Japan | Shibuya Crossing & Japanese Video Arcade

Lost in Translation is one of my all-time favorite movies. I love Bill Murray, Sofia Coppola, whiskey, Japanese culture, and the entire Lost in Translation soundtrack, which was on constant replay at one point in my life. I first watched the movie in the tiny old-school 4-star Theatre located only a couple blocks from my first apartment in SF. I was still new to the city at that time and still trying to figure it all out (still am). What I remember most about Lost in Translation, and probably what I most identified with, was that the movie seemed to visually capture so much of what I felt at the time: young, unsure, and slightly “lost” in a strange but wonderful new city.

Before visiting Japan I re-watched Lost in Translation, this time to make note of all the places featured in the movie so I could see them in real life. Most of the filming took place in the Shibuya and Shinjinku districts of Tokyo with a day trip to Kyoto. My list included visits to some of the most familiar backdrops from the movie: drinks at the Park Hyatt, walking across Shibuya Crossing, shabu shabu at Shabuzen, karaoke at Karaoke-kan (pink wig optional), and running through a video arcade while kids played a taiko drum game.  I knew we didn’t have time to travel to Kyoto on this trip but since we were staying in Shibuya I figured we could still hit up a majority of the places on my list.

Shibuya crossing aka “The Scramble”: Check. And while unintentional, it rained just like in the movie. Except I didn’t have a cool clear umbrella like everyone else in Asia.

It’s funny to me that a street intersection is also a popular and touristy place for photo ops. It kind of reminded me of how tourists would visit SF and then go out of their way to take photos of the Haight/Ashbury sign even though there’s not much else to really see in the Haight.

At least in this case, Shibuya felt as if it were the center of the world, the bright flashing lights seemingly a reflection of the pulsating energy of the city itself. It was electrifying standing in the center of the so-called ‘busiest intersection in the world.”

Next on the list: video arcade.

Part video arcade, part casino, part photo booth, part carnival games, Taito Game Station was like a video arcade on E. People of all ages could be found here, most smoking pack after pack of cigarettes and drinking brightly colored drinks.

The darker, smokey downstairs area was divided into slot machines on one side, combat style games in the middle, and musical games on the opposite side. We walked through and around the bottom level several times in search of something we could both have fun playing and ended up climbing the stairs to a brighter, more well-lit area of the arcade. Amid huge automated photo booths, zombie shooter games and claw crane machines I spotted with much delight what I was searching for: Taiko no Tatsujin, or Taiko Drum Master.

need this

of course Sly had to play Street Fighter…with his twin brother to the right?

someone was really into the taiko drum game

crazy eyes

Sly and I played the taiko drum game for at least an hour, possibly longer. It was so addictive! Being that the game was at least 10 years old, and no longer new and shiny, it had been relegated to an out-of-the way spot upstairs away from all the fancier, newer, more expensive games. This worked well for us — fewer people, nobody smoking, and no wait time to play. I was so into this game (and gripped the sticks with such intensity) that I developed a huge blister on one of my hands.

magic fingers

I wasn’t the only one into my game. Compared to the rest of the crowd at the arcade I was but a mere amateur. Some of these guys and girls were damn near professional and they were absolutely mesmerizing to watch.

vending machines lined every street

We only checked of two items from my “Lost in Translation list” but I was okay with that. One of my favorite parts in the movie was watching the night unfold organically for the two main characters. With Shibuya as a shimmering, glittery backdrop they went where the night took them; unplanned, open-ended, and fully embracing whatever came next. Those are always my favorite kinds of nights.

DETAILS

Shibuya Crossing / Shibuya Scramble / The Scramble | LOCATION: Shibuya Station (Hachiko exit) Shibuya district, Tokyo. It’s seriously pretty easy to find | DESCRIPTION: Kind of like Times Square in Tokyo but even busier and more compact, with a lot more traffic. Essentially the center of the Shibuya shopping district where you can find all forms of restaurants, shopping and nightlife. If you have images of Tokyo that include bright lights and electronic billboards then this is most likely the part of Tokyo you are thinking of. The “Scramble” itself is literally just a multi-directional crosswalk except with lots of tourists taking photos. | VERDICT: Go.  It’s super touristy and it’s a crosswalk but it’s easy enough to get to, there’s plenty of stuff to do/see/eat/shop in the area, it’s free, and it’s quintessentially Tokyo. 

Taito Station | LOCATION: Shibuya Toei Plaza 1F・B1F 1-24-12 Shibuya Shibuya-ku, approximately 3 minutes walking distance from Shibuya station (there are multiple locations throughout JP) | DESCRIPTION: Arcade, slot machines, photo booth, etc. for adults and youngsters alike.  This wasn’t the actual arcade in Lost in Translation (this is) but we still found the drum game and had fun watching all the hard-core video game players do their thing. Tokens can be purchased using credit cards. | VERDICT: Go. Definitely a fun experience and something for everyone.