When you exit Shibuya Station, the area spreading out past the scramble crossing in front of you is referred to as Shibuya Center-Gai. This main street, which runs all the way to the former Tokyu Hands building from the scramble crossing, is referred to as “Basketball Street,” and the whole area encompassing Tokyu Hands, PARCO, and Seibu Department store is referred to as Shibuya Center-Gai.

Speaking of Center-Gai, people often think of youth culture and sprawling groups of middle school and high school students. Starting in 1993, you could see throngs of girls with loose socks in the popular “Ko-Gyaru” style, or the “Ganguro” style, where girls would meticulously tan their skin, which grew more popular in 1998. All of these trends got their start in Center-Gai. In 2004, there was the “Manba” style which added “Kawaii” elements to the former “Gyaru” styles, and the “Center GUY” styles popular with young men.

During those times “SHIBUYA 109” was considered the holy land of the “Gyaru” culture. You could feel how infused the “Gyaru” culture was just by looking at the shop staff. Most people believe that “Gyaru” culture was just about how people look, but there was more to it than that. “If it was that easy, anyone could be a ‘Gyaru.’” If you come to understand this concept, you might understand what it truly means to be a “Gyaru.”

Those groups aren’t the only ones that gather here. Center-Gai remains a popular meeting place where teenagers can come to meet with their friends outside of school. Center-Gai continues to evolve at alarming rates, and is the driving force behind the shifting cultural landscape of Shibuya.