In the less crowded area of Shibuya, Japan, there is a sloped back alley called Spain-zaka, which is literally translated as “Spanish Slope”. It is a pedestrian alley with an exotic atmosphere of foreign lands, so you can really feel the differences from typical modern Japanese style in Shibuya when visiting. Let us see what's in store at Spain-zaka!
About Shibuya Spain-zaka
Shibuya’s Spain-zaka is located on the Inokashira-dori, which is a little further north from Shibuya Scramble Crossing. It runs north from Inokashira-dori to Shibuya PARCO in the Koen-dori area, with the stairs around the top of the slope. As you can guess, it is more of a pedestrian street, with only around 100m in length. But that does not make this area any less exciting, because it is one of the rare sloped shopping streets in Japan, and with an international atmosphere nonetheless!
Why it is called Spain-zaka
Previously, it was a nameless short alley, with a little café called Arabika (阿羅比花) owned by UCHIDA Yasuo (内田裕夫). When Shibuya PARCO was constructed at the top of the hill in 1975, they found the nameless sloped alley and asked Mr. UCHIDA to name it. Being an avid admirer of Spain that he only saw in the photos, he named the slope "Spain-zaka".
Sometimes you may find one of the stone-signs written as スペイン通り (Spain-dori) as well as some shops saying “Spain-dori store” instead of “Spain-zaka store”, but either name points to the same thing, so do not worry.
Beside the naming, the atmosphere is not a typical Japanese alley; the inclined alley with foreign architectures, such as building with balcony or stairs on the outside. So, you can also say that the area has become true to its name. These buildings are cafes, restaurants, and stores, so you can enjoy Spain-zaka at ease!
Enjoy the calm atmosphere at cafes in Spain-zaka
With the sloped alley and exotic atmosphere, what is better than spending your afternoon at the cafes while admiring the scenery, or grab the drinks and take a stroll. Here is a list of some cafes you can enjoy at Spain-zaka.
Shibuya Coffee, relax and enjoy light meals or drinks
Whether you like to enjoy hot coffee, iced coffee, smoothies, tea, or a light meal, you can enjoy them at Shibuya Coffee! From the outside, you can see giant glass window and wooden stairs. The service is also great, with dessert plate art messages when you order the store’s dessert on special occasions like birthdays or graduations, or just normal plate art otherwise.
Spot Information
- Spot name: Shibuya Coffee
- Address: 2F Maruhide Building, 13-4 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Access: Shibuya Station…4 minutes-walk
- Business hours: 11:00 – 22:00
- Holidays: Irregular holidays
café de copain, an Italian café with fixed menus for different times of the day
Despite being named as a café, the name in Japanese is “人間関係” (Ningen Kankei) which translated as “Human Relationship”, and is aimed to create the atmosphere of an Italian Bar. café de copain has a special concept of servings for different times of the day, namely, coffees and scones for morning, paninis and sandwiches for lunch, desserts and coffees for the evening, and beer or wine with side dishes for the “bar time” at night, where the Italian bar’s mood is at its peak.
Spot Information
- Spot name: café de copain (人間関係 café de copain)
- Address: 16-12 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042
- Access: Shibuya station…4 minutes-walk
- Business hours: 9:00 – 23:15 (Last Order is 22;15 for Food and 22;45 for Drink)
- Holidays: open all year round
Gong Cha Shibuya, take-out only store for when you cannot get enough Bubble Tea
Bubble tea from Taiwan, often called “Tapioca Milk Tea” in Japanese, has been a trendy drink in Japan for quite some time, and having a bubble tea store in one of the busiest parts of Tokyo will surely attract a crowd. It used to get so popular that there were lines outside the store, even if the store itself does not have any seats for customers. But now, equipped with delivery supports like Uber Eats, Demae-Can and Line Delima, you do not have to wait that long.
Spot Information
- Spot name: Gong Cha Shibuya Spain-zaka Store
- Address: 1F Inoue Building, 16-13 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Access: Shibuya station Hachiko Exit…5 minutes-walk
- Business hours: 11:00 – 22:00
- Seating capacity: no seating (take-out and delivery only)
Cat Café Coorikuya plus, where you can play with fluffy friends and more
Coorikuya is a giant cat café franchise with 47 cafes around the country. But what makes Coorikuya plus at Spain-zaka unique is that it comes with a built-in pet shop called “Coo&RIKU”, so you can also see puppies and kittens there as well. On the basement floor there is a rabbit café called "USAGI PARADISE" too!
Spot Information
- Spot name: Coorikuya plus Spain-zaka store (空陸家plus渋谷スペイン坂店)
- Address: 13-4 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042 (pet shop on 1F, cat café on 2F & 3F, rabbit café on B1F)
- Access: Shibuya station…7 minutes-walk
- Business hours: 12:00 – 22:00
- Entry system:
- Free time: 2000 yen + tax
- 10 minutes: 200 yen + tax
- Drink: 350 yen + tax
- Wi-Fi: Available for free + outlets for charging electronic devices
Dine at exotic restaurants in Spain-zaka
Being in the foreign-like atmosphere can change your mood drastically, so why not enjoy a lunch or a dinner at some of these exotic restaurants while you visit Spain-zaka?
