Center-gai Shopping Street, Tokyo

The Center Gai is a shopping street in Tokyo that begins at the front of the Shibuya Station to the Tokyu Departmental Store main building. The name has recently been changed to Basketball Street.

The Center Gai is 350 meters long and is located between the Bunkamura Street and Koen street. It has many shops selling fashion clothing, game arcades, bars, cheap cafes, music stores, innovative boutiques and restaurants. It has the reputation of setting many fashion trends among Japanese youth. It is a place where young Japanese and tourists hang out at night. The Center Gai also divides the two large departmental stores in Tokyo, Seibu and Tokyu.

The Center Gai now known as the Basketball Street is run by the merchants’ body called the Shibuya Center Gai Association. The headquarters of the National Basketball Organization, the BJ League is located in the street within the large Yoyogi National Gymnasium. The reason for the change of name was to clean up the image of the street that has often been associated with drug peddlers and other delinquents and has earned nicknames such as Scary Street and Dirty Street.

Why You Should Visit:
Quite a good place to experience the nightlife of metropolitan Tokyo while doing some shopping.

Tip:
It can be very busy so be prepared for crowds but makes for some awesome photos (it's almost obligatory to cross it from different sides to take photos from different angles!).
You can spend all your money at Loft and the amazing Tokyu Hands (there's also a café there on the 9th floor).