Harajuku – Town of Young People and Fashion

Takeshita-dori for the youthful, Omotesando for the chic, Meiji Jingu Shrine to get away from the chaos, and Yoyogi Park for the bizarre – the Harajuku area has something for everyone.

Tokyo’s Youth Fashion Capital
Takeshita-dori is the first sight that greets many visitors to Harajuku. And what a sight. At almost any time of the week this narrow and noisy pedestrian street is packed with a mixture of teenagers and tourists shuffling shoulder to shoulder taking in the mixture of small shops that cater to Tokyo’s punk, gothic Lolita and hip hop youth cultures.

From loud t-shirts with incomprehensible English blazoned across them to leather gear bordering on SM and even bloodied head bandages, a stroll down Takeshita-dori is like gazing through a window on the various trends attracting young Japanese.

To see these fashions on real life models, make time for a Sunday visit to Yoyogi Park, where many groups such as the teens holding up placards offering “free hugs” and the rockabillies with their love of 1950s American fashions, Elvis PRESSLEY haircuts and Cadillacs wile away the day posing for onlookers. Fortunately, the park attracts more than just posers, with musicians, dancers and sports circles often spread out among picnickers over Yoyogi’s vast grounds.

Tranquility in the Heart of Tokyo
On the same side of Harajuku Station as Yoyogi Park, Meiji Jingu Shrine is the traditional ingredient thrown into the Harajuku mix. Originally completed in 1920 and dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji (1852~1912) and his consort Empress Shoken (1849~1914), Meiji Jingu and its surrounding forest fill over 700,000 square meters, making it a popular spot for Tokyoites for both recreation and reflection.

The entrance to the shrine’s grounds is defined by a giant cypress torii (gateway) that straddles the gravel road which gently leads visitors passed the entrance to the impressive iris garden and a colorful wall of sake barrels and then onto the main shrine. The inner precinct of the shrine (Naien) includes the shrine buildings and a treasure museum home to artifacts of the Meiji Emperor and Empress, while the outer precinct (Gaien) is where you will find the National Stadium (the main stadium for the Tokyo Olympics), Jingu Baseball Stadium and a host of other sports facilities, not to mention the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and the Meiji Memorial Hall, where the Meiji Constitution that led Japan into the modern era was first drafted.

Standing in the tranquil inner precinct looking at the wishes written on the walls of ema (votive plaques) surrounding the large tree that towers above the inner courtyard, it is hard to believe that you are in the heart of one of the busiest cities on the planet. Should you be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a Shinto wedding procession passing by, you might even think you have been transported back in time!

Omotesando and Shopping
After recharging at Meiji Jingu, try a stroll around Omotesando, the area just beyond Takeshita-dori but millions of miles apart in terms of fashion. Omotesando has long been known for its international brand name stores, chic backstreet boutiques and cool restaurants, but the completion of the Omotesando Hills urban development in 2005 was the icing on the cake for the area’s reputation as Tokyo’s fashion center.

Omotesando Hills occupies a 250-meter stretch of the Omotesando boulevard and is home to over 130 shops as well as 38 highly sought and highly priced apartments. The strikingly modern six-story atrium enclosed by a spiral ramp that serves as the retail area is an architectural highlight, although not as pleasing to many Tokyoites as the charming Dojunkai Aoyama apartments built in the 1920s that were leveled to make way for the development. Despite some objection to its construction, Omotesando Hills has established itself as a landmark of modern Tokyo.

Sharing the Omotesando area with the likes of Prada and Chanel are several shops that have become Tokyo institutions. For younger visitors, Kiddy Land, the large toy shop across the road from Omotesando Hills, features everything from Ricca-chan (Japan’s answer to Barbie) to magic tricks and cuddly toys.

Just a minute up the road toward Omotesando Station from Kiddy Land, Oriental Bazaar has established itself as Tokyo’s most renowned souvenir shop, stocking everything from “I Love Tokyo” t-shirts and plastic samurai swords to antique furniture and exquisite used kimono.

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