Shibuya is probably one of the most recognizable location in Tokyo. You can see the Shibuya crossing in a lot of blockbuster Hollywood movies that showcase Japan (Fast and the Future Tokyo Drift ring a bell?). But Shibuya crossing is actually not the most famous sight there, it is actually a dog named Hachiko -who is a famous public figure in Japan because of its famous tale on his remarkable loyalty to his owner even after many years since his death.
We were able to meet our friend who is working in Japan along with his girlfriend who is my best friend, and was able to experience night life in Japan.
COSPLAYS
As you can see, Cosplay (Costume Play) is huge business in Japan! We were able to visit during Halloween Weekend, and the sight was simply incredible. Almost everywhere you look, you see groups of people in costumes and a lot of people taking pictures with them. You also see people doing free make-up and a lot of costume shops as well in the street. We took advantage of this unique opportunity and took a lot of pictures with them which is something we won't normally do in Manila.haha If you are a fan of Cosplay, this will be heaven for you.
Night Life
Japanese people enjoy having drinks after work similar to Koreans. So there is a lot of bars within Shibuya. Our friend tells us that most of the bars are owned by Yakuza which is very scary as you can't mess around in these bars.
We were able to have a few drinks and taste some Yakitori with our friends. We definitely recommend ShoChu (Japan's yogurt soju drink) and Enogiri (bacon wrapped meal) for those who will visit Japan. The only downside of drinking in Japan is that, along with all the other things in Japan, it's extremely expensive! Aside from the cost of the drinks (draft beer for 200-250 Php), you also need to give mandatory tips that costs 500 Yen or 200 Php per person! And we were told that there is a maximum number of minutes that you can stay at each location so people normally do bar hopping along the area.
How to get there?
Ride the MRT and alight at Shibuya Station. You can look for Hachiko Exit as this will direct you to the Shibuya Crossing.
Overall:
Shibuya is a great place to spend your night out but not as recommended for those with kids. There are tons of restaurants, bars, major shopping establishments, and cosplayers. But of course, the Shibuya crossing itself is worth a visit on its own as the next time you watch a scene in a movie where you see the Shibuya crossing, you can proudly say that you were there.
Disclaimer: This is an old post from my Blogspot account dated January 28, 2015.
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