Shibuya culture PROJECT

Gathering the shop of the fashion system and design system, Cat Street, which is one of the advanced area among the Shibuya (Shibuya River promenade). Walking through the neighborhood, such as old houses and renovation (renovation), you will notice that there are many shops and restaurants to divert as a store. These phenomena, might be said to symbolize the charm of Cat Street old and new cultures melt together. With Disclose the history of this area, I tried to follow the culture that has been formed therein.

Cat Street that connects the Shibuya and Omotesando in parallel with the Meiji-dori. Eaves shops that sensitively reflect the trend in the pedestrian street of the gentle curve, but this area is from the state-of-the-art appearance has hidden a deep history of inconceivably. This walking dictionary existence of regional, Sato Ginkasane who serve the Harajuku 穏田 (Onden) shopping Board Chairman.

1933 Sato of the year born, born and raised in this neighborhood, we have been witnessing over the dramatic changes in the ambient in nearly 70 years. In the vicinity of the "current of Shibuya River promenade, perhaps as had been inhabited from the Jomon period. Although not very well known, because the ruins from here and there is excavated, has been designated as a cultural property protected areas "

From "Komota" to "穏田"

Shopping district, including the Cat Street, and is now referred to as the 穏田 shop meeting. According to Sato, the origin of the place name of "穏田", it of to date back to 400 years near before the Tokugawa shogunate was opened. The Ichizokuroto of "Ieyasu Iga ninja was not trust, this seems to have dwell in the neighborhood. In that Kakurezato of ninja, but was referred to as the" Komota ", use a character called" 穏田 "or from time It seems to have become so ne ". In the idyllic rural at that time, in the place where there is a current of Cat Street it had flow Shibuya River. There waterwheels around using the water flow of the Shibuya River to 穏田, the scene has been depicted as one "water wheel of Komota" of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai Katsushika.

The Sato Showa 10s who spent his childhood, is to 穏田 densely bungalow and houses of the two-story wooden, Shibuya River had become the dress of the playground of the neighborhood children. In pristine creek the fish swim around, including dace, is also said that in theory became the model of the nursery rhyme "Spring Brook". In addition, the shopping street that connects the Cat Street and Meiji street, crowded as "kitchen" of the residents of the neighborhood before the war, had been referred to as a "side dish alley". "I'll was already very crowded by the time you with discretion. Probably in Shibuya and Harajuku neighborhood I think that it is the oldest shopping street". Among the apparel shop is lined, now even the old fruit and vegetable stores and Komeya, such as that remain with trickle liquor store is a remnant of that time. However, such a calm residential area of ​​the landscape will continue to change significantly to the boundary of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.

That year, the Shibuya River, which had progressed already contaminated with domestic waste water from around the house are culverts, it became a road of asphalt pavement. Yet at the time, but this neighborhood is there were many children in the residential area, so that there is no park in the vicinity was a headache. Then, when Let's make a children's playground, slide and swing, such as the Sand it has been installed in a place where there is a current of Cat Street. "From Shibuya to Omotesando, because I had followed all the way, it was a pretty elongated park. Even now you are still a little play equipment in Shibuya side. It is the time of the remnant."

To eventually park, stray cats without began gathering from nowhere. Since the peripheral of the residents give the bait, the number continues to grow, we will gradually become a park full of cat ──. "" There are several theories on the origin of the name of Cat Street ", but it is the dominant theory is that because I have so many cats together". When the road is in place, passers-by also started increasing, gradually as was increasingly crowded. "After watching the sport in the Shrine, now pass through a person toward the Shibuya Station direction to walk down this street. Especially crowds of the day of the Waseda-Keio game guess it was amazing."

Before long, to "fashion town"

The will you or Cat Street was what did it become a fashion of the city. "From the old days in this neighborhood, there were several of dressmaking school. There graduated from the people to create their own flow of clothes, it began to sell the clothing store in this area. Such shop Gradually increase was the I think "that it is one of opportunity is, Sato guess. In addition to 1982, "Pink Dragon" was born in the vicinity of the entrance of Shibuya side of Cat Street. Development of Cat Street whole area is advanced as a development project of the ward is from around 1987, was appointed the prototype of the current promenade.

And it became a major turning point is, is that the brands began to opening the gang shop since I was a bubble in Omotesando. Although shops in Cat Street began to grow at its impact, Omotesando and the big difference was that gathered many strong shop of street sense. Gathering is unique shops with a focus on old clothes system and indie from the mid-1990s, it became the epicenter of the epidemic is called the "Harajuku" is symbolizes it. Further in parallel, 1998 "Patagonia", such as the 2000 "United Arrows," "hhstyle.com", large shop also open the fashion system and the design system. As an area to focus on young people of the personality and sensibility, we now increasingly strengthen the transmission power of the trend as well.

Playground equipment that remains in the Shibuya River promenade is tell the vestiges of the days of yore