Shibuya

S1H4I1B3U1Y4A1
/ʃɪˈbuːjə/

proper noun

A special ward of Tokyo prefecture, Japan that is surrounded by (clockwise from north) Shinjuku, Minato, Shinagawa, Meguro, Setagaya, Suginami, and Nakano special wards.

OriginJapanese 渋谷 →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

proper nounShibuya (plural Shibuyas)

plural Shibuyas

  1. A special ward of Tokyo prefecture, Japan that is surrounded by (clockwise from north) Shinjuku, Minato, Shinagawa, Meguro, Setagaya, Suginami, and Nakano special wards.

    The neighborhood we lived in wasn’t like the image most people have of Tokyo, all slick and modern like Shinjuku or Shibuya, with skyscrapers made of concrete and glass.

    2013, Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being, Canongate Books (2019), page 139
  2. A surname from Japanese.

Origin

  1. Japanese渋谷
  2. EnglishShibuya

Borrowed from Japanese 渋谷 (しぶや, Shibuya, literally “harsh valley”).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic شِيبُويَا
  • شِيبُويَا (šībūyā)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Chinese Cantonese 澀谷區 /涩谷区, 澀谷 /涩谷
  • 澀谷區 /涩谷区 (sik¹ guk¹ keoi¹)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
  • 澀谷 /涩谷 (sik¹ guk¹)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Chinese Mandarin 澀谷區 /涩谷区, 澀谷 /涩谷
  • 澀谷區 /涩谷区 (Sègǔ qū)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
  • 澀谷 /涩谷 (Sègǔ)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Czech Šibuja
  • Šibujaone of the special wards that form Tokyo
Esperanto Ŝibuja
  • Ŝibujaone of the special wards that form Tokyo
Greek Σιμπούγια
  • Σιμπούγια (Simpoúgia)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Hebrew שִׁיבּוּיָה
  • שִׁיבּוּיָה (Shibuyá)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Hindi शिबुया
  • शिबुया (śibuyā)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Hungarian Sibuja
  • Sibujaone of the special wards that form Tokyo
Italian Shibuya
  • Shibuyaone of the special wards that form Tokyo
Japanese 渋谷区, 渋谷
  • 渋谷区 (Shibuya-ku)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
  • 渋谷 (Shibuya)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Korean 시부야 구, 시부야
  • 시부야 구 (Sibuya gu)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
  • 시부야 (Sibuya)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Lithuanian Šibuja
  • Šibujaone of the special wards that form Tokyo
Persian شیبویا
  • شیبویا (šibuyâ)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Polish Shibuya
  • Shibuyaone of the special wards that form Tokyo
Russian Сибу́я
  • Сибу́я (Sibúja)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Thai ชิบุยะ
  • ชิบุยะ (chí-bù-yá)one of the special wards that form Tokyo
Ukrainian Шібу́я
  • Шібу́я (Šibúja)one of the special wards that form Tokyo

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Shibuya

Zeruiahgiandujanduja
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Shibuya. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shibuya

MLA

“Shibuya.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shibuya. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shibuya,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shibuya.

Source: Shibuya on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.