Shibuya is where Tokyo's technology and creative industries concentrate, and where most foreign professionals under 40 end up. The station is a transport hub connecting most of the city, the coworking supply is the best in Japan, and the surrounding neighbourhoods of Ebisu, Daikanyama and Yoyogi-Uehara give you quieter options a short walk away. It is expensive and crowded, and the area immediately around the crossing is a tourist crush, but everything you need is within fifteen minutes.

• Best coworking supply in Japan

• Major transport interchange serving most of the city

• Ebisu and Daikanyama are a short walk for quieter evenings

• Highest concentration of English-speaking professionals

Young, dense and commercially relentless.

• You want to be near Tokyo's tech and creative scene

• You value transit access above all

• You do not mind paying for the centre

Central Tokyo pricing. Rents drop sharply two or three stations out on the same lines.

Home fibre is excellent but needs a residence card and weeks of lead time, so nomads use pocket Wi-Fi or eSIMs. Cafe Wi-Fi is less consistent than in Korea and some chains cap sessions at an hour.

Making local friends takes real effort and some Japanese. The tech and startup scene is more accessible in English than most sectors.

Crime is rare enough to be newsworthy. Earthquakes are the genuine hazard: enable government alerts and know your building's drill.

The world's best urban rail network, with a Suica card covering trains, buses and convenience stores. Trains stop around midnight, which shapes nightlife: you either leave by 12 or stay until 5. Taxis are plentiful and expensive.

Humid subtropical

Cherry blossom in early April and autumn foliage in November are worth planning around. August is hot, humid and draining.

• Among the most expensive rents in Tokyo

• The crossing area is a permanent tourist crush

• Very little quiet during the day

• Digimad editorial review - Tokyo districtsDigimad2026-07-27

Last reviewed 2026-07-27