Shibuya

What this site looks at in Shibuya is not the scramble crossing but places built for listening. When records were expensive and hi-fi a luxury, paying to sit in front of someone else's speakers was how you heard music. Two such places survive in Shibuya.

They share one rule: no talking. Every seat faces the speakers rather than another person, and you write your request on a slip to be played in turn. A visitor who walks in and starts a conversation freezes the room instantly. Knowing this, there is no difficulty at all — not knowing it makes this one of the easiest places in Tokyo to get wrong.

Nonbei Yokocho is another matter. Minutes on foot from Shibuya station, a post-war lane of bars barely a few square metres each survives intact. Redevelopment of the area is under continuing discussion, so there is no guarantee the view will be the same in a few years.