers per day).

[@Jaggerbush]

Ive never been. I've been to Japan but not Tokyo (how is that even possible, right?!?!) but having spent a lot of time in even more chaotic Hanoi and HMC - i learned one thing about street crossing (Vietnam); once you start walking- dont look back, dont stop, dont change your pace, and don't suddenly change direction. Everyone one motorcycles has seen you since you stepped out from the curb and like an outfielder is able to position himself (or herself) FAR AWAY only basing what they know from the moment the batter makes contact with the ball - the person on the motorcycle has predicted you and all pedestrians trajectory.

[@ShadowWolfTJC]

With how the Shibuya crossing has garnered a reputation as such a busy pedestrian crossing, I do wonder how people would feel about turning it into a roundabout for pedestrian (and car) traffic, with a tiny island at the center that would likely be passed only by people travelling to the opposite corner?

[@JohnCroucherAU]

That backs up what I have always thought, it's the busiest because people go there to see the busiest crossing. Every time I go there it feels like there are more people there to experience it and film it, than people actually just crossing.

[@1Rab]

I flew to Japam on a total whim and walked around the city and took the metro places. I had 0 plans and 0 knowlesge of the city. I found myself crossing Shibuya without know what it was. I went on Google maps to see why there were so many people crossing the same crosswalk. I was there because i had googled book stores and i was following the instructions to one that looked interesting

[@TheWolfXCIX]

Surely they could pedestrianise more of this area, it doesnt need 3/4 lanes in each direction

[@rugbybeef]

At Shibuya Crossing there are six roadways that converge at that intersection though you can really only see the four big ones in most photos. Much of the vehicular lane space is dedicated turning lanes to help facilitate the traffic following effectively to the various entrances and exits across the intersection. If you look closely you can see that it appears each traffic light has two lanes for straight-thru traffic and two turning lanes, and sometime a lane for something else, buses maybe?

[@Chihi101]

@@rugbybeefyes, there’s a sort of bus lane loop that juts out to the crossing.

[@YunisRajab]

@@rugbybeef one roundabout and you can skip all those turning lanes

[@collindwebb]

Much of the area is pedestrianized. The crossing is also optional, as he points out near the end of the video, you can exit the train station on any of the block around the intersection.

[@rugbybeef]

@@YunisRajab How do you eliminate lanes by forcing all the traffic into a roundabout? Also, doesn't a set of traffic signals sort of defeat the efficiency of a roundabout and destroy the whole random crossing concept of the intersection?

[@Zeyev]

Thanks for mentioning Washington Heights. I was 3 years old when we left it in 1950 - we were an American family in Japan during the Occupation because my father was in the US Air Force. I knew the name of the neighborhood but don't remember it.

[@LGVRhin-Rhone]

fascinating story! would be super cool if you came back to visit.

[@WizardOfOss]

Been many times in Tokyo, and obviously several times at this crossing. I mean, your first visit to Tokyo just isn't complete without having a drink at the Starbucks (even when I dislike that place...) overlooking the ants below you crossing the street. Another fun experience was after a early morning visit to the old Tsukiji Market, this place should be crazy during morning rush hour right? No, not really. The station was absolutely packed, but the area around the station isn't so much a business area and thus only comes to life a few hours later. And then I've been to the 2017 Halloween thing, and it was kinda insane: An incredible ammount of people (there's a video on my channel), but everything still felt very calm and organized. It's a shame they now banned that whole thing....

[@WilliamCarterII]

I didn't know I was at the Shibuya until like 3 months after I left tokyo lol

[@cyclicmusings2661]

It seems like many urbanist KZbinrs are traveling to and making Japan videos lately... if I'm lucky and things pan out, I will visit in late November, can't wait.

[@dkaloger5720]

Athens also has a remarkably busy crosswalk connecting syntagma square (the main downtown plaza next to the parliament and the central metro station ) to Ermou street( the main shopping street in downtown Athens)

[@louisjohnson3755]

Fun fact, that scene from fast and furious where they drift through the shibuya crossing was done illegally, and I think might have even gotten arrested for it

[@nyanko8972]

But what if they shut down all these lanes and make a large area with benches and such where people could hang out. Then leave openings large enough for emergency vehicles to get in or pass through if necessary. And, maybe at night or early hours in the morning (non peak hours) allow small trucks to pass through to deliver goods to shops that need them. Japan is pretty good at public transit compared to many places in the world, but despite this it’s still a very car centric country. Buses are still late because they get stuck in traffic, ambulances move slower by being stuck behind cars, whole areas in cities require cars because they don’t have a nearby train line. Don’t forget, we can always do better.

