Tokyu Corporation and Tokyu Department Store announced that the annual visitor count for Shibuya Hikarie, a high-rise shopping complex that celebrates its first anniversary on April 26, has surpassed its annual target of 14 million visitors (as of April 22). Built on the former site of Tokyu Bunka Kaikan, Shibuya Hikarie is a high-rise shopping complex operated by Tokyu Corporation and Tokyu Department Store and directly connected to Shibuya Station. The building has 34 floors above ground and four below ground, featuring a variety of spaces that function as a hub for information and culture, including ShinQs, a commercial facility operated by Tokyu Department Store, the musical theater Tokyu Theatre Orb, the event hall Hikarie Hall, and the creative floor 8/. It has become recognized as a new landmark in Shibuya. Visitor numbers have remained steady even since the start of through service between the Toyoko Line and Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line on March 16. The store has garnered support from discerning female customers, primarily thanks to its independently curated sales areas and stores that are the first of their kind in Japan and the world, with a strong customer-drawing power thanks to Thinks. Tokyu Corporation President Hirofumi Nomoto commented, "Shibuya Hikarie will continue to be a facility that embodies the Entertainment City Shibuya, a town where new things are always happening." Tokyu Department Store President Chihiro Futahashi also commented, "We aim to create an appealing store with a product lineup that pursues the uniqueness and innovation that only Thinks can offer, in order to continue contributing to the enhancement of Shibuya's appeal."
To commemorate the first anniversary of its opening, Shibuya Hikarie is holding a promotional event called "Happy Happening" from April 4th to May 6th. Events that have attracted the attention of visitors include "Planeta Lounge - Memories of Stardust," which recreates a planetarium as an homage to the building's predecessor, Tokyu Bunka Kaikan, and "SHIBUYA VISION: An Evolving Entertainment City," a special architecture exhibition that traces the changes in Shibuya through the use of valuable materials from before and after the war.
In addition, from April 26th, a special train, the "Shibuya Hikarie" will begin operating to commemorate the first anniversary of Shibuya Hikarie's opening. It will not only connect Shibuya Hikarie with areas along the Tokyu Line, but also with cities from Saitama and the Yokohama area, helping to liven up the first anniversary.
