Harajuku & Omote Sando, Tokyo

The Omotesando Boulevard is lined up with boutiques from the famous brands. If you are a shopperholic for branded goods, you must pay a pilgrimage to this street. Famous brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Christian Dior, Loewe, Channel, Celine, United Colors of Benetton can be found along this busy street, The Omotesando Hills has some nice café and restaurant where you could chill out. Do no miss the Prada Building which is a highly photographed architecture.

If you are on a budget, have no fear as the 4 storey 100 yen Daiso is just around the corner located at Takeshita Dori and is just opposite the Harajuku Station.

Takeshita Dori is a street where you can find stall on both side of the lane selling teenagers clothing and accessories. The highlight for me will be the 100 yen shop which has four storey selling things from household and gardening equipment, cosmetics, food stuff, stationery, kitchen and dinning utensils.

You will have to check out the stalls when you are here. You will also be able to see some teenagers dressed in their costplay costumes

Harjuku is accessible by Harajuku (Chiyoda Line) Station, JR Shibuya Station and Omotesando Station (Chiyoda Line).

Japan's street scenes are very, very lively with their own brand of pop culture. Catch a train to Harajuku on a Sunday and see their pop culture come to life, you won't regret it, I promise you.
You'll see many young folks dressed to kill. You don't have to worry about your safety though, these teenagers are just there to have a good time and they'll even pose for you if you ask them.
For more details, check out my harajuku page

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For a glimpse into Japanese teenage lifestyle and culture, take the JR train to Harajuku station. Upon alighting, cross the main street and look out for the entrance to Takeshita Dori, a narrow pedestrian street where you will find cheap and chic fashions, accessories such as sun-glasses, charm bracelets, earrings, trendy silver toe rings and knick-knacks.

You really cannot miss it - just look out for the crowds of 15-19 year olds streaming out onto the street from the station.

Want to purchase one of those cute short pleated school girl skirts, or a pair of army camoflauge pants, maybe even a gothic housemaid's costume in red and black leather - this is the place you would want to come to!

There are numerous side-streets and shops that are located at street level, at basement level and also on upper floors. Takeshita Dori is certainly popular with the 15-something crowd, and when I was there, there was a documentary or movie being shot (see pics).

Don't miss it!

This is a cool place for young teenagers and young at heart individuals to shop, dine and entertain.

You can see extreme teen cultures and fashion statements.

Wander around Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets. Wild and young again.

Just a note, when you take the JR train to Harajuku station, please walk to the end of the station where there is a stairway down. This will take you direct to the entrance of Takeashita Dori street so that you don't have to find your way back again. The other exit seem to go a further way off.

I would say the best way to describe this is that Harajuku is to Tokyo what the East Village is to NYC. Harajuku is where kids hang out to see and be seen, shop for pop culture stuff, music, clothes and show off their unique styles. I mean I see the raver kids in LA, but I saw a woman who looked more like a college football mascot than night life afficionada. Takeshita Dori is a pedestrian street lined with shops and packed with young people hanging out. I recommend that if you want to people watch, grab a coffee or coke at one of the shops and just watch the world go by. Japanese kids often lead such proscribed lives that fashion and hobbies are the only real way for them to express individuality...so they throw themselves into it with gusto. Enjoy the scene. If you walk to the end of Takeshita -dori and turn right, you'll hit

More upscale and slightly more grown up than Takeshita Dori, Meiji Dori is a tree lined boulevard with lots of swank, cool shops, cafes and restaurants. It's a really cool place to hang out, watch people, have a bite or a drink and maybe buy a hello kitty coin purse for your friend.

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If you're in Harajuku to see what all the fuss is that Gwen Stefani is always on about then you are probably looking for Takeshita-Dori which is a pedestrian only street opposite Harajuku station.

It is here where you are likely to see some of those world-renowned Harajuku girls (and boys) apparently they all come out on a Sunday and unfortunately we weren't in Tokyo on a Sunday but we still saw a few eccentrically dressed people.

Takeshita-Dori is good for shopping if you're into the whole scene (this is where you will find all the cosplay, crazyness and kawaii). This is also where you will find the Harajuku crepe (yum yum separate tip about that later!)

That's right, in fact the folks here want to be oogled at and hence they have really dressed up to catch your attention. On Sundays, head down to Takeshita Street in Harajuku and look out for these famous uniquely (more weird and wonderful too) dressed young people. It's the place to see and to be seen!

On this street, you'll find funky, trendy shops that won't cost an arm and a leg like Ginza. It gets super crowded here so watch out you have been warned.

If you want to go to Harajuku for shopping, you should go on Sundays, cuz you'll see a lot of cosplayers there, dressed up in customs, with makeups and hairdos... although some of them might look horrifying.. but most of them are actually very friendly and they don't mind you taking pictues with them.. I guess they are happy to take picture, cuz more ppl wanna take pics with them, means that they have dressed in customs~~

Like the one in the pictue, he was very happy to post for us to take pic~ ^_^