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Thats some super cool history

[@Xyronium]

I have been at Shibuya crossing during Halloween and there was an army of cops directing the foot traffic with tapes a whistles. At Shibuya station it was illegal for people to stop so they wouldn't block the sidewalks.

[@1224chrisng]

was this after the Itaewon disaster in south korea? The regulations were probably looser before then

[@Xyronium]

@@1224chrisng Yep. I was there on autumn 2023.

[@kpt.kampintang]

​@@1224chrisngI remember the Halloween pedestrian restriction in Shibuya is started a little before Itaewon disaster

[@CrapKerouac]

I found that Den-en-chōfu looked like a typical middle class neighbourhood in Canada. In Tokyo, it's an anomaly because of the astronomical cost of property.

[@ChiemelaDN]

I'm disappointed there aren't any JJK jokes

[@cyclonemarx7020]

I clicked on this video for that reason

[@trainsandmore2319]

@@cyclonemarx7020 Too bad, the Shibuya hype is over already...

[@rithikgandhi3685]

Glad to see the people of Shibuya bounced back after the "incident"

[@Clukay404]

Imagine if most of the city was built with TOD in mind, there would be a ton of history or tale coming from the train station or buses, not a boring grey and black asphalt road suburbia.

[@CringeSamurai]

another reason is that there are some cringy tourists who suddenly stop and stand in the middle of it to be photographed

[@Skip6235]

Could a RIC style development work in a North American context?

[@ImRezaF]

Prolly not. Unlike Japan, it seems like there's a strong hostility against private rails in the West.

[@tkhsyshs]

自分は日本人で渋谷まで電車で1時間の所に住んでいます。 生まれも育ちもド田舎育ちで人混みが苦手です。 たまに飲み会などで渋谷にも行きますが、渋谷は再開発真っ只中で毎回30分は迷います😅 他の飲み会メンバー全員も、迷って遅れます😂 いつも思うのは、○○改札へはここから早く出られます。 と書いて欲しいなぁと。

[@Corredor1230]

I work in Shibuya, so I'm watching your video while crossing the Shibuya crossing lol

[@KanazawaKings]

Note to people planning to come for Halloween! Unfortunately the popularity of the event has led to a major local backlash against the partying resulting in major restrictions on people going to Shibuya on the few days around Halloween. Plan accordingly.

[@SepticEmpire]

Seeing a parade of ghost cross the Shibuya crossing in ghost wire Tokyo was inane just imagine something like that in person

[@TheDanEdwards]

Many aspects to consider, for example the role of corporations in Japan and the embedded cultures. Train companies are primarily real estate companies and the has shaped modern Japan. Here in the US the early railroad companies were also so real-estate dominant, and that got into politics and corruption, with all sorts of problems. I suspect that Japanese style rail-centric development will just not be possible in the US, because (1) Americans want more space, even those who claim to want to live in urban areas, than Japanese, and (2) the real-estate problem and the issue of monopolies if we let transportation companies also be the land owners of retail and residential areas.

[@keithmaxon9510]

Wish I knew you were taking questions about Tokyo :( The one that I would have liked to discuss is how train stations became shopping malls and centers of commerce. When I first went to Japan and someone recommended a restaurant in Kyoto Station I thought they were nuts and actually did not figure out he was right until I took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. Almost every other city uses them for utility with some conveniences whereas Japanese cities embrace them as city centers. I am sure it has something to do with the frequent use of trains, but even Europe, who is train centric, cannot compete with Japanese train stations. Anywho, awesome video :) Look forward to a Vietnam series at some point!

[@laurencefraser]

Turns out, as stated in the video, it basically amounts to the railway company deciding that stations being malls was a good way to make money, and being correct (the two functions benefit each other quite a bit).

[@tanvt8924]

Well because most train station in Europe is public which mean government build it for it intended use as utility and don't want to spend another money to build a mall even when in long term it will benefit them. Whereas japan train station are privately own so of course they will see it from business prespective and make a shopping mall, office, etc and make the land value goes higher.

[@Cecilia-ky3uw]

@@tanvt8924 Capitalism saves the day lol

[@D.S.handle]

0:19 the best the Fast & the Furious movie mentioned!

