Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
209
section of Kokusai and Kototoi avenues.
Decorated like a farmhouse, it specializes
in sake. For inexpensive dining in a con-
vivial, rustic setting, head to
c
Some-
taro
(p. 141), 2-2-2 Nishi-Asakusa, just off
Kokusai Dori, where you cook your own
okonomiyaki,
or fried noodles, at your
table.
WINDING DOWN
The
Asakusa View Hotel,
on
Kokusai Dori, between Sensoji
Temple and Kappabashi Dori, has several
restaurants and bars, including the clubby
Ice House,
the hotel's main bar, open
daily from 5:30pm. Another good place to
end a day of sightseeing is
Ichimon
(p. 258), 3-12-6 Asakusa, near the inter-
WALKING TOUR 2
HARAJUKU & AOYAMA
START:
Meiji Jingu Shrine (station: Harajuku)
FINISH:
Omotesando Station
TIME:
Allow approximately 4 hours, including stops along the way
BEST TIMES:
The first Sunday of every month, when there's an antiques flea market at Togo Shrine, and
every Sunday when teenagers dressed in
cosplay
(costume play) and other costumes hang
out near Meiji Jingu Shrine
WORST TIMES:
Monday (when the Ota Memorial Museum of Art is closed), Thursday (when the Oriental
Bazaar is closed), and from the 27th to the end of every month (when the Ota Memorial
Museum of Art is closed for exhibit changes)
Harajuku is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo, though I'm too old to really fit
in. In fact, anyone over 25 is apt to feel ancient; this is Tokyo's most popular hangout for
Japanese teenagers. The young come to see and be seen: Japanese punks, girls decked out
in fashions of the moment, and young couples looking their best. I like Harajuku for its
vibrancy, sidewalk cafes, street hawkers, and trendy clothing boutiques. It's also the home
of Tokyo's most important Shinto shrine, as well as a woodblock-print museum and an
excellent souvenir shop of traditional Japanese items.
Nearby is
Aoyama,
a yuppified version of Harajuku, where the upwardly mobile shop
and dine. Connecting Harajuku and Aoyama is
Omotesando Dori,
a wide, tree-lined
boulevard that forms the heart of this area and is popular for people-watching.
8
From Harajuku Station, take the south exit (the one
closer to Shibuya) and turn right over the bridge,
where you will immediately see the huge cypress
torii
marking the entrance to:
1
Meiji Jingu Shrine
Dedicated to Emperor and Empress Meiji,
Meiji Jingu Shrine opened in 1920 and
remains the most venerable shrine in
Tokyo. (See “The Top Attractions,” in
chapter 7, for more details.) The shrine is
surrounded by a dense forest of 365 differ-
ent species totaling 120,000 trees, donated
by people from all over Japan. If it's June,
stop off at the Iris Garden, located halfway
on the 10-minute tree-shaded path to the
shrine.
TAKE A BREAK
If the hike to Meiji Shrine has
made you thirsty, stop off at the
rustic
Café Mori no Terrace
outdoor
pavilion, just inside the entryway to the
shrine grounds. Open daily 9am to sunset,
it offers coffee, beer, pastries, and ice
cream. For something more substantial,
wait until you get to Takeshita Dori
(described below), where you'll find a
Wolfgang Puck Express
(p. 153), 1-17-1
Jingumae, good for burgers and pizza.