Harajuku is the area in Shibuya ward near Harajuku Station known for several things: numerous high school girls, occasional cosplayers, and shopping on the crowded Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street). Sunday is the day known for attracting cosplayers to the area, so I chose that day to visit. Unfortunately, there were very few to be found, possibly due to the cloudy conditions that morning, and rain later in the day. However, great people watching still took place, as Harajuku attracts all kinds of fashionable and trendy people to the area.
Cosplayers aside, the main attractions for me at Harajuku were taking a stroll down Takeshita Dori and visiting Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine). Takeshita Dori is a pedestrian only street which becomes absolutely packed on the weekends, and is also popular in the afternoon once school gets out. The street is filled with filled with cafes and restaurants, fashion and accessory stores, and idol goods.
Shopping is one of the main attractions to visit Harajuku, even outside of Takeshita Dori. Popular stores include Kiddy Land, which is one of the largest toy stores in Tokyo, Louis Vuitton, Tokyu Plaza, and more.
Unfortunately, the blight that is Comic Sans font can even be found in Japan.
Harajuku is a popular destination for fans of Japanese idol group AKB48, which has an official store in the area.
The entrance to Takeshita Dori is not difficult to spot, and is only a short walk away from Harajuku Station.
Getting through the crowds on Takeshita Dori is something to do itself. I only looked at the shops from the outside as I walked through, but I did stop at a crepe cafe for a snack, which are very popular in this area.
I didn’t do much else in the Harajuku area, but I spent the rest of the day visiting the nearby Meiji Shrine. Since that part of the post ended up being very long, I decided to split this day into two posts. Look forward to part two soon!
If you’ve been to Tokyo, did you visit Harajuku? If you plan to visit, is this on your list of areas to see? Let me know here.
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