New Shibuya Mall Opening In September

Above, Shibuya Scramble, the side of Shibuya that most people are familiar with. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Shibuya shopping district is getting a major re-vamp.

Shibuya Station is getting re-done and a new mall with riverside strolling areas is set to open in September.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO - Ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, officials have been making extensive efforts to overhaul the city not only to be more tourist friendly, but also to beautify and restore. For example, smokers are facing tighter restrictions, and older places like Harajuku Station are getting a remake. Of course, if you’ve spent much time in Shibuya, you’ll know that it’s one of the dirtiest places in Tokyo, and although that admittedly isn’t saying much, since the city is generally pretty spic-span, it’s still deserving of a nice makeover. 

In addition to a revamp of old buildings like the iconic Shibuya 109, major changes are being made to the famous shopping area to bring about a new, more pleasant shine in Shibuya. One such change is a new building called “Shibuya Stream," which appears to be intended to refresh the formerly boring south side of the station. 

Shibuya Stream sits in the former Shibuya Southern District, at the point where the Shibuya River emerges from its underground flow. The complex is built with the riverside in mind, and the theme of the first three floors is “Shibuya Style: Custom Shibuya“. They have recruited 30 businesses that target “adults who have their own style and live their life their own way”; twenty-one of these places are new to the area, the city, or the country, so visitors have plenty to look forward to.

To read more and see concept illustrations, go here.