asking about shibuya

[jizu]

if you live in shibuya,please tell me more about the place.
is shibuya very big?
is is hard to locate there a person you wish to find but whom you don't know the name and don't have the photo?
(i'm looking for some people whom i haven't seen for a few years.what newspapers and most commonly/popular-read mags can publish to help me find if i write to them?if i write to a tv station(i don't know the names)there and tell them about my story,will they air it during a programme?
is the city generally a safe place to live in?
i couldn't find any websites on shibuya that has a english-language version.
(i don't live in japan)
thank you.

 

[Mike Cash]

Shibuya isn't a city. It is one of the 23 wards of Metro Tokyo. Whether it is big or not is sort of irrelevant, since it is one of the more central areas and all the areas of Tokyo (and some surrounding prefectures) just blend together into one huge urban mass.

If you know the people's names (or their parents' names), you might try looking in the phone book.

 

[Ewok85]

More of a shopping district, he hellishly expensive to live there

 

[Mike Cash]

Well, if you think of it in terms of "Shibuya = the area around Shibuya station" then, yeah, it's just a shopping district. But there's more to Shibuya-ku than just the station surroundings.

 

[jizu]

may I know if there are many high schools in Shibuya?
Are there more teenagers from rich families or a fair mix of rich and the working-class?
There are many rude and depressive people in Tokyo.So how are people from Shibuya generally like?
I hope to go there one day.Wish to know more bout the place.

 

[Mike Cash]

I am sure there must be quite a few high schools in Shibuya. I have a detailed map of Tokyo in my truck. Perhaps if I have a little spare time tomorrow I will take a look and see roughly how many there are. I do recall once looking at a map showing perhaps about 4 or 5 square kilometers down south of there, in Ota Ward I believe, and seeing that there were about 15 elementary schools, about half that many junior high schools, and maybe about 5 or 6 high schools.

I don't know how one would characterize residents of Shibuya. You should keep in mind that of the daytime population in central Tokyo only a very small fraction actually live there, or anywhere near there. The number of people in Tokyo fluctuates in a very extreme fashion from daytime to nighttime.

 

[Mike Cash]

Alright, I had some time today and I took a look.

I found 9 high schools inside the boundaries of Shibuya Ward. I believe I found them all, but I wouldn't swear to it.

 

[den4]

Shibuya is more a trendy place for young people and couples. While it is possible to live there, the rent is fairly steep and is hardly practical for somebody just coming there from outside of Japan (unless you are a business with deep pockets).

 

[budd]

"There are many rude and depressive people in Tokyo."
?
"So how are people from Shibuya generally like?"
??
"I hope to go there one day. Wish to know more bout the place."
???

 

[jizu]

re

Thank you Mikecash,about the high schools.
So unless I'm rich(which i'm not),it's not wise to go and live there,even if I wish to?
Also,I don't think they will hire gaijins for work.If I go there,think just a matter of time I starve and die in the streets.

 

[den4]

Really depends on what you intend to do there, Jizu. Like budd, I'm really not sure why you want to live in Shibuya to begin with, what is with all the negativity on someplace you have never visited yet, and why you already have concluded that you'd never get hired and you'd die of starvation on the streets.
Before even considering moving to Japan, what do you plan to do once you get there? What kind of work can you do? Do you have a college degree?
Hachiko Square is the area where most people go to meet somebody in Shibuya. It is super crowded there most of the time, and unless the other person knows to meet you there, it's kind of hard, if you just say "meet me in Shibuya." I would hope that when you do go there, to Japan, to meet somebody you haven't seen in a while, that you explicitly tell them where and when to meet you. For most people living outside of Tokyo, you can figure it is at least an hour's commute to get to any part of Tokyo on a given day. If you aren't there at the designated time (taking into consideration any delays caused by missed trains on your part, or the part of your aquaintance), it can cause the other person to wait for a good half hour to an hour, and that is a real drag...not to mention it would probably take you at least a good 5-15 minutes searching around Shibuya's Hachiko Square area trying to find your friend.
Good luck in your search for your friend when you get to Shibuya...

 

[Mike Cash]

Thank you Mikecash,about the high schools.
So unless I'm rich(which i'm not),it's not wise to go and live there,even if I wish to?
Also,I don't think they will hire gaijins for work.If I go there,think just a matter of time I starve and die in the streets.

You're very welcome. I was happy to help.

Why are you interested in the high schools? Do you wish to attend one? Or to be a student at one?

It isn't impossible to get a job in Japan as a foreigner. A very great number of foreigners work here, in many fields. The first thing you need to look into is visa eligibility. I work in Japan, but since I am eligible to live and work here due to having a Japanese spouse I have never had to look into the details of obtaining a working visa. But I am sure there are many people here who can help you learn more about it.

 

[Ewok85]

VISA

Your (offical) one stop site for visa information.
I have it bookmarked, it gets alot of use on this forum

 

[Mux]

I've just joined this forum so I thought i'd make a post. =P

When I was in Tokyo earlier this year I have to say, until I saw Shibuya, I never saw so many damn people crossing the road at once! :hanabi:

 

[jizu]

Re

Since you asked,the reason I about the schools is I'm trying to find out from where exact area in Shibuya are the people I miss and wish to see again from.They had graduated a few years agf course they may not live in the same area now.For personal reasons,we can never be together,but they are special people to me I would never forget.I think of them everyday and wanna know how they are now.Because I read many suicides and depressive people in Tokyo,because there seem to be many Japanese youths who have a high tendency to commit suicide,I couldn't feel happy..Actually,it's 100% I'll not see them again.Not that I wanna meet up with them,but to just able to see their faces once more I'm content.Though as year after year passed and you grew older,I'm more and more tired of life.I'll not be that sad anymore and accepted that I'm one of those who no matter how much I love a certain thing,if you can't have it,you can't.Anyway, they may had long forgotton about me or even married,but their memories willl be in me forever.

I wanna live in Shibuya all because they were from there.It's not being with your family(I've no wish to talk about my family),but if heaven let you meet the person you fell in love with and you truly like the person and you can't be with him/her and in fact live in different countries,the feeling is hell.But since me and them is impossible,it doesn't really matter nomore if I never go and live in Japan,though I'm really interested in knowing more about Shibuya.

I wouldn't say I have a high educational level,but wanna know if a foreigner(without attachment from companies and know no one in Japan) can get a job while staying in Japan.Meanwhile I'll learn more form the website Ewok85(thanks) provided.

 

[Mike Cash]

I wouldn't say I have a high educational level,but wanna know if a foreigner(without attachment from companies and know no one in Japan) can get a job while staying in Japan.Meanwhile I'll learn more form the website Ewok85(thanks) provided.

The most important consideration, and what you have to look into first, is if you are eligible for a visa which will allow you to work in Japan. If you are, then you can look into the employment issue. Depending on your skills and language ability, it is possible to find a job. If you don't mind being an English conversation teacher, then your skills and Japanese abilities won't matter at all.