The year 2024 was a year of great change and new trends in the world. Many news stories attracted attention both at home and abroad, including the heated battles at the Paris Olympics, the issuance of new banknotes, the birth of Prime Minister Ishiba, and Shohei Ohtani's brilliant performance in the MLB. On the other hand, many topics symbolizing the changes of the times, such as the rapidly evolving AI technology and inflation concerns, were also discussed, making it a year filled with a mixture of smiles and anxiety.

So, what kind of news and topics were in the spotlight in the city of Shibuya? Let's take a look back at the news and topics that colored Shibuya in 2024 in a ranked format and take a fresh look at the "now" of this city.

1st place: Closure of JR Shibuya Station New South Exit and relocation and opening of New South ticket gate

Newly opened JR Shibuya Station New South Exit ticket gate

On July 21, the "Shin Minami ticket gate" at JR Shibuya Station was moved from the Namikibashi side (Ebisu side) to the north side free passageway connecting the 3rd floor SHIBUYA STREAM and Shibuya Sakura Stage. The Shin Minami ticket gate was relocated on the former site of a JR freight station, so it was far from the current YAMANOTE LINE and SAIKYO LINE Line platforms, making it very inconvenient to access. There must have been many cases of major confusion when foreign tourists who arrived at Shibuya Station on the Narita Express and got off at SAIKYO LINE platform mistakenly exited through the Shin Minami ticket gate while heading towards Hachiko Square.

Looking towards the new Shinminami ticket gate from the old Shinminami exit. The ticket gate has been relocated about 250 meters north on the third floor of the central building where the crane stands.

This relocation is part of an initiative aimed at improving the "mobility of the town" in conjunction with the development work on Shibuya Sakura Stage. The Shinminami ticket gate has been moved from its previous location to the third floor of a new six-story station building along National Route 246, about 250 meters north (Harajuku side). This will eliminate the "isolation" of the Sakuragaoka area, which was previously divided by National Route 246 and the JR line, and is expected to contribute to the revitalization of the entire region. This could be the best news of the year that will solve a long-standing problem for the town.

2nd place: "Moyai Statue" relocated due to redevelopment work

The Moai Statue will be moved from Shibuya Station to a new location due to redevelopment work.

When thinking of the symbol of Shibuya Station, the "Hachiko Statue" comes to mind, but we must not forget the existence of the "Moai Statue," which tends to be hidden in its shadow. As the demolition of the West and South Buildings of Tokyu Toyoko Department Store progresses, do you know where the Moai Statue, which was left behind in the construction fencing, is now? In fact, it was moved to a new location over two days, late at night on November 28th and 29th, 2024. The new location is a space adjacent to Nagasaki Chinese Restaurant along Route 246 behind Shibuya Fukuras, and is planned to be a temporary residence until the redevelopment work of Shibuya Station is completed. It was moved to a location just a few hundred meters away from its original location, but as it is a stone statue that has been loved by the people of Shibuya for many years, the work was carried out with the same care as a work of art. After two days of late-night work, the statue was safely moved to its new location.

The relocated Moai statue faces National Route 246, toward the Cerulean Tower.

The face of the Moai Statue faces southwest across Route 246, toward the Cerulean Tower. On that extension lies the Moai Statue's hometown, Niijima, about 148 kilometers away. The Moai Statue continues to gaze quietly at its faraway hometown. I would like to record this as news about Shibuya as it undergoes redevelopment.

3rd place: Shibuya Sakura Stage launches, with the spotlight on "Sakuyon" where culture and food intersect

On November 30, 2023, the large-scale complex "Shibuya Sakura Stage" was completed as a symbol of the large-scale redevelopment project to integrate the Shibuya Sakuragaoka area. Approximately eight months later, on July 25, 2024, Shibuya Sakura Stage finally opened in earnest, with offices, commercial facilities, service apartments, and more ready to open.

The exterior of the large-scale complex "Shibuya Sakura Stage," which opened in July

The facility is made up of two areas, the "SHIBUYA Side" and the "SAKURA Side." Within the site there are three buildings: the 179m-tall SHIBUYA Tower, the 90m-tall Central Building, and the 127m-tall SAKURA Tower. The area connecting each tower will have a plaza where people can relax and enjoy events and special events, and each tower and its surrounding area will have a variety of attractions that will attract visitors.

