SHIBUYA || Candid Sights from a Walk Around the Neighbourhood
When I visit somewhere new I like to take walks with my camera.
Also, instead of walking with my eyes focused straight onwards, taking in what’s available to me at eye level, I encourage myself to look up and down.
Those who take photos would know, the feeling of your eyes being your lens; they are constantly framing a shot as you take in the scene: commuters scrambling to cross the street. Friends catching up at a coffee shop. Skyscrapers defining the skyline.
We often miss all these daily life captures because we’re too busy looking at our phones. To be honest, it’s the same for me when I’m back home. It’s likely because I feel like I know every corner of my neighbourhood already. If we were to embark on tourist activities in our own hometowns, or even go on a walking tour without the distraction of our mobile devices, we will likely make some new discoveries.
Here’s what I managed to see on a morning weekday stroll through Shibuya. I usually stay in Shinjuku when visiting Tokyo, but this time I was ready for a change. I hope you enjoy these candid scenes.
A view of the traffic and surrounding high rise buildings on a Shibuya pedestrian overpass.
Shopping centre with a stunning quadruple-height atrium encased in curved glass.
I’m always captivated by the slender buildings in Japan. With the increasing density in large cities, even a ten-metre wide plot could be a profitable investment.
The iconic La Foret building in Harajuku, a short walk from the Shibuya neighbourhood.
A rainy weekday morning capture of commuters heading to work.
Look up to take in the design details of modern, gleaming architecture in the heart of the city.
Look directly in front and you see commuters walking to work in the morning. I love the curves of this pedestrian overpass, a gleaming example of how architecture is soothing for the eyes.
Look down and you’ll see pedestrians going about their day. Do you ever wonder where other people are headed?
This is specific for Alice in Borderland fans: do you recognize this scene from Season 2?
Photography by Florence Leung