Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
210
After visiting the shrine, retrace your
steps back to Harajuku Station. If it's Sun-
day, you'll see groups of teenage Japa-
nese—many of them bizarrely dressed—
gathered on the bridge over the train
tracks and at the nearby entrance to
Yoyogi Park. They're all that's left of the
masses of teenagers that used to congre-
gate on nearby Yoyogi Dori back when it
was closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays.
Sadly, authorities decided to open Yoyogi
and Omotesando Dori streets to traffic,
thereby putting an end to Tokyo's most
happening Sunday scene.
At Harajuku Station, continue walking north beside
the station to its north exit. Across the street from
Harajuku Station's north exit is:
2
Takeshita Dori
This narrow pedestrian-only street is lined
with stores that cater to teenagers. It's usu-
ally jam-packed—especially on Sunday
afternoons—with young people hunting
for bargains on inexpensive clothes, music,
sunglasses, jewelry, watches, cosmetics,
photos of the latest idols, and more. One
shop worth pointing out is
Harajuku
Daiso
(
&
03/5775-9641;
daily 10am-
9pm), on the left, one of many bargain
variety stores to hit Japan after the reces-
sion. It offers four floors of kitchenware,
tableware, cosmetics, office supplies, and
more, with most items priced at ¥100.
After inching your way along this narrow lane with
its flow of humanity, you will eventually find yourself
on a busy thoroughfare, Meiji Dori. If it's the first
Sunday of the month, turn left (north) onto Meiji
Dori, where in a couple of minutes, on your left,
you'll see the entrance to:
3
Togo Shrine
Dedicated to Admiral Heihachiro Togo,
who was in charge of the fleet that defeated
the Russian navy in 1905 in the Russo-
Japanese War, the shrine is now most
popular for its flea market held the first
Sunday of every month to 2pm. Every-
thing from old chests, dolls, porcelain, and
kimono are for sale, spread out on a tree-
shaded sidewalk that meanders around the
shrine.
Head back south on Meiji Dori where, to your right,
just before the big intersection, is:
4
La Forêt
This building, housing trendy shoe and
clothing boutiques, is the ultimate in
Tokyo teen cool. The less expensive bou-
tiques tend to be on the lower floors, more
exclusive boutiques higher up. (See chap-
ter 9 for details on the shops and depart-
ment stores listed here.)
Across the street on Meiji Dori is the YM Square build-
ing, where on the third and fourth floors is:
5
Hanjiro
This shop (
&
03/3796-7303
) is packed
to the rafters with secondhand American
clothing and its own original designs.
Young Japanese love this store, and even
my teenage son found things he just had
to buy. Somebody is making a fortune
here.
Behind La Forêt is one of my favorite museums, the:
6
Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial
Museum of Art
Located at 1-10-10 Jingumae, this
museum features the private
ukiyo-e
(woodblock prints) collection of the late
Ota Seizo. Exhibitions of the museum's
12,000 prints change monthly and are
always worth checking out. (See “More
Museums,” in chapter 7, for details.)
Across Omotesando Dori is:
7
Chicago
Specializing in used American clothing,
Chicago also stocks used and new kimono,
obi, and
yukata
in a far back corner of its
basement.
Near La Forêt is Harajuku's major intersection, Meiji
Dori and Omotesando Dori. Here, at the intersection
at 6-30-1 Jingumae, is one of Harajuku's more
unusual shops, appropriately called:
8
Condomania
Condoms are for sale here in a wide range
of sizes, colors, and styles, from glow-in-
the-dark to scented. It's open daily 11am
to 11pm.
Heading east on Omotesando Dori (away from Hara-
juku Station), you'll soon see, to your right:
8
