Harajuku is known as the most extreme teenage cultures and fasion style in Japan, and Takeshita Street (Takeshita Dori) is the center of Harajuku’s teenage culture. Takeshita Street is basically shopping street, which is focusing on fashion and trend for teens.
To experience the teenagers’ culture at Harajuku, better to visit on Sunday. Sunday is the best date to see unique fashion culture around Harajuku St. because many teens gather around this area (especially on the bridge) and engage in “Cosplay”, They are dressed up in unique & crazy costumes to resemble anime characters, and Visual-kei.
Youth culture
In order to experience Harajuku’s youth culture, it better to visit on Sunday.
- The bridge across the train tracks will full of teenagers whom dressed up as Gothic Lolita and other extreme Japanese youth fashions. Most of them who cosplay here to be snapped by magazine photographers.
- The sidewalks along the south side of Yoyogi park are usually occupied by Rock Bands.
- The south end of the park to Shibuya is for street performers. Most of them are folk singers, but some of them are Hip-Hop Dancing, and some other performers.
Sightseeing
Meiji Jingu Shrine (明治神宮)
This shrine is Tokyo’s grandest shrine which built in commemoration of Emperor Meiji in 1920. On weekends of June, you have a high chance to catching a Japanese wedding in progress in this shrine. This shrine is also packed on New Year’s Eve and New Year when people come here to celebrate and/or pray for new year.
Okamoto Taro Kinenkan (Museum) / 岡本太郎記念館
Okamoto Taro Kinenkan, (Walk about 8 minutes from Omotesando St.), ☎ 03-3406-0801. Studio and house of Okamoto Taro are exhibited. He made numerous masterpieces.
Shopping
- Takeshita-dōri (竹下通り). Running from the Takeshita exit of JR Harajuku St. to Meiji-dori, basically shopping street, which is focusing on fashion and trend for teens.
- Harajuku-SoLaDo (原宿ソラド), 1-8-2 Jingumae, ☎ 03-6440-0568. Mon-Fri 11am-21pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am-21pm.Shopping center in Harajuku with 11 clothes shops.
- Omotesando Hills, 4-12-10 Jingumae, ☎ 03-3497-0310, [1]. Designed by Tadao Ando and built by Mori Building of Roppongi Hills fame, well known shopping place for high-end.
- Laforet Harajuku, 1-11-6 Jingumae, ☎ 03-3475-0411. Man-Sun 11am-20pm. A large building owned by the same company that runs Omotesando Hills, but this store’s target is for teenagers. some times they have big sales especially summer and winter.
Access to Harajuku Area
By Public Transfer
- By Train
- Get off at Harajuku St. from JR Yamanote Line
- By Subway
- Get off at Meiji-jingu-mae St from Chiyoda Line and Fukutoshin Line
- Exit onto Meiji-dori
- Get off Omotesando St from Ginza Line and Hanzomon Line
- Exit on to Aoyama-dori
- Get off at Meiji-jingu-mae St from Chiyoda Line and Fukutoshin Line
- On Foot
- Walk about 15 minutes from Shibuya St.
- Follow the train tracks along Koen-dori Street
- Walk about 15 minutes from Shibuya St.