Harajuku: Tokyo’s Kawaii and Ometsando’s Modern Chic
December 4th, 2024The Kawaii district — with the latest youth fashion and food — makes you believe it may have come from space. The cuteness overload is enough for Professor X to create an army of Powerpuff Girls. If you want to know where Japan’s kawaii culture began, I say it started here.
From spaceship saucer-shaped cotton candy to rainbow grilled cheese, you think it is part of a Care Bears’ food group pyramid and the poop ice cream (do not worry, it is not real poop). It is a given why I see it as another planet to visit. Nevertheless, I can not forget it’s divergent twin: Omotesando. While Harajuku is about the cute scene, Omotesando has a chic-style scene and coffee shops. Both night and day of the two streets, Omotesando right on the line of Cat Street.
It is not the usual area I visit in Omotesando, but both Harajuku and Omotesando have what I enjoy the most: history, traditional culture, and food — especially the food. There are many places to visit and hidden spots (even if Omotesando is more on the luxury side). Still because I don’t want to dump you with so much information — see my extended guide with more details (Link coming soon); I will tell you my top favorite spots in both districts. Let’s begin!
Hot Point:
Best time to visit: It tends to get crowded, especially on the weekends. But it is less crowded in the morning and early afternoon during the week.
Transportation
2015 (September) – At Harajuku Station
For most people in Tokyo, taking the train is a better way to get around a crowded city. Depending on where you are coming from in Tokyo, you can get to Harajuku by taking the Yamanote Line. With the Yamanote Line loop in a circle, any train station within that train line will easily get you there.
You can also arrive at Omotesando subway train station and work your way up Takeshita Street. Omotesando — with its chic and high-end (expensive) fashion but with stunning architecture. Yet, both districts have a love for art based on the numerous galleries featuring local and international artists in both districts.
Hot Point:
The JR Rail Pass covers it, and there are day passes for the locals (or those on a visa). If your only stop is at Harajuku, you can easily use the Suica or PASMO card. It is way cheaper in the long run than the day pass.
Festivals in Harajuku
The biggest one is the Super Yosakoi Festival — or its long name, the Harajuku Omotesando Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi Festival (trying to say that super fast). It’s a two-day dance festival in late August with over 100 teams from all over Japan, including from abroad, who come to compete.
Tokyo Rainbow Pride is another big festival that lasts about a week, from the end of April through the beginning of May. Around this time of year, the Golden Week holiday starts, and Harajuku gets extra crowded. The parade itself goes through Shibuya, Shinjuku, the main road of Harajuku. Check the website for the dates; they tend to change every year.
2016 (May) – Tokyo Pride Pride during my study abroad
Shrines & Temples
2018 (May 22nd) – Togo Shrine. First days of arriving in Japan for the next 4 years of teaching English.
Meiji Shrine: The famous shrine of Harajuku, most known in Tokyo, was built in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken for their work during the Meiji Restoration period and for opening Japan to the world.
Located right next to the train station, it doesn’t feel like you are in the city when you pass by the torii gates because the small, beautiful forest surrounding the shrine evaporates the noise pollution. With how stunning it is, especially in the spring, you might see a wedding when you visit.
2016 (March 06) – Meiji Shrine Stamp – Study abroad year.
Togo Shrine: Though the city has grown since 1939, the shrine of victory holds strong against the age of time. Surrounded by all the cute shops and dessert stands, you may be surprised to find this hidden gem in the middle of Takeshita Street. I did several times, not realizing it was behind the Marion Crepe Store (which this shrine also helps to get away from the crowds).
When I stepped into the shrine, I was surprised to see a large shrine with a koi pond and garden hidden in the middle of clustered modern architecture buildings. Though smaller and less renowned than the Meiji Shrine, it still has charming and quaint qualities.
November Special Stamp Month
Main Stamp
Onden Shrine: When I first see the name, I think of the Japanese food Oden (and it sounds almost the same), and no, it’s not the shrine for Oden either (but there is a ramen shrine in Kitakata). No one knows when the shrine of beauty and matchmaking was built, but the earliest record dates back to the Edo Period. The smallest of the three shrines mentioned above (and oldest), you may believe you are walking by someone’s house from its appearance. Just like Togo Shrine, you might pass by without even knowing. Of the three shrines, Onden Shrine has the best unique Goshuin shrine stamps (which I favor the most).
(left side:) September Full Moon Special Stamp (Right side:) Main shrine stamp.
Hot Point:
Many Shinto shrines and Buddhist Temples in Japan (like the Togo Shrine and Onden Shrine) have special Goshuin stamps only available for a specific month or event. So when you visit a shrine or temple, check to see the Goshuin stamp of the month.
Get Your Munch On
Afuri Ramen – Yuzu Ratan Ramen
Afuri: Not far from Harajuku station and known to the locals, making the restaurant a popular spot, especially among those with gluten allergies and vegans (with another located by Omotesando Station). The recommended dish is the Yuzu Ratan Ramen with noodles made from yam root (known as Konnyaku men). See that you have cash since they do not accept credit cards.
