Shibuya
/ʃɪˈbuː.jə/noun
A district and special ward of Tokyo, Japan, known for its major railway station and famous pedestrian crossing.
Did you know?The name is written 渋谷: 渋 can mean “astringent” or “bitter,” while 谷 means “valley,” although the exact historical motivation for the place-name remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
shibu
“Astringent, puckering, or bitter in taste; the first character in the modern spelling.”
Ancient Japanese
Japanese
tani
“Valley; the native Japanese reading associated with 谷.”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
Shibuya
“A place-name and surname associated with the Shibuya area and the Shibuya clan.”
Edo Period
Japanese
渋谷村 (Shibuya-mura)
“Shibuya Village, a settlement in the area that later became part of metropolitan Tokyo.”
1889
Japanese
Shibuya-mura
“Municipality established during Japan’s modern local-government reforms.”
Modern English
English
Shibuya
“A Tokyo district and ward, internationally associated with urban youth culture and the Shibuya Scramble crossing.”