Have you ever tried a virtual tour? Do you live overseas and have always wanted to visit Japan? Are you outside of Tokyo and have always wanted to visit Shibuya? Or maybe you live nearby and want to know more about the history and new projects in Shibuya.

Now you can visit Shibuya virtually without leaving your home, perfect for some at-home entertainment. The host is a local guide, Chihiro, who provides an interactive, exciting tour recommended for everyone from first-timers in Japan to Tokyo’s long-time residents. Her ability to make the tour guests feel connected and comfortable is what really makes this tour stand-out. Be prepared to leave the tour with some new friends and a new perspective on Shibuya.

Join This Virtual Online Tour and Visit Shibuya

The Virtual trip to Shibuya is an online Airbnb experience hosted by Chihiro of WANDER COMPASS SHIBUYA. WANDER COMPASS SHIBUYA is a tourist information center based in Shibuya and supported by locals.

Their guides are known as “TOMODACHI GUIDES,” local guides who love to interact with people and create a friendly, comfortable atmosphere during their tours. In normal years their services include insider tourist information, tour bookings, local guided tours, luggage storage, Wi-Fi router rental, ticket purchase for transportation, money exchange, souvenirs, and even umbrella rentals! They provide everything needed to get around and have a great time in Tokyo. They are welcoming and friendly, so why not take a look in their office when you are next in Shibuya. It is located in the underground passageway next to Shibuya 109, near Shibuya Station’s exit A2.

WANDER COMPASS SHIBUYA pulled their resources together to create a virtual tour after the spread of COVID-19 has made travel more difficult. Through the tour, tourists and locals can enjoy the experience of traveling in Tokyo without leaving the house. All you need is to book the tour online and have access to the ZOOM application.

After joining the virtual tour myself, I’d love to tell you a little more about it!

What Is the Tour Like?

Chihiro made the tour fun and interactive. Her friendly energy drove the tour forward, and despite not knowing each other, we all got on great. At the end of the tour, I felt like we were good friends!

At the start of the tour, Chihiro got to know us, and we were introduced to some Japanese culture. The first part of the tour included some facts and historical information about Shibuya. The historical information was especially impressive for me even as a person who has been to Shibuya lots of times. I had no idea about the history, and it was all new information for me! Next up was a guessing game and quiz about Shibuya, Chihiro ensured we were all included as part of the tour, and the interactive aspect was very engaging and fun.

One of my favourite parts was the view of the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing in live time. It was fascinating to see how the numbers of people crossing had changed compared to what it usually is like before COVID-19. Have you seen the Scramble Crossing before? It is definitely something different watching it in real-time; you can’t help wonder where everyone is off to in such a hurry.

After talking about the Scramble Crossing and its advertisements on the big screen, we all boarded a train! Or we did virtually!

We arrived at Gotokuji temple, popular for its huge collection of lucky cat statues. We could see the temple and cats up close through the virtual tour and learned all about Japan’s lucky cat culture.

At the end of the tour, we all took a group picture, and Chihiro shared some insider information about niche and upcoming places in Shibuya! We had some time at the end for questions, which was a helpful opportunity to grab some tourist information and recommendations for places to go!

The tour lasted about 50 minutes, and then there were 10 minutes at the end for questions. Chihiro opened up the floor for us to ask about anything we saw on the tour and any other questions we might have about Japanese culture or what to see and do in Tokyo.

Travel From Home in the Virtual Shibuya Online Tour

I loved the virtual tour with Chihiro from WANDER COMPASS SHIBUYA. Her passion for Shibuya and other areas of Tokyo made this tour an unforgettable experience. If you are interested, I’d love for you to check it out on Airbnb. You can read more information and browse through the wonderful reviews of the tour!

We’d love to know you’re favourite places in Shibuya! Have you joined any virtual tours recently?