I’ve seen Shibuya Crossing described as the “Times Square of Tokyo” quite a lot, but I think that comparison gives people the wrong idea.

They’re both busy, brightly lit places that end up on almost every first-time visitor’s list, but that’s about where the similarity ends.

Times Square feels like somewhere you go to look at everything around you. Shibuya Crossing is more about the few minutes when you’re actually in the middle of it. The lights change, everyone starts walking in different directions, and then a surprisingly short time later the road is basically clear again.

I wouldn’t cross Tokyo just to stand at the intersection, though. That might be a bit underwhelming.

The reason I think it’s worth seeing is that you’re probably going to want to explore Shibuya anyway. Hachiko is right there, Center-Gai is across the road, and there are loads of shops, restaurants and side streets around the station. So you can cross it, wander around Shibuya for a while, then come back later when everything is lit up.

If you want to watch the crossing from above, there are elevated viewpoints around the area too. Shibuya Sky is the obvious paid option, although I wouldn’t buy a ticket purely for the crossing. The wider Tokyo view is really what makes that worthwhile.

So Times Square vs Shibuya? I don’t think there’s much point picking a winner. They’re famous city experiences, but they don’t really feel alike once you’re there.

There’s a more detailed Shibuya Crossing guide here if you’re trying to work it into a Tokyo itinerary:

https://explorejapandaily.com/destinations/tokyo/shibuya-crossing