[@ptptpt123]

It's so much busy because it seemed like half of them were tourists with their cameras out while crossing (when I was there in May)

[@RyanGatts]

it is really a constant speed bump in crossing at that intersection. many people I know avoid crossing there because of how messy it can be because of the distracted tourists

[@barryrobbins7694]

0:14 “A person of culture” Lost in Translation 2: Serious Karaoke

[@ayoCC]

what if they created an underpass for cars to go below the shibuya crossing, or a bridge crossing for people on foot

[@Dodener]

Oshi no Ko spotted

[@stigthe1227]

The crossing has become so “iconic” that 95% of them are tourists. I always take the underground passages rather than dodging all the tourists. Also you mentioned Halloween there but the Shibuya Halloween wasn’t and still isn’t an official event. Hence the authorities have cracked down on it in recent years i.e.) closing the Hachiko square and banning drinking on the streets.

[@laurencefraser]

To my understanding the issue isn't so much that it's not an official event (though I'm sure that doesn't help) as repeated instances of property damage and other such issues resulting from drunk idiots (or possibly just idiots in general) at said event.

[@magical_catgirl]

Then you walk up the road towards Shinjuku and past all the other scramble crossings. 😅😆 I often use the underground passages at a number of stations in Japan in order to avoid large amounts of surface traffic.

[@Alx.flrs52]

6:55 Plano, TX shown 🤠

[@IainMacaulayce]

I find the crossing is less busy now after covid than it was before.

[@starkparker16]

What's the signal timing like?

[@MistSoalar]

There are several live cams on KZbin (and the rest of the web too) It's variable, depending on the time of the day, day of the week, season, and some planned high-traffic events nearby.

[@vsolyomi]

I know most places mentioned from Shin Megami Tensei. Yoyogi park, oh, that place I fought Sakahagi at!

[@ChiemelaDN]

Do you guys think there was an incident here in 2018

[@kasyfulaiman7191]

check out bukit bintang in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

[@aestherielle1524]

0:19 orrr u know,, that jjk night in shibuya

[@AlRoderick]

Tokyu Corp seems to be another example of what I like to think of as "Transit Feudalism". Transit can't be profitable as a general rule, the economics don't work out if you try to fund the whole system with just fares. So in some places transit gets tax money as a subsidy, but in other places they get a subsidy by the back door, the railroad company becomes a landlord for land it controls near its stations, or just straight up owns a profitable retail or service business operating there. This is why the Hong Kong Metro is considered profitable, it's the case for most of the private Japanese railroads, they don't make profit by running trains. They make profit to feed the trains by operating shopping centers and department stores and malls in and near the stations. This was kind of the model of the transcontinental railroad in the United States, the government gave the railroads the right to claim land on either side of the track. Of course the United States federal government didn't really have the right to give that land away, and the railroads sold the land off rather than turning them into a perpetual revenue stream.

[@laurencefraser]

And, of course, the trains feed customers into those shopping centres, without which said shopping centres wouldn't generate anywhere near as much money (similar to how actually profitiable-by-ticket-sales rail lines only manage that due to all the "unprofitable" transit (rail and other) lines feeding into them). And, of course, rail systems subsidised, or straight up paid for, by taxes do actually turn a profit (if they're actually built and run half way well), just not in ticket sales. A well built and well run transportation network (rail included) generates substantial additional economic activity, and thus increased Tax Take. Generally well beyond what it costs the taxpayer to build and run the thing. The issue, of course, is that fairs high enough to make the trains profitable Directly are also generally high enough to discourage ridership and thus negatively impact the increased economic activity, and thus taxes. Of course, if the government can convince a private entity to pay the costs of the railway instead, the government Still gets that extra tax income... bad if the private entity is trying to be profitable on ticket sales alone (because, again, questionably even Possible), but if the company in question has Also figured out that the profit isn't in the tickets, but in the resulting Commerce, and can make their money that way, well, that works out Really Nicely for the government. On the other hand, selling off a perfectly functional government owned transportation network to private interests who think they're going to make money On The Tickets is a great way to cease having a functional transportation network. Freight tends to last longer than passengers, and particularly harsh company/service specific infrastrucutre regulations can slow the rot somewhat, but there are always perverse incentives to do things that make the network worse (Asset stripping once they realise there's no profit in tickets... or even as the plan from day one, being one of the big risks. Self sabotage to get out of legislated minimum levels of service is another one).

[@ImRezaF]

Have you seen the 2023 Financial Report of JR East ? Most of their revenue came from the transportation, not the shopping malls or apartments.

[@After4th]

Engineering marvel when Tokyu connected the final link to the new underground terminus and the Fukutoshin subway when realigning the tracks at Daikanyama St in under four hours overnight without disrupting service.

[@DefenestrateYourself]

@@ImRezaFthey’re profitable for their real estate

[@ImRezaF]

@@DefenestrateYourself I literally mentioned that most of JR East's profits came from transportation not real estate ???

