Ebisu, Shibuya


Ebisu is major district of Shibuya-ku in Tokyo, Japan. It was developed on the site of a former brewery and is now home to Yebisu Garden Place. It is renowned for its high concentration of bars and restaurants.

Geography and transportation

Ebisu is a major district and neighborhood of the Special Ward of Shibuya-ku. It is located south of Shibuya and north of Meguro.
Ebisu is accessed by the JR Yamanote Line and Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line via Ebisu Station.

History

Ebisu was founded around 1928 as a community developed around the Japan Beer Brewery Company facilities which began brewing Yebisu Beer in 1890.
After the breweries were moved to Chiba in 1988, the area underwent a major urban development resulting in the construction of Yebisu Garden Place, which opened to the public in 1994. Following the construction of Yebisu Garden Place in 1994, the area around Ebisu Station developed rapidly.
The district and railway station of Ebisu takes its name from the Yebisu Beer brand, which in turn was named after Ebisu. The spelling "Yebisu" is intentionally archaic. With or without the "y" the pronunciation is the same as "Ebisu".

Sightseeing and attractions

Food and drink

Ebisu is renowned for food and drink, with a high concentration of restaurants, cafés, izakaya, ramen shops, bars and old-fashioned tachinomi bars.

Yebisu Garden Place

Yebisu Garden Place is a shopping and cultural center located in Ebisu. It has a sloped promenade leading to a large central plaza covered by a wide glass arch. The area regularly hosts events and markets on weekends.
It is accessible via the Ebisu Skywalk from JR Ebisu Station East Exit, which takes approximately 5 minutes on foot.
The complex contains the following attractions:
Yebisu Garden Place also offers annual winter illumination. It is one of the most popular winter illumination event in Tokyo which has been held for over 20 years. It contains over 100,000 LED lights and a Baccarat crystal chandelier that is 5m large x 3m wide "It’s the world biggest Baccarat chandelier created with 8,472 pieces of crystal parts and 250 lights by 70 skilled craftsmen."This is one of the most romantic attractions and it is perfect for couples usually from November 3rd to December 25.

Businesses

The publication The Diplomat has its headquarters in the Ebisu MF Building.