Shibuya 109: Iconic, Eye-Catching, and... Somehow Different? (Did you notice the change?)

Tokyo Entertainment Shibuya crossing

2019.08.29

A vital part of the Shibuya landscape, a shopping hotspot found in the background of uncountable numbers of Shibuya Crossing snapshots, Shibuya 109 has changed its look!

The Illustrious Shibuya 109

Are you already a Shibuya 109 expert? Do you call it "maru-kyu" (マルキュー) like the rest of the cool young people of Japan?

Shibuya 109 sits at a crossroads for all of Tokyo, both geographically in front of the huge crosswalk, and more broadly as a literal and cultural meeting point for people all over the city. Trendy locals and tourists from all over the world walk the halls every day, buying some new duds and making use of the ATMS and wifi.

Walk past the rivers of humans making their way in and out of Shibuya station, and you'll find yourself in front of the dependable landmark.

Lost your way in Shibuya? It's not unusual to orient yourself around the bright "109" high in the air. We're all going to have to start looking for a slightly different font though...

Why the New Logo?

In 1979, the shopping mall opened as "Fashion Community 109", before changing its name to Shibuya 109 in 1989. In past years, young women have often called the mall the center of Tokyo fashion, with its stores selling clothes for Tokyoites in their teens and 20s. But the recent rise in popularity of foreign fast fashion, creeping into Japan, has seen sales and visitor numbers start to slump, leaving the people in charge of the mall re-thinking their plans.

The result? A new logo for a new 109!

The font, the color, and the overall design of the logo are all new and different.

It looks like it might have been a little influenced by instagram. That is, not what's trendy on the app, but the instagram logo itself. Whether it was or not, the new pink logo is up, and the bright color is certainly drawing eyes.

Instead of one solid color, they're clearly going for a peach to purple gradation effect. Whether that draws the young women of Tokyo back into the mall's many stores, well, we'll have to wait and see!