Tokyo Photography Spots: Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku and Shiinamachi

Crowds crossing Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo seen from above

These are my favourite Tokyo photography spots from just over a week in the city, all shot with the most minimal camera setup I've ever travelled with: the LUMIX S9, a tiny Sigma 24mm f3.5 and two LUMIX f1.8 primes. This guide covers Shibuya Crossing from above and from the middle of the scramble, a quiet local neighbourhood with a famous blue hour view, and quick introductions to my Tokyo Tower photography guide and Shinjuku street photography guide, which each have their own posts because I ended up with far too many photos for one.

My minimal Tokyo camera setup

This was the final part of my Japan trip, after Osaka and Kyoto (you can watch my Osaka vlog and Kyoto vlog too). I wanted something small enough to carry all day, every day, so I kept it to the LUMIX S9 and three primes. I bought the Sigma 24mm f3.5 second hand at a camera store in Tokyo, because the S9's pancake lens is such a good size but manual focus isn't much fun for street photography. The Sigma is autofocus, tiny and light, and I loved shooting with it. I also packed the LUMIX S 85mm f1.8 for telephoto shots and, of course, the LUMIX S 35mm f1.8, because I can't leave the house without a 35. Hear about my setup. If you're curious about the little Sigma, I go into it more in my Sigma 24mm, 35mm and 45mm review.

  • Camera: LUMIX S9
  • Wide: Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN (street, cityscapes, environmental portraits)
  • Everyday: LUMIX S 35mm f1.8 (portraits with more background separation)
  • Telephoto: LUMIX S 85mm f1.8 (shooting down from above, isolating people in crowds)
Looking down a staircase into a Tokyo subway entrance with buses on the street above

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Empty wooden counter of a small Tokyo restaurant with the chef behind it

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Shibuya Crossing from above

Shibuya Crossing is the classic Tokyo photo spot, and the best way to photograph it is from above. We headed to the Starbucks at the crossing, which has great views straight down onto the scramble. I had the 85mm on, so I could pick out single people and little moments instead of only shooting the chaos. I kept an eye out for subjects I could isolate in the frame: someone with an umbrella, a person in red, a cyclist weaving through. Watch me shoot Shibuya Crossing.

I don't normally shoot in harsh light when I'm travelling, but I ended up really liking how these turned out. The midday sun gives you hard shadows and bright highlights on the crossing stripes, which works really well when you're looking straight down at people.

Pedestrians crossing a sunlit corner in Shibuya with hard shadows, shot from above on an 85mm

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

People walking through strong sunlight and shadow on a Shibuya street corner

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Looking straight down on people crossing at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo
Commuters waiting at a bus stop seen from above in Shibuya

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Cyclist in a cap and denim jacket riding through Shibuya, shot on the LUMIX 85mm f1.8

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

The Shibuya Crossing scramble with people holding umbrellas, seen from above
Black and white photo of a lone man walking across empty tarmac with his shadow

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Crowds pouring across the zebra stripes of Shibuya Crossing, shot from above

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Woman with a pink umbrella walking through the Shibuya crowd
A green Tokyo taxi turning across Shibuya Crossing as people wait to cross

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Cyclist crossing the white stripes of Shibuya Crossing from above

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Afterwards we walked into the side streets around Shibuya, which are packed with signs and colour.

Tall Shibuya side street covered in colourful shop signs above a crowd

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Portraits in the middle of Shibuya Crossing

Later in the afternoon we went back down to street level and took portraits of each other right in the middle of the scramble with the 24mm. You only get a short window while the lights are green, so plan your pose before you step out, take a few frames and keep walking. The wide lens lets you fit in the buildings and screens behind, which is what makes it recognisable as Shibuya.

Wide view of Shibuya Crossing with crowds and big screens, shot on the Sigma 24mm f3.5

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Woman in a white blouse smiling over her shoulder in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, uneditedUnedited
Woman in a white blouse smiling over her shoulder in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, edited with Disposable FilmEdited with Disposable Film

Unedited on the left, edited with my Disposable Film preset on the right. LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Woman in a white blouse walking through the crowds at Shibuya Crossing

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Woman with a backpack looking over her shoulder at Shibuya Crossing
Woman walking away into the Shibuya scramble with her backpack on

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Woman reaching out her hand and smiling at Shibuya Crossing

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Man in sunglasses with a backpack in the middle of Shibuya Crossing

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Man in sunglasses walking across Shibuya Crossing

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Subway stations are photo spots too

Don't put your camera away when you go underground. Tokyo's stations have strong lines, glowing signs and endless people moving through them, and a wide lens on a small camera means nobody really notices you. I love slowing the shutter a little for some motion blur on the escalators.

Man walking through a bright Tokyo subway corridor

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Dark Tokyo station concourse with a warm light above the gates

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Hand tapping a transport card on a Tokyo ticket gate

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Commuters riding an escalator with motion blur in a Tokyo station

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Long empty corridor inside a Tokyo subway station

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN.

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower was the photo I wanted most on this trip, both from street level with the tower peeking between buildings and from a viewpoint at blue hour when the lights turn on. Last time I came to Tokyo we went to a viewpoint on a full moon and they didn't turn the tower lights on at all, so I had something to make up for. I've put all of those photos, my favourite street spots and what it costs to get into the viewpoint in my Tokyo Tower photography guide.

Tokyo Tower rising above green trees under a cloudy sky

LUMIX S9 + Sigma 24mm f3.5 DG DN. Edited with my Disposable Film preset.

