# Shibuya (Tokyo) > Shibuya is the Tokyo of motion — the scramble crossing empties and refills every couple of minutes, and the photograph is timed to the lights rather than to the sun. This page as HTML: https://www.komorebis.cc/destinations/shibuya - Coordinates: 35.6595, 139.7005 - Nearest airport: HND Where the rest of the city page is about stone, moats and gardens, Shibuya is glass, screens and people. The district has been rebuilt around the station since 2012 — Shibuya Hikarie, Scramble Square, Miyashita Park and Shibuya Stream all opened in the last decade — so it offers rooftops and elevated walkways that did not exist when most guidebooks were written. The base 30 minutes is the crossing; with an extra hour it becomes a short loop: the crossing, a rooftop, the side streets towards Harajuku. Because the crossing works by phases, so does the session. Each walk phase lasts well under a minute, so we stage the frame on the corner, step out when the lights change and repeat across several cycles rather than trying to stop mid-road. Long exposures with the crowd blurred around a still couple need a solid ledge, not a tripod. After dark the screens light the street from above, which is why Shibuya is the default for the Tokyo night photoshoot. ## When to go Shibuya works year round and best at night, when the season matters less than the weather. In late March to early April the cherries on Sakura-zaka and along the Meguro River at Naka-meguro, two stops on the Tokyu Toyoko line, add a blossom frame to a night session. Around Halloween and New Year’s Eve the area around the station is heavily policed and street drinking is banned; we avoid booking those nights. - **Cherry blossom**: Late March to early April (Sakura-zaka; Meguro River at Naka-meguro) ## Getting there Shibuya Station is served by the JR Yamanote and Saikyo lines, the Ginza, Hanzomon and Fukutoshin subway lines, the Tokyu Toyoko and Den-en-toshi lines and the Keio Inokashira line. Tokyo Station is about 25 minutes away, Shinjuku 7 minutes, and Haneda 35–45 minutes by train or airport limousine bus. ## Kimono Kimono is unusual in Shibuya and there are very few rental shops nearby. If you want kimono in the city, Asakusa is the place to dress, and a kimono walk there pairs better with the setting. For Shibuya we recommend your own clothes — streetwear and evening wear both work against the screens. ## Rules on location No tripods on the crossing or the station concourses, and never stop or pose in the middle of the road — the police will move you on. Do not block the Hachiko statue queue or the station exits. Shibuya ward bans drinking on the street near the station at night, and on Halloween and New Year’s Eve the area is closed to gatherings. Faces in the crowd are part of the scene; we avoid making any stranger the subject. ## Drone We do not fly drones here: the area is a densely inhabited district or the landowners forbid it. ## Photo spots ### Shibuya Scramble Crossing - Coordinates: 35.6595, 139.7005 - Best time: Blue hour and after dark; 7–8 am for an emptier crossing - Access and permits: Free; handheld only, no tripods, never stop in the road. The window corridor between JR and the Keio Inokashira line gives a free elevated view Up to five directions cross at once under three giant screens. From street level we shoot from the corner by the station with a short telephoto to stack the crowd; from the station corridor windows the whole X of zebra lines reads at once. - **November–February**: Dark by five, so the screen-lit session fits before dinner; cold, clear air keeps the colours clean. - **June–July**: Rainy-season evenings turn the asphalt into a mirror for the screens; we bring clear umbrellas. ### Shibuya Sky - Coordinates: 35.6584, 139.7022 - Best time: The slot 30 minutes before sunset - Access and permits: Timed tickets roughly ¥2,000–3,400, sunset slots sell out weeks ahead. Tripods, selfie sticks and bags are banned on the open-air deck; professional shoots need the operator’s prior approval, so we treat this as a personal visit with light gear The open-air rooftop of Shibuya Scramble Square, about 230 metres up, with glass walls rather than railings. It is a strong frame and a tightly controlled one: loose items go into lockers, and staff limit how long anyone holds the corner by the helipad. ### Miyashita Park - Coordinates: 35.6618, 139.702 - Best time: Late afternoon - Access and permits: Free rooftop park above the shops; no tripods, handheld shooting fine A long park on the roof of a shopping complex beside the Yamanote line tracks. Green trains slide past at eye level and the towers of the station rise at the south end — the frame that says Shibuya without the crossing crowd. ### Cat Street - Coordinates: 35.666, 139.7065 - Best time: 9–11 am on weekdays - Access and permits: Free public street; keep clear of shop entrances A car-free lane of boutiques running about a kilometre from Shibuya to Omotesando along a buried river. Low buildings and trees give soft, even light for outfit and creator shoots in the morning before the shops open. ### Nonbei Yokocho - Coordinates: 35.6603, 139.7023 - Best time: Early evening as the lanterns come on - Access and permits: Free to walk; many bars ask for no photos of their interiors, and we never shoot customers Two narrow lanes of tiny bars beside the JR tracks, a few minutes from the crossing, lit by paper lanterns. It is a brief stop for a moody frame, made from the lane ends while the bars are still quiet. ## Covered at no travel charge Shibuya, Harajuku, Omotesando, Ebisu, Daikanyama, Naka-meguro, Sakuragaoka, Yoyogi ## Popular here - [Tokyo night photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/tokyo-night-photoshoot.md) — from $240; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Japan photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/japan-photoshoot.md) — from $220; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Solo travel photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/solo-travel.md) — from $195; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Couple photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/couple-photoshoot.md) — from $220; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Content creator shoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/instagram-content.md) — from $260; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Reels & short video](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/reels.md) — from $260; 1 vertical reel, 15–30 s, within 5 days - [Personal brand photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/personal-brand.md) — from $370; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Travel film](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/travel-film.md) — from $430; 30–45 s film + 15 s vertical cut within 7 days ## Frequently asked questions ### Can we pose in the middle of the crossing? Only while walking with everyone else. We plan two or three walk-throughs per light cycle and shoot you mid-stride; stopping is unsafe and will draw a police whistle. ### Can you photograph us at Shibuya Sky? As fellow visitors with a small camera, yes, if we both hold tickets for the same slot. Tripods and large rigs are not allowed, and formal shoots need the operator’s approval, so for a styled session we use Miyashita Park or a hotel rooftop instead. ### Is Shibuya good for a night shoot in summer? Yes — it is cooler after seven, the screens do the lighting, and the session finishes in 30 minutes. Bring a change of top in July and August; it stays above 28 °C well into the night. --- Komorebi · https://www.komorebis.cc