A Whole Latte Chaos: Starbucks at Shibuya

Located in front of the Hachiko exit of Shibuya Station, the famously wild Shibuya Crossing is known as the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world!

People from all angles and directions walk across the road as soon as the traffic is halted at the red lights. The Shibuya Crossing also acts a popular meeting place for students and salary-men, and is always a very crowded scene. At night, as you can imagine, it is an even more amazing sight.

The area has similarities to Times Square in New York with all its electronic advertising screens dotted around to attract people’s attention. Even the UK boy band One Direction get in on the act at the Shibuya Crossing! Can you see their advertising billboard?

All around the Shibuya Crossing there are side-streets filled to the brim with retail outlets selling the latest fashion and electronics. I guess with the Crossing being so close to Ginza, it must bring the shop-a-holics here as well.

I waited around for a while and just enjoyed being part of the chaotic scenes. I only crossed the Shibuya Crossing once, but part of the attraction is just watching other people do it! If you look closely at the photo above, you can see a Starbucks coffee shop just near the Tsutaya sign. This was where I was going to go for a latte and a bite to eat.

The Starbucks at the Shibuya Crossing the busiest Starbucks in the world in terms of visitor numbers, and it is not hard to see why. It is almost an attraction in itself. You can watch the mass crowds from above while sitting in the warm drinking a lovely latte! The staff can be somewhat pernickety about you taking too many photos when up there, although the occasional selfie (taken with an iPhone, for example) will never hurt anyone! However, large groups going up there just to get photos is not really permitted.