Left) "SHIBUYA SAKURAGAOKA BEER HALL", a food hall with a brewery attached Right) "TASUTAYA BOOKSTORE" bookstore

One of the most noteworthy areas is "SAKUYON" located on the 4th floor of SHIBUYA Tower. This floor is a community space where "culture" and "food" intersect, and is an area that the facility is particularly focusing on. In the "culture" area, in addition to the large bookstore "TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE" and "SHARE LOUNGE," there is "404 Not Found," a space that aims to be a mecca for indie game creators. Meanwhile, the "food" area is made up of three zones: "SHIBUYA SAKURAGAOKA BEER HALL," a food hall with a brewery; "404 Kitchen," a pop-up restaurant area that incorporates experimental elements; and "Shibuya By STREET," a side street area lined with street-side shops, with a total of 17 stores in operation. "SAKUYON," where culture and food intersect, is likely to attract attention as a floor that will lead Shibuya Sakura Stage in the future, as a place where colleagues and friends gather and new communications, new ideas, and new values are born.

4th place: From "IT" to "IP" - A new cultural hub: "SHIBUYA TSUTAYA"

In December 1999, as the countdown to the millennium progressed, Shibuya Q-FRONT, a commercial facility facing Shibuya Scramble Crossing, opened. At the time, Shibuya was known as Shibuya Bit Valley, and was attracting attention as a city where IT ventures gathered. Q-FRONT attracted attention as a digital information dissemination commercial facility that symbolized the arrival of the IT era. At the time of its opening, it was home to a variety of multimedia-related content, including TSUTAYA, which sold videos, DVDs, music CDs, and games, e-style, a digital event space that broadcast live on the Internet, DigiHari Shibuya School, a digital school, and Cinefront, a movie theater. In addition, the facility introduced advanced technology, such as optical fiber laid throughout the entire facility and a large street vision screen measuring 23.5 meters in height and 19 meters in width, Q's EYE, on the exterior. Thanks to these features, Q-FRONT, facing the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, has become an icon that symbolizes the city of Shibuya, evoking the urban landscape of science fiction movies and cyberpunk.

After a five-month closure, SHIBUYA TSUTAYA has renovated all of its floors with an IP theme.

A quarter century after its opening, Shibuya Q-FRONT has renovated all of its floors into a new cultural hub centered on "IP," "SHIBUYA TSUTAYA," and reopened on April 25, 2024. With the theme of "Create a world with what you love," the facility has been reborn as a place that comprehensively incorporates a variety of subcultures and pop culture, including "a floor where you can experience IP content," "a battle space dedicated to the Pokémon Card Game," "a gallery exhibition, merchandise sales, and event space," "an IP bookstore," and "a collaboration cafe."

The IP-based content will include not only traditional anime, comics, and games, but also the latest experiential content using VR and AR. The facility will be a place where people from Japan and overseas can experience and share the worldview of the works on a deeper level, with a focus on anime and character culture, which Japan is proud of. It can be said that SHIBUYA TSUTAYA has begun to write a new history as an IP hub that will lead the next generation of cultural revolution in the area of Shibuya, which once symbolized the IT revolution.

The Starbucks Coffee on the second floor has been upgraded to function as an observation space.

The Starbucks Coffee on the second floor has long been popular as a great spot for a panoramic view of Shibuya Scramble Crossing, but this latest renovation has made it even more powerful. In response to the needs of tourists, all the seats by the windows have been removed to create more space, and the new floor design has evolved to allow customers to enjoy the Shibuya cityscape with a cup of coffee in hand.

The exterior of Olive LOUNGE Shibuya, which opened on the first floor of Seibu Shibuya. The facade design matches the latticework on the department store's walls and is outstanding.

In addition, the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Shibuya Branch, located on the street of Seibu Shibuya B Building along Meiji Dori adjacent to SHIBUYA TSUTAYA, has also been renovated, and a new store, Olive LOUNGE Shibuya, opened on May 27, 2024. The store, jointly planned by Culture Convenience Club (CCC), which operates TSUTAYA, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC Group), is equipped with a co-working space and a Starbucks Coffee cafe, and is attracting attention as a new type of bank branch. In addition, it also serves as a PR base to create a new economic sphere centered on the new V Point, which replaces T Point, and has become a new face of Shibuya along with SHIBUYA TSUTAYA.

