CITY LOVE (TOKYO) : SHIBUYA STARBUCKS

I walked up to the cash register.  "One apple cider please", asked the 15-year old me.  I was at Starbucks on a Friday night again.  It was basically where I spent every Friday.  As a teenager living in Tokyo, I was constantly grounded for something and Starbucks was my escape.

There aren't many Starbucks where I would spend my Friday night.  This one was special.  Located in the heart of Shibuya, this particular Starbucks overlooked Shibuya Crossing.  Recognized as one of the busiest intersections in the world, Shibuya Crossing is known to see over 3 million people each day!  I used to sit by the window on the second level and watch all the people cross by.  Every few minutes a crowd of hundreds would gather on each side of the road.   As soon as the walking man would flash green, both sides would rush together, creating a swarm of people headed in different directions.  It was fascinating to watch.  Where were they all going?  What was their story?  I was constantly picking out interesting people in the crowd and imagining what their life was like.  It became one of my favorite pastimes, maybe the one I missed the most when I moved back to the states in 2003. Next time you are in Toyko, grab a cup of coffee (or an apple cider) here for me.  I guarantee you will find this crossing just as fascinating as I did.

I snapped this picture of Shibuya Crossing when I was a Sophomore in high school.  If you look closely, you can see the Starbucks in the top right hand corner.  HAPPY FRIDAY!