Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY guide: history, hidden spots and events nearby

Name: Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY
Address: JP

The crossing outside Shibuya Station, where up to about 3,000 people cross from every direction on a single green light. Beside it stands the statue of Hachi, the Akita dog who kept waiting for his master, and 229 m straight above it is SHIBUYA SKY. You can see the same crossing from three heights: the street, a station walkway and the rooftop.

Kyochika's tips

Our recommendation: cross at street level first, then look down from the station walkway, and finally look straight down from the SHIBUYA SKY rooftop. The same crossing from three heights. Up to the walkway, it is all free.
SHIBUYA SKY is said to be busiest from 16:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and around sunset on weekends and holidays. If you want to stay from sunset into the night view, book a timed ticket online in advance. From 19:00 there is a light and sound show every 30 minutes.
The Hachiko statue is usually surrounded by people waiting for friends. The pedestal is 180 cm and the statue 162 cm, bigger than you might expect, so step back to fit it all in a photo.

Events near Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY now and coming up

Within 1.5 km, nearest first. Checked against official pages.

Visiting info

Location	In front of the Hachiko Exit of Shibuya Station. The crossing and the Hachiko statue are free and open at all times (Hachiko statue: 2-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Getting there	About 1 min walk from Shibuya Station (JR Yamanote and Saikyo Lines; Tokyo Metro Ginza, Hanzomon and Fukutoshin Lines)
SHIBUYA SKY hours	10:00–22:30 (last entry 21:20). Hours differ over the New Year holidays
SHIBUYA SKY closed	January 1, plus occasional closures. The rooftop may close in strong wind, rain, snow, thunder, photochemical smog or extreme heat
SHIBUYA SKY admission	Depends on the time and where you buy. From April 1, 2025: adults ¥2,700 online (¥3,400 from 15:00), ¥3,000 at the counter (¥3,700 from 15:00); children ¥1,200 (counter only); 5 and under free. Buying online in advance is recommended
SHIBUYA SKY rooftop rules	No food or drink, hats, bags, tripods, selfie sticks or strollers (leave them in the 46th-floor lockers)
SHIBUYA SKY address	Shibuya Scramble Square, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (directly connected to Shibuya Station on JR, Tokyo Metro and Tokyu lines)

Checked on 2026-10-27 against the official pages. Hours and fees can change; please check before you go.

Sources: ウォーカープラス「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / タイムアウト東京「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / バンゾク「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / LIVE JAPAN「忠犬ハチ公像」 (Japanese) / GLTJP「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese)

How old are the crossing and the statue?

In 1920 the Yamanote Line was raised onto an elevated track, giving the station the basis of its current shape. In 1923 the Tokyo City tram's Aoyama Line passed under the tracks and ran right into the square in front of Hachiko. After the war, Seibu department store and PARCO opened, Shibuya became a “young people's town,” and foot traffic at the station surged.

The intersection in front of the station became a scramble crossing in 1973. Aerial photos suggest that even then there was only one diagonal crosswalk, the one from Hachiko Square. Today about 400,000 people are said to pass through each day, and up to about 3,000 cross on a single green light.

Above the crossing rises Shibuya Scramble Square, opened in November 2019. Its 14th, 45th and 46th floors and rooftop form the SHIBUYA SKY observation deck, with the rooftop 229 m above the ground.

Sources: 文春オンライン「渋谷駅前の都電」 (Japanese) / 乗りものニュース「渋谷スクランブル交差点に斜め横断歩道が1本しかないワケ」 (Japanese) / AdverTimes「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / GLTJP「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / タイムアウト東京「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese)

Hachi attended the unveiling of his own statue

Hachi was born in November 1923 in Odate, Akita Prefecture, and at two months old went to live with Ueno Eizaburo, a professor of agriculture at Tokyo Imperial University. Every day he walked the professor to and from Shibuya Station, but on May 21, 1925, the professor collapsed at the university and died. They had lived together for only about a year and four months.

Hachi kept waiting for his master at Shibuya Station for about ten years. When the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun told his story in 1932, he became famous across Japan, and donations paid for a bronze statue. About 300 people attended the unveiling on April 21, 1934, and Hachi is said to have watched with the station master. He died on March 8 the following year.

