In the course of Shibuya’s recent redevelopment into an ultra-modern, glitzy city, cutting edge high-rise buildings have been added to the skyline over the past few years. Just within the vicinity of the iconic Shibuya Crossing, you'll find the multipurpose Shibuya Fukuras, the imposing Shibuya Scramble Square building with its jaw-dropping observation deck Shibuya Sky, and the revamped Parco department store.
The newest addition to the lineup is the revamped Miyashita Park. Once a public park along the Yamanote line, it’s been turned into a stylish new complex, complete with a massive shopping mall, plenty of restaurants and cafés, a hotel, and a rooftop park with sports facilities.
While the rooftop park and the Rayard Miyashita Park shopping mall is now open, foodies will have to wait a few days longer, as on-site restaurants and cafés won’t open until August 4 – a measure to curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
More than 330m long, the three-storey Miyashita Park is the first project under real estate company Mitsui Fudosan’s new Rayard brand, which combines commercial buildings with green spaces.
Don't be intimidated by the ground-floor facade, which is dominated by luxury fashion brands including Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Venture past that to seek out Shibuya Yokocho, a collection of restaurants serving specialities from all over Japan. The second and third floors are equipped with 60 different shops and more restaurants, while the rooftop park boasts an open lawn, a skateboard park, a bouldering wall and a multipurpose sports area.
The shops are a mix of domestic and international brands. You’ll find, for example, the first Asian outpost of New York luxury fashion store Kith, owned and operated by footwear and clothing designer Ronnie Fieg, as well as the pop-up store Shiro T Kiosk by Hatagaya-based shop #FFFFFFT, specialising in plain white T-shirts.
At Face Records, a new outpost of the long-established cult record store in Shibuya’s Udagawacho area, you can find classics alongside anime soundtracks. It’s a perfect place to dig for rare vinyls.
Compliment your retail therapy with some art appreciation at the on-site gallery Sai. Currently on show is a series of works by graffiti artist Kyne.
Developed by the organisers behind the Shibuya Harajuku Fashion Festival, Equaland Shibuya is one of Miyashita Park’s most distinctive shops. The store provides a platform for famous designers and creators from different fields to sell their products for a limited time. The selection covers a broad spectrum, from fashion to fortune telling.
Fans of bilingual Japanese design and culture magazine ‘Tokion’, which made a big splash in the late 1990s before fading away in the mid-2000s, can celebrate its comeback as Tokion the Store, selling a curated lineup of clothing and apparel.
The retail stores and the rooftop green space at Miyashita Park are now open. Hotel Sequence will follow suit on August 1 and the eateries on August 4.
Don’t head off just yet, though. As part of Miyashita Park's crowd management measures, you’ll have to make a reservation in advance for a specific day and time here (Japanese only).
Read our guide on how to go out safely in Tokyo here.
Based on the original reporting by Genya Aoki.
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