5th place: SHIBUYA AXSH, a new landmark connecting Aoyama and Shibuya, opens

The exterior of SHIBUYA AXSH seen from Shibuya Hikarie side

A large complex called "SHIBUYA AXSH AXSH" opened on July 4th, located next to Shibuya Hikarie at the east exit of Shibuya Station. It is a redevelopment project that replaced the four buildings along Aoyama-dori, "Shionogi Shibuya Building", "Shibuya Ibis Building", "Shibuya Toho Building" and "Taiyo Life Shibuya Building", into one building with a height of about 120 meters and 23 floors above ground. The name "SHIBUYA AXSH AXSH" contains the meaning of "a place where people and cultures (X) that connect the towns of Aoyama (A) and Shibuya (SH) intermingle and new value is created."

Right) Spice Theater on the first floor Right) Tully's Coffee on the third floor

The first to fourth floors are for commercial use, while the fifth to 23rd floors are for offices. When fully occupied, the approximately 1330m2 offices on each floor will generate a new working population of approximately 2,500 people. The commercial floors will house 15 tenants, including restaurants, art galleries, and a health checkup center. There will also be a full selection of international cuisine restaurants, such as the spice curry restaurant Spice Theater, the Thai restaurant Chao Thai, and the Spanish restaurant Cerveza, as well as cafes such as Antico Cafe Al Avis, Tully's, and the coffee stand SINGLE O SHIBUYA, providing multiple spaces for workers in Shibuya to use during lunchtime or for meetings.

Shibuya Sakura Stage, ranked third, has eliminated the division of the city and improved the convenience of travel between Shibuya 3-chome and Sakuragaokacho, and between the west exit of Shibuya Station and Sakuragaokacho. Similarly, SHIBUYA AXSH will promote travel to Aoyama and Shibuya 2-chome and 3-chome. These will create a new working population and play a major role as a hub that sends people from Shibuya Station to the surrounding areas.

6th place: Inbound tourism increase: Shibuya's "Urban Bon Odori" becomes a new tourist attraction

In 2017, the Shibuya Bon Odori festival began in the Shibuya Station area, with venues in front of SHIBUYA109, Dogenzaka, and Bunkamura-dori, under the theme of "creating a place where the people of Shibuya and visitors can interact." It was forced to be temporarily suspended due to the effects of COVID-19, but was revived in 2023 and has since become established as a festival enjoyed by residents, shopping streets, local businesses, shoppers, and foreign tourists alike.

When we think of Bon Odori, we tend to think of it as a local summer festival with a Showa-era feel, centered around neighborhood associations and local communities. However, Shibuya Bon Odori attracts young people by incorporating not only traditional Bon Odori songs, but also modern music such as pop songs, anime songs, and DJ performances. It is also popular because it attracts the interest of foreign tourists as an experience of Japanese culture, and the simple and easy-to-remember choreography makes it easy for people to join in. Furthermore, the greatest attraction of this urban Bon Odori is the "extraordinary" nature of the festival, which transforms everyday spaces with the installation of towers at the intersection in front of SHIBUYA109, Shibuya Sky, Miyashita Park, and other locations. The surprise of seeing Bon Odori in a place like this increases the entertainment value and lifts the spirits of the participants.

Unlike Halloween, which has become chaotic and problematic, this urban Bon Odori is managed properly. It is hoped that this festival will be nurtured and continued as a new street content that colors Shibuya's summer.

7th place: Sarugaku Bridge reconstruction project: Complete road closure for 10 years

Details of the construction work to replace Sarugaku Bridge, a bridge over the JR tracks that is part of the "Urban Planning Road Subsidy No. 20 (Hachiman Street)" connecting Daikanyama to Shibuya and Aoyama, have been revealed. Sarugaku Bridge, which was completed in 1934 (Showa 9), is already 90 years old, and there are safety concerns such as deterioration over time and earthquake resistance. Construction is scheduled to start after 2026, and in the meantime, the road is expected to be completely closed to traffic for more than 10 years. Vehicles will also be unable to use Hachiman Street and will have to take detours such as Kyu-Yamate Street, Komazawa Street, and Meiji Street. This inconvenience is likely to continue for a long time for residents living in the area and those who frequently use Hachiman Street for work.