Sources: タイムアウト東京「ハチ公生誕100年」 (Japanese) / HugKum「忠犬ハチ公」 (Japanese) / LIVE JAPAN「忠犬ハチ公像」 (Japanese) / Forbes JAPAN「忠犬ハチ公の日」 (Japanese)

Hachiko's sculptor died in a Shibuya air raid

Ando Teru (1892–1945), who made the first Hachiko statue, was killed in an air raid in May 1945 at his home and studio in Yoyogi, Shibuya.

In the ruins of the studio a small terracotta Hachi was found, probably made as a thank-you gift for donors to the statue fund. In 2025 the Shoto Museum of Art in Shibuya held an exhibition of his work.

Sources: 渋谷区立松濤美術館「黙然たる反骨安藤照」 (Japanese)

Kumamoto got a scramble crossing first

The scramble system, where pedestrians cross from all directions at once, began in Canada and the US in the 1940s. Japan's first was the Kokai intersection in Kumamoto in 1968; Shibuya followed five years later in 1973. Japan now has more than 300.

Sources: アソビュー「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / 乗りものニュース「渋谷スクランブル交差点に斜め横断歩道が1本しかないワケ」 (Japanese)

A stage for films and music videos

The crossing appears in Sofia Coppola's film Lost in Translation and in ONE DIRECTION's music video for “One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)” (around 1:29).

Since the 2000s, four large screens have been fitted to the surrounding buildings, and the crossing became the face of Shibuya in advertising too.

Sources: MATCHA「渋谷スクランブル交差点の見える場所」 (Japanese) / 博報堂生活総合研究所「渋谷」（2012年） (Japanese)

Another Shibuya memorial: the February 26 Incident

About 10 minutes' walk from the station, around Shibuya City Office (1-1 Udagawa-cho), is the site of the former Tokyo Army Prison. On July 12, 1936, 16 people, including officers of the February 26 Incident, were executed by firing squad here. A memorial statue was erected on the spot on February 26, 1965.

The army prison was built in 1909 together with the neighboring Yoyogi Parade Ground (now Yoyogi Park). A short walk from the busy crossing shows another face of the city.

Sources: ニッポン旅マガジン「二・二六事件慰霊像」 (Japanese) / 三井住友トラスト不動産「このまちアーカイブス渋谷区」 (Japanese)

Getting there by taxi and bus

🚌 Bus

Shibuya Station East Exit, platform 51 (渋谷駅前) Toei Bus: To01 for Shimbashi Station (via Ark Hills); RH01 for Roppongi Hills Walking time not given in the source
Shibuya Station East Exit, platform 58 Toei Bus: To06 for Shimbashi Station (via Akabanebashi Station) Walking time not given in the source
Shibuya Station East Exit, platform 59 Toei Bus: Shi88 for Shimbashi Station (via Kamiyacho Station) Walking time not given in the source
Shibuya Station East Exit, platforms 56 and 54 Ta87 for Tamachi Station (56); Gaku03 for Japanese Red Cross Medical Center (54) Walking time not given in the source

Other ways to get around

Hachiko Bus (ハチ公バス, Shibuya Ward community bus) 100 yen for adults and children. Check Shibuya Ward's route map for stops around the station

The building housing SHIBUYA SKY connects directly to Shibuya Station. Toei Bus charges a flat fare of 210 yen for adults and 110 yen for children. A taxi stand or drop-off point could not be confirmed in the sources. You can also book a taxi by app: GO works in English with foreign phone numbers and cards, Uber books licensed taxis in Tokyo, and since early 2026 visitors can call S.RIDE taxis through DiDi in the 23 wards and nearby.

Sources: Toei Bus platform guide: Shibuya Station (Japanese) / SHIBUYA SKY, GLT (Japanese) / GO TOKYO: Buses (Japanese) / Taxi app comparison, car-me (Japanese) / Japan Taxi Apps for Tourists (Oct 12, 2026)

Our suggested route

Out the Hachiko Exit to the statue Right outside the station. The statue is crowded with people meeting friends, so step back for photos (5–10 min).
Walk the scramble Take the diagonal crosswalk from Hachiko Square. The signal wait is about 120 seconds (5 min).
Look down from the Mark City walkway The glass passage between the JR Yamanote Line's Tamagawa gate and the Keio Inokashira Line gate. Free (10 min).
SHIBUYA SKY Into Shibuya Scramble Square, directly connected to the station. Board on the 14th floor, then the rooftop SKY STAGE and SKY EDGE and the 46th-floor SKY GALLERY (1–1.5 hours).
At night, stay for the show From 19:00 there is a light and sound show every 30 minutes.

