Shibuya Scramble Crossing

The world's busiest pedestrian crossing — Tokyo's most iconic image

Address Shibuya Station, Shibuya, Tokyo

The Shibuya Scramble Crossing is the defining image of contemporary Tokyo — an intersection where several hundred pedestrians cross simultaneously from every direction, every two minutes, in a choreography that should be chaos and somehow is not. On busy evenings, the numbers are staggering and the effect — seen from above — resembles a time-lapse of cells dividing.

Cross it yourself at least once; then watch from above. The best vantage point is the second-floor Starbucks in the Shibuya Tsutaya/QFront building, which has windows directly facing the crossing. Alternatively, the new Shibuya Sky observation deck on the Scramble Square tower offers a panoramic view with the crossing visible below.

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A story
The Shibuya Scramble Crossing handles up to 3,000 pedestrians per cycle, with all traffic lights turning red simultaneously so pedestrians can cross in every direction at once. On New Year's Eve, the crossing handles approximately 100,000 people an hour. The best view is not from street level but from the windows of the Starbucks on the second floor of the Tsutaya building, which faces the crossing directly.

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