8th place: Sunrockers Shibuya announces home base relocation

In October, the company announced that it had acquired the "B.PREMIER" license. Front: Sunrockers Shibuya mascot Sandy Left: Player Reo Vendrame Center: Player Josh Hawkinson Right: President Yasunori Kanda

The basketball team Sunrockers Shibuya, which has been based in Shibuya since the inception of the B.League, has announced that it will move its hometown from Shibuya Ward to Koto Ward on July 1, 2026. This move is a difficult decision to make in order to meet the screening criteria for the specifications of the home arena when entering the new top category "B.League Premier" which will begin in 2026. By using the same "TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO" (Aomi, Koto Ward) as Alvark Tokyo as their home arena, the team will be able to clear the criteria required for the license application. This decision is very disappointing news, as the team has been loved by many fans for about 10 years and has called Shibuya their hometown. We hope that the day will come when the team will once again base itself in Shibuya when an arena is built in Shibuya in the future.

9th place: Shibuya's decision to ban Halloween and street drinking year-round

With the strong message that "Shibuya will be closed for Halloween," the Shibuya ward urged people to refrain from visiting the city for Halloween. Halloween in Shibuya began to gain popularity around 2012, and the ward initially supported it as a new part of Shibuya culture. However, as the years went by, troubles caused by drinking, property damage, reckless driving, and large amounts of trash left behind became social problems. In particular, following the light truck overturning incident in Shibuya Center Gai in 2018 and the crowd accident in Itaewon, South Korea in 2022, the movement to eliminate Halloween from Shibuya suddenly intensified.

Starting last year, temporary fencing has been erected around the Hachiko statue, and thorough measures have been taken to prevent people from gathering in the area, such as making the streets heading towards the station and the Shibuya Center Street one-way. Furthermore, starting this year, a new ordinance was enacted for the first time in the country, banning drinking on the streets of the area around Shibuya Station between 6pm and 5am not just during Halloween, but all year round. Shibuya is known as a "city tolerant of young people," but it maintains an extremely strict stance when it comes to Halloween.

10th place: Contemporary art museum in Shibuya to display businessman's collection

Left) Exterior of "UESHIMA MUSEUM" Right) Deer from Kohei Nawa's "PixCell" series on display at Entrance 1 on the first floor

The contemporary art museum "UEASHIMA MUSEUM" opened on June 1st on the grounds of Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen, located along Cat Street in Shibuya. The museum is headed by businessman and investor Mikio Ueshima, a graduate of Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen. The museum has six floors, from the basement to the fifth floor, and a carefully selected collection of over 650 contemporary art pieces owned by Ueshima, organized by theme, is open to the public. The exhibits include works by Japan's leading artists, such as Kohei Nawa, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Takashi Murakami, and Tatsuo Miyajima. In addition, works by international artists such as Ryan Gander, Olafur Eliasson, and modern art master Gerhard Richter are also on display, drawing attention for their rich content.

Shibuya is home to the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, the Yamatane Museum of Art, the Shibuya Shoto Museum of Art, and many other small galleries. However, there has not been a permanent museum that specializes in "contemporary art" until now, and the UEASHIMA MUSEUM stands out in that respect. In particular, since it is located on the grounds of Shibuya Education Academy, it is important from an educational perspective that students, as well as young people who use Shibuya, have the opportunity to experience high-quality art. Contemporary art in particular often deals with themes such as social issues, technological evolution, and changes in human relationships, and provides hints for interpreting modern society and opportunities for discussion rather than simply being aesthetically pleasing. The exhibition structure and explanations are designed to be easy to enjoy even for beginners, and the museum is also recommended for its easy-to-understand introduction to contemporary art, which can often be considered difficult.

Interviews and writing

Editorial Department: Takashi Fujii

Shibuya registrar. In addition to Shibuya of Culture information, seasonal news and topics, it will spell write that feel every day.