The lack of conversation and the attention paid to the music gives the place a serene, respectful atmosphere, despite the raucous rock music emanating from the speakers. We navigate the madness of the Shibuya Crossing — the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, with 3,000 people streaming across it at any given time — and turn down a quiet alley to find ourselves in front of a mock-medieval stone building resembling a European church. When the movement ends, a waitress comes to the front of the room with a microphone and says, “That was today’s final piece, by German neoclassical composer Paul Hindemith.” The remaining punters file out in silence, and I get talking to Naoya Yamadera, the elderly man who’d greeted me on my arrival.
Author: @NatGeoTravel
Published at: 2026-01-18 00:00:00
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