One of the places I’m most excited to photograph in Tokyo is the world-famous intersection in Shibuya (which I have fun pronouncing Shy-booyah). Hundreds — if not thousands — of pedestrians cross these streets every time the traffic lights change. It’s the Times Square of Japan.

My first glimpse of the Shibuya crossing is from the metro / train station set one block back from the intersection:

It’s the middle of the day and not too crowded. The number of pedestrians will quadruple during rush hour as people scramble to or from work.

The walk signal has small bars on either side to indicate how much time remains before the next crossing. This visual countdown is better than a numeric one, as English speakers wouldn’t be able to read Japanese numbers.

Pretty clear, right? Stay on the curb until the signal changes, then cross the intersection. But this woman decides to make a run for it mid-cycle… what is she thinking?

There are tons of stores in this area. Most are Japanese, but there’s a few American chains thrown in, like Forever 21.

I cross the Shibuya intersection and head up to this Starbucks for a better view.

TIP — Starbucks has the best views of this intersection. Those windows look out over the action below.

I grab a latte and read my book as the light shifts, pausing every so often to snap shots of the traffic. My favorite moment is right as the traffic light changes and the stagnant crowd jumps to attention, dashing across the street. There’s 60 seconds of chaos as pedestrians push in opposite directions, and then slowly the intersection empties out.

I head back down to street level for one final round of photos before going back to my hostel.

Here’s a look at the Starbucks I just came from:

It’s easy to spend a whole afternoon in Shibuya, as there are places around this intersection worth visiting — a nearby park and fashion street. More on those soon!