Bio Café
Produced by “Ningen Kankei”, the same owner as café de copain, Bio Café pursues the goal of being an “Organic Café & Restaurant” with everything organic. From course menus, food, and drink, everything is additive-free and chemical-free, so you can get healthy and have a clean body at the same time just by eating here.
Spot Information
- Spot name: Bio Café
- Address: 1F Patio I, 16-14 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042
- Access: Shibuya station Hachiko Exit…4 minutes-walk
- Business hours:
- Lunch: 11:00 – 16:00 (Last order: 15:30)
- Café: 11:00 – 18:00
- Dinner: 18:00 – 23:00 (Last order for both food & drink: 22:00)
PIZZERIA La SOFFITTA
“La SOFFITTA” for short, this Pizzeria has a very outstanding exterior, being on the second floor of another store, and inside you will find both indoor tables and outdoor seating at the terrace. The store boasts an authentic Milano Pizza baked in a stone oven. You can even taste authentic wines imported from Italy, as well as Italian food other than pizza if you crave something else!
Spot Information
- Spot name: PIZZERIA La SOFFITTA
- Address: 2F, 16-12 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042
- Access: Shibuya station…5 minutes-walk
- Business hours:
- Weekdays: Lunch 11:00 – 15:30 (Last Order 15:00), Dinner 17:00 – 23:30 (Last Order 22:30)
- Weekends and Holidays: 11:00 – 23:30 (Last Order 22:30)
- *Take-out business hours may differ
Vidrio Shibuya, Spanish cuisine at Spain-zaka
A Spain-zaka would not be complete if there was no Spanish cuisine to fulfill the namesake. Vidrio Shibuya offers store-special Paella, recommended meat & recommended fish cuisine for lunch, and varieties of dinner shared across the franchise. And of course, you can taste some Spanish wine such as TARRIDA, CVNE, or Lauro.
Spot Information
- Spot name: Vidrio Shibuya (びいどろ渋谷店)
- Address: 2F Uchida Building, 16-13 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042
- Access: Shibuya station…3 minutes-walk
- Business hours:
- Weekdays: Lunch 11:30 – 16:00 (Last Order 15:00) Dinner 17:00 – 23:00 (Last Order 22:00)
- Weekends and Holidays: Lunch 11:30 – 16:00 (Last Order 15:00) Dinner 17:00 – 22:00 (Last Order 21:00)
- Holidays: Open all year round
ICHIRAN Shibuya Spain-zaka, a cozy ramen eat-in with counter seats
Specializes in Tonkotsu (Pork Bone-based soup) Ramen, ICHIRAN Ramen claims to be the most dedicated company that studies Tonkotsu Ramen in the whole world. There are two of them in Shibuya, but the one in Spain-zaka has 40 counter-seats with no table; suited for going alone for a quick lunch.
Spot Information
- Spot name: ICHIRAN Shibuya Spain-zaka
- Address: B1F Koyasuwan Building, 13-7 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042
- Access: Shibuya station…5 minutes-walk
- Business hours: Open 24/7 *currently closed due to the effect of COVID-19 and the state of emergency
Shopping at the stores around Spain-zaka
Despite its short length, Spain-zaka street does have a few large-scale stores for you to shop around. Spain-zaka starts at PARCO Shibuya ZERO GATE, and ends at PARCO Sr-6, so you can visit either, or both!
There are also specialized shops in Spain-zaka. For example, there is a custom-made chocolate shop “DECO CHOCO Store” where you can order custom-made chocolates or select from the designs available at the shops, to get your messages to your loved one in style. For sport wears and boards, try “MURASAKI SPORTS” as they have most of the board sports, such as SUP equipment, snowboards, skateboards, surfboards, and so on!
How to get to Shibuya Spain-zaka
Shibuya Spain-zaka area can be accessed by first going to Shibuya station, accessible through 4 different railway companies. From the station, go to Shibuya Scramble Crossing (easiest way is to go to Hachiko Statue), and then cross to the north and walk along the Jungu-dori until you see the first intersection, turn left and walk along Inokashira Street to the west. Turn right after PARCO Shibuya ZERO GATE and you are at the start of the Shibuya Spain-zaka!
Spot Information
- Spot name: Shibuya station
- Address: Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo
- Access: serviced by the followings:
- JR Lines:
- Yamanote line (station code: JY20)
- Saikyo line (station code: JA10)
- Shonan-Shinjuku line (station code: JS19)
- Keio Inokashira line (station code: IN01)
- Tokyu Lines:
- Toyoko line (station code: TY01)
- Den-en-toshi line (station code: DT01)
- Tokyo Metro subways:
- Ginza line (station code: G01)
- Hanzomon line (station code: Z01)
- Fukutoshin line (station code; F16)
※Due to coronavirus (COVID-19) and state of emergency, some of the shops and restaurants may be temporarily closed or have different hours from the hours stated here.
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