Shinjuku

We spent a full day in Shinjuku visiting vintage camera stores and wandering. There's a quieter street a short walk from the heart of Shinjuku with ramen shops and huge vertical signs that was perfect for portraits, plus a lantern-filled alley and some of the busiest crossings in the city. It's all in my Shinjuku street photography guide.

Pink blossom decorations and lanterns hanging over a narrow Shinjuku alley

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Shiinamachi: a local neighbourhood and a famous blue hour view

On our last evening we went to a much quieter neighbourhood near Shiinamachi Station. There's a famous view of a seafood izakaya on a corner that glows at blue hour, and that was the photo I came for. But sometimes when you come to a photo spot, it's nice to take that famous photo, and then explore around the area to get the extra photos. Ninety nine percent of the time I'm happier with the extra photos than the photo spot photo. Hear why I always explore around a photo spot.

We arrived a bit early, so I used the time for street photos. The yellow trains, the level crossings and all the people on bikes made it feel like a completely different Tokyo to Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Man in a cap and white shirt seen through a window in a Tokyo neighbourhood

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Fruit and vegetable stall on a quiet Tokyo shopping street

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Older man cycling down a quiet street lined with bicycles

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Colourful arch over a long local shopping street in Tokyo
Bicycles parked outside a small cafe with hydrangeas

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Cosy cafe entrance with flowering plants and a scooter outside

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Narrow street leading to a level crossing with a yellow train passing

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

People waiting at a level crossing as a yellow train passes

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Woman on a bike waiting beside a yellow train at a level crossing

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Two women cycling past a cafe on a quiet Tokyo street

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Woman cycling past a corner house covered in plants

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Man in sunglasses standing in the middle of a narrow local street

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Cyclist riding past a leafy shrine wall in Tokyo
Vending machine on a narrow residential corner in Tokyo

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Man walking past a row of vending machines on a side street

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Stone torii gate surrounded by green trees
Shaded stone path through a torii gate to a small shrine

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Photographing down on the street with an 85mm

From a raised spot near the railway I switched to the 85mm and took intimate little shots of people walking, cycling past the restaurants and the small streets below. At one point I got four people in a row on bikes in the middle of the road, and even two cute pigeons on a rooftop. Golden hour light made everything glow, although the wind kept knocking me around. Watch the 85mm street photos.

Two cyclists turning a corner seen from above, shot on the LUMIX 85mm f1.8
Cyclists on a quiet street outside a seafood izakaya seen from above

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Two pigeons sitting on a rooftop edge in golden hour light

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Seafood izakaya on a corner with a cyclist passing, shot from above
Woman on a bicycle crossing zebra stripes, seen from directly above

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

The blue hour izakaya shot

We nearly left before blue hour because we were exhausted and had a 4am wake-up for DisneySea the next morning. There were literally ten minutes to go, so we stayed, and I'm so glad we did. Once the signs and lanterns are on and the sky turns blue, the whole corner glows. I shot it on the 35mm first and then the 85mm for a tighter crop of the building. See the blue hour shot.

Glowing izakaya corner at blue hour with neon signs and a pastel sky

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 35mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Neon signs on a rooftop above a lit izakaya at blue hour, shot on the LUMIX 85mm f1.8

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Seafood izakaya glowing on a street corner at blue hour, uneditedUnedited
Seafood izakaya glowing on a street corner at blue hour, edited with HavanaEdited with Havana

Unedited on the left, edited with my Havana preset on the right. LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8.

Close view of the lit izakaya with lanterns and a cyclist passing at blue hour

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Rooftop neon sign above a glowing izakaya against a dusk sky

LUMIX S9 + LUMIX S 85mm f1.8. Edited with my Havana preset.

Taking a small camera everywhere

The thing I loved most about this minimal setup is that I took the camera to places I normally wouldn't. We even brought the S9 and the little 24mm to Tokyo Disneyland, because it's autofocus and small enough to throw in a bag. Watch the Disneyland part. If you're choosing a small camera for travel and portraits, I compare the S9 with a few others in my best beginner camera for portraits post.

For more Japan, see my Kyoto travel photography guide, my Nara day trip and my older LUMIX S5II street photography in Tokyo post.

Tokyo photography spots FAQ

Where is the best place to photograph Shibuya Crossing from above?

We went to the Starbucks right at Shibuya Crossing. The windows look straight down onto the scramble, which is perfect with an 85mm.

What lens should I bring to Tokyo?

A wide prime for streets and cityscapes plus an 85mm for shooting down from above. I used a Sigma 24mm f3.5, a LUMIX 35mm f1.8 and a LUMIX 85mm f1.8 on the LUMIX S9.

Is it okay to take portraits in the middle of Shibuya Crossing?

Yes, just be quick. Plan the shot before the lights change, take a few frames while you cross and keep moving with the crowd.

Where is the blue hour izakaya photo spot?

It's a seafood izakaya on a corner near Shiinamachi Station. Arrive before sunset, explore the neighbourhood and wait for the signs to light up at blue hour.

Is harsh midday light bad for street photography in Tokyo?

Not always. Shooting down on crossings in harsh light gives you strong shadows and graphic shapes. I don't usually shoot in harsh light, but I loved these.

I edited the Shibuya photos with my Disposable Film preset and the Shinjuku and Shiinamachi photos with my Havana preset. I hope this helps you plan your own Tokyo photo walks. Next, read my Tokyo Tower photography guide and Shinjuku street photography guide. Browse all my packs in the Lightroom Presets for Portraits collection, and if you're stuck between a few, you can buy any 3 presets and save 10%.

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