Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Yoyogi-kōen
ʑެԂ
• 24hr • Free • Yoyogi-kōen, Harajuku or Meiji-Jingū-mae stations
Tokyo's largest park,
Yoyogi-kōen
, is a favourite spot for joggers and bonneted groups
of kindergarten kids with their minders. Once an imperial army training ground, the
park was dubbed “Washington Heights” after World War II, when it housed US
military personnel. In 1964 the land was given over to the Olympic athletes' village,
after which it became Yoyogi-kōen. Two of the stadia, built for the Olympics, remain
the area's most famous architectural features. The boat-shaped steel suspension roof of
Tange Kenzō's
Yoyogi National Stadium
was a structural engineering marvel at the time.
The smaller stadium, like a giant swirling seashell, is used for basketball.
10
Harajuku
ݪ॓
Crammed with places to eat, drink and shop, the
Harajuku
area is bisected by
Omotesandō
(
දࢀಓ
), an elegant, ginkgo-tree-lined boulevard which leads from the
main entrance to Meiji-jingū to the cluster of contemporary designer boutiques on
the other side of Aoyama-dōri. On either side are dense networks of streets, packed
with funky little boutiques, restaurants and bars.
Takeshita-dōri
Լ௨Γ
The hungry mouth of the
Takeshita-dōri
(
Լ௨Γ
) shopping alley gobbles up teenage
fashion victims as they swarm out of the north exit of Harajuku Station, and spits them
out the other end on Meiji-dōri, minus their cash. Selling every kind of tat imaginable,
the shops here are hugely enjoyable to root around in and provide an intriguing
window on Japanese teen fashion.
At weekends, the crush of bodies on Takeshita-dori is akin to that on the Yamanote
line at rush hour. To escape, duck into nearby
Tōgō-jinja
(
౦ڷਆ
), a relatively peaceful
shrine dedicated to Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, who led the victorious Japanese fleet
against the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
Omotesandō Hills
4-12-10 Jingū-mae, Shibuya-ku • Meiji-Jingū-mae or Omotesandō stations
The Andō Tadao-designed
Omotesandō Hills
is a glitzy complex of upmarket designer
shops, restaurants and residences. At the southeastern corner Andō recreated part of the
Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments, as a homage to the much-loved housing block that
once stood on the site. In their later years, the crumbling apartments were occupied by
HARAJUKU STYLE
With its name immortalized in several Western songs, Harajuku is better known abroad for its
zany
youth culture
than it is for shopping, and with very good reason. Swing by the Harajuku
station area on a weekend and you'll see crowds of youngsters, mainly female, dressed up to
the nines in a series of bizarre costumes - the epicentre is Jingū-bashi, a small bridge heading
towards Meiji-Jingū shrine (see p.107) from Harajuku station.
Of the styles to look out for,
Cosplay
is probably the most familiar to outsiders: it involves
dressing up as an anime, manga or game character, with occasionally startling results. Also
easy to spot is
Gothic Lolita
, a mix of the gothic and the girlie; this itself is split into subgenres
including punk, black, white (as in the hues), and country style. There are plenty more,
including a whole host of smaller genres:
Visual Kei
adherents go for crazy make-up and
hairstyles;
Decora
is a bright, flamboyant style often featuring myriad toys, pieces of jewellery
and other accessories;
Kawaii
, which means “cute” in Japanese, usually involves clothing more
appropriate to children. More styles are born every year, of course.