Once inside SHIBUYA SKY you can stay until closing. We found no source giving visit times, so times are our estimate (only the roughly 120-second signal wait comes from an AdverTimes article).

Sources: GLTJP「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / AdverTimes「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「渋谷スクランブル交差点の見える場所」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / バンゾク「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese)

What to see by time and season

Around sunset	SHIBUYA SKY's busiest time, but said to offer the most beautiful views, from sunset into the night
Daily from 19:00	A light and sound show every 30 minutes
Clear days	Mt. Fuji may be visible from the rooftop, along with the National Stadium, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Bay
Until December 25, 2026	Limited-time rooftop bar THE ROOF SHIBUYA SKY (15:00–21:00 in November and December, from ¥7,000 including entry, two drinks and a snack)
New Year holidays	SHIBUYA SKY keeps different hours and is closed on January 1
Rainy days	From the Mark City walkway, watch umbrellas crisscross the crossing

Sources: バンゾク「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / ウォーカープラス「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / タイムアウト東京「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / アソビュー「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese)

Where to watch the crossing from

For free: the Mark City walkway (from above at an angle) or window seats in cafes facing the crossing. For a fee: SKY EDGE at SHIBUYA SKY, 229 m up, looking straight down.

Our take: to see the crowd move as one swarm, go up SHIBUYA SKY; to see faces and umbrellas, use the walkway. With only 30 minutes, crossing at street level and then watching from the walkway should give you plenty of Shibuya.

Sources: MATCHA「渋谷スクランブル交差点の見える場所」 (Japanese) / アソビュー「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese) / タイムアウト東京「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese)

Nearby: combine with

Yoyogi Park From the NHK Hall side, walk through Area B of Yoyogi Park on to Harajuku.
February 26 Incident memorial About 10 minutes on foot, near Shibuya City Office. A different side of Shibuya's history from the busy crossing.
National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Meet the real, preserved Hachi. Our suggestion: after seeing the statue, make the trip to Ueno.

Sources: JEEPE「代々木公園散策ガイド」 (Japanese) / ニッポン旅マガジン「二・二六事件慰霊像」 (Japanese) / HugKum「忠犬ハチ公」 (Japanese)

Little-known spots

Today's Hachiko is the second: The first statue was taken away and melted down under a wartime metal collection order. The current statue was made in 1948 by Ando Takeshi, son of Ando Teru, the sculptor of the first.
Only one diagonal crosswalk: The scramble crossing has just one diagonal crosswalk, the one from Hachiko Square. The Dogenzaka-shita crossing just ahead, in front of SHIBUYA109, has two, forming an X.
The free walkway in Mark City: A glass-walled passage between the JR Yamanote Line's Tamagawa gate and the Keio Inokashira Line gate looks down on the crossing at an angle. On rainy days you see umbrellas weaving past each other.
SKY EDGE and SKY GALLERY: From SKY EDGE, a glass-enclosed corner of the rooftop, you look straight down on the crossing. On the 46th floor, SKY GALLERY has a video work showing how many people are crossing at that moment.
The real Hachi is in Ueno: Hachi was preserved by taxidermy soon after his death and can be seen at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno.

Sources: HugKum「忠犬ハチ公」 (Japanese) / タイムアウト東京「ハチ公生誕100年」 (Japanese) / 乗りものニュース「渋谷スクランブル交差点に斜め横断歩道が1本しかないワケ」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「渋谷スクランブル交差点の見える場所」 (Japanese) / アソビュー「渋谷スクランブル交差点」 (Japanese) / MATCHA「SHIBUYA SKY」 (Japanese)

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY?

In front of the Hachiko Exit of Shibuya Station. The crossing and the Hachiko statue are free and open at all times (Hachiko statue: 2-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)

How do I get to Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY?

About 1 min walk from Shibuya Station (JR Yamanote and Saikyo Lines; Tokyo Metro Ginza, Hanzomon and Fukutoshin Lines)

How old are the crossing and the statue?

What are some little-known spots in Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Hachiko and SHIBUYA SKY?

Today's Hachiko is the second, Only one diagonal crosswalk, The free walkway in Mark City, SKY EDGE and SKY GALLERY, The real Hachi is in Ueno.

More Tokyo sights & gardens → · This guide in Japanese

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