Abstract
The Shibuya River originates close to Shibuya Station and passes through Shibuya Ward for 2.6 km. Its name changes to Furu River at Tengenji Bridge in Minato Ward and then flows for another 4.4 km into Tokyo Bay near Shiba Park. It is classified as a Class B river by the government. The Shibuya and Furu River basins cover 14.0 km2 and 8.8 km2 respectively.
The 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games and the urbanization of the area was an opportunity for the upstream portion of the Shibuya River to be diverted through culverts. In 2005, the area around Shibuya Station was designated as an urgent maintenance area by the Urban Revitalization Special Measures Law. As a result, several corporations have been working closely together on projects around Shibuya Station, and redevelopment plans for the area include the prospect of a more accessible Shibuya River with new landscaping and a sloped embankment.
Previous studies of Shibuya River have not been conducted focussing on the downstream section of Shibuya River or its improvement and sewerage planning. Therefore, this study concentrates on downstream Shibuya River and summarizes the history and progress of the improvements to the river environment. As a result, some new findings are presented in this study.