[@charleslee607]

Great video. Some other reasons for the popularity of the crossing are: 1) The Hachiko Exit leads to Hachiko Square--a major public plaza--and is adjacent to Shibuya crossing. As mentioned in the video, this area is famous and a tourist destination of its own. Public plazas are relatively rare in Japan because they didn't exist in the feudal period, and the post-war growth mentality of planning did not emphasize leisure, public life or civil society. People are drawn to the general area as a relatively rare place in Tokyo to meet, hang out or shout weird politics to large crowd with a microphone. 2) Shibuya Ward is a major, Major, MAJOR fashion and entertainment district for East Asia (and the world) and has a few prominent pedestrianized retail corridors like (but not limited to) Cat Street and Center-Gai that connect in the vicinity of Shibuya Crossing. Thus, Shibuya in general is unique to Tokyo because it is a place for young and trendy people to see and be seen. Or just shop a lot, go clubbing and eat ramen--but you get the idea. Shinjuku etc. do not have nearly the same pop culture relevance. 3) Shibuya Station has several sides. A notable feature of Shibuya Crossing is the bus stops and taxi stand are other other side of the station. The result is a very pedestrian friendly shopping and entertainment district where people can enjoy window shopping and people watching without the fear of being run over.

[@CaravelClerihew]

Can you do an episode on the Melbourne Tram System? It's the largest in the world partly because one guy refused to rip the tram lines out when every city in the world at the time was. In fact, Sydney has a bigger tram network til they ripped theirs out

[@MatthiaGryffine]

I don't get why cars still use this place

[@needamuffin]

I recognize it from Ghostwire: Tokyo and Durarara.

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

... So what you're telling me is that Fry's dog Seymour is a true story.... I was not prepared for this journey. 😭😭😭

[@juanvaldes420]

Needs a warning, was not expecting Jurassic Bark.

[@After4th]

Also Greyfriars Bobby in Scotland.

[@User888User]

Build tunnels for the cars ??

[@thetrainmon]

Haha, I called it two minutes into the video!: it's the busiest because it's a self-fulfilling tourist trap! But thank you for the history lesson.

[@ulterior_web]

Nah as someone who lives here the vast majority of people there remain local Japanese people. It’s a tourist destination but unlike Times Square, locals actually do go there.

[@thetrainmon]

@@ulterior_web I get what you're saying but it would be nice to have a definitive analysis of what percentage of the people using the crossing are locals versus tourists compared to other busy intersections in the area. FWIW, Time Square isn't JUST a tourist trap either--much like with this crossing, a significant portion of the pedestrian traffic is through-traffic for people going to/from the various rail services in the area.

[@ulterior_web]

@@thetrainmon idk if there are good stats on this out there but having spent plenty of time in both cities, my experience has been that Times Square is waaaay more tourist dominated than Shibuya scramble is. My NYC friends all avoid Times Square unless they work there, whereas my Japanese Tokyo local friends might avoid it because it’s crowded, but generally do spend a good amount of time there.

[@Macfierce1]

Hey I’ve been there before! In Persona 5…

[@alimohamedalimohamedsaid]

Addis Ababa Ethiopia can you make video about it please 👍👍👍👍👍🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹

[@Clukay404]

I wish private railroads would build our means of transportation, not the automobile industry and their highways 😭😭😭

[@bungaraya19082013]

Menteri Wilayah persekutuan Persekutuan DR Zaliha Cap ayam mesti adopted Tokyo's Pedestrian walkways without peniaga2 kaki lima warga asing yg merata-rata tempat di KL.

[@faenethlorhalien]

Shibuya station's signs that tell you what corridor to take to go to which line and which train are something out of a nightmare. It's basically a 3d map in 2d, really hard to understand unless you know already where to go. That's how messed up that transportation hub is.

[@juiceedakid]

The Shibuya incident

[@forever_noir_2155]

Those of us of culture know shibuya crossing for something more dark lol

[@TheAndrew1987]

why are your video topics the same as not just bikes like the same week he publishes it lol

[@hhydar883]

R u sure this is still the biggest and busiest because the one i have seen in Shanghai is waaayyy busier than this one.

[@Grato537]

Great video and concept but dang your pronunciation is giving me an eye twitch. Mostly stressing the wrong syllable in Shibuya and Hachiko.

[@highvis_supply]

Its the busiest because nobody takes the correct exit from the station

[@maxfmfdm]

I miss wren the dog

[@h25c1]

The later the day the more people for some reason

[@David_Lloyd-Jones]

It's because people love a cute dog. Duh.

[@ohhgodineedmoore2845]

Came here after JJK

[@LilOak]

Tokyo drift for the win 🎉