SHIBUYA HISTORY
Shibuya History - Shibuya, Tokyo
history. Shibuya history, layout and physical location are all related to
the Shibuya Station.
Following the opening of the Yamanote Line in 1885,
Shibuya began to emerge as a railway terminal for
southwestern Tokyo and eventually as a major commercial and
entertainment center. It was incorporated as a village in 1889, as a town in
1909, as a ward of Tokyo City in 1932, and as a ward of
Tokyo Metropolis in 1943. The present-day special ward was
established on March 15, 1947.
 One
of the most well-known stories concerning Shibuya
is the story of Hachikō, a dog who waited on his late master at
Shibuya Station every day from 1923 to
1935, eventually becoming a national celebrity for his loyalty. A statue of
Hachikō was built adjacent to the station, and the surrounding Hachikō
Square is now the most popular meeting point in the area.
Yoyogi Park in Shibuya
was one of the main venues for the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Shibuya has achieved great popularity among young
people in the last 30 years. There are several famous fashion department
stores in Shibuya. Shibuya 109 is a major shopping center near
Shibuya Station, particularly famous as
the origin of the kogal subculture.
Called "Ichi-Maru-kyū," which translates as 1–0–9 in Japanese, the name is
actually a pun on that of the corporation that owns it — Tokyu (which sounds
like 10–9 in Japanese). The contemporary fashion scene in
Shibuya extends northward from
Shibuya Station to
Harajuku, where youth culture reigns;
Omotesando, the zelkova tree, and fashion brand lined street; and
Sendagaya, Tokyo's apparel design district.
During the late 1990s, Shibuya also became known
as the center of the IT industry in Japan. It was often called "Bit Valley"
in English, a pun on "Bitter Valley," the literal translation of "Shibuya."
(Article
based on
Wikipedia article and used under the
GNU Free Documentation License)
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