Sweet XO Good Grief (Harajuku): Get your teeth rotten, and your sugar levels go supersonic with this store’s large menu of strange desserts. Their most popular dessert is the poop-shaped ice cream served in a toilet cone and their ice cream bowl with popcorn and marshmallows. I don’t know why; I guess it’s Japan’s weird quirk to sell poop merchandise in Harajuku (or other parts of Japan). You can buy the famous rainbow cotton candy alien spaceship, or the banana ice cream swirl served on a banana peel.
The poop ice cream, not sure why it needs a face with bunny ears
Rag & bone: This is the hotspot most locals visit for their coffee and the coffee art. They also provide soy and oat milk as an alternative and serve an acai “bowl” (in a cup) with soy cheese. The most popular drink is the almond milk latte — it’s recommended to pair it with a chai cake. Their coffee is the most popular, but I like that they have a big food menu and substitution options (they have oat milk) — which I rarely see in Japan.
Hot Point:
At the rag & bone, if you are after their Acai Bowl, come before 11 AM — they run out before 12 PM.
Museums
Nezu Museum garden
Galaxy & Team Lab: The least you expect when going to a phone store is a museum in the store. If you want to go to TeamLab but only have a short time in Tokyo, this place is perfect for you to come. Best part, it is free. However, it gets busy during the day, but there are more exhibitions (such as One Piece and Sanrio) to check out on different floors, especially one to create a phone keychain.
Design Festa Gallery: If you want to see the local artists of Harajuku, you need to see this gallery. There are dozens of rooms rented to artists to hold their exhibitions and meet with the locals, especially some are held outside of the building. You can also enjoy looking at the art while eating at their cafe bar and okonomiyaki restaurant. FYI, it is free to enter.
Nezu Museum: Need a break from the crowd? Take a break here by traveling through paintings of ancient Japan and walking in the garden to the tea house. It’s a great place to take pictures with a fresh cup of tea. The garden is my favorite because of the zen layout and architecture (especially how quiet it is), and looks beautiful any time of the year. It is ¥1,600, but it also includes the entrance to the garden.
Shopping
It is much bigger and there is a whole section of kimonos
Kinji Used Clothing Harajuku: High-end brands at low, low prices. That sounded like a car commercial right there. Several steps outside Meiji Dori-Omotesando Subway Station, you will find one of the largest used clothing stores with the best vintage clothes. The best part about Kinji is their huge selection of sizes for me as an American (and my big Mexican thighs).
Hot Point:
If you want to buy a kimono, get it from a used clothing store; you can buy it at almost any size and accessories there for half the price. Many people in Japan get rid of their kimono after festivals. Kinji in Harajuku doesn’t have a selection; try Chicago which is nearby (and three are in the area).
Tokyu Plaza Harajuku (Harakado): Across the street from the Omotesando Tokyu Plaza. Yes, they both look almost the same with the 3-D glass design and rooftop forest. Don’t worry. It will be easy to tell the difference between the two because the Harajuku Tokyu Plaza doesn’t have escalators right outside the entrance. This one is a bit more popular, especially now with their new onsen on the basement floor. Each floor displays a fair amount of art, with one dedicated solely to vintage magazines. My favorite is the forest garden (though I admit it is bigger than the other one across the street) and the view of Harajuku and Shibuya is better to see at night.
Kiddyland: The shopping store for the nerd merchandise that is a heaven you don’t want to leave. Six floors selling various anime collectibles, Ghibli items (perfect if you couldn’t go to the museum — very hard to get a ticket), Disney (recommended to go here; the Disney store in Shibuya is very limited), and including Pokémon and Sailor Moon. It’s the perfect store to hit up if you don’t have much time in Tokyo.
Before I wrap up this post, I want to leave you with one final places to go. Wherever you go after a long day of walking around, whether from going store to store and shop, visiting a One Piece gallery in a light show, or finding the latest craziest sugar-coated food, you’ll be exhausted. What better way to end the day than by visiting an onsen.
Minami Aoyama Shimizuyu, located 3 minutes from the Omotesando Station, has been around since the Meiji era. From the outside, it looks like a normal apartment building, even when you walk in does not look like a bath house like you see in anime. It is not until you pass the curtains to change that you see it. For the price of ¥480, you can use several different kinds of hot springs and a mineral bath to treat the skin. That is a steal, plus for a little extra, there is a sauna that uses hot rocks to heat up the room. It may not look like a typical bath house like in Spirited Away, but it is more the modern style and simplicity that has its charm.
The rock sauna
Conclusion
Harajuku and Omotesando has so much more for such a small district, and what’s more, it’s always changing with the latest fashion or . But its main traditions and culture art will always be there. These were the places that I favored the most; there were a lot more places to see and food to try that I hadn’t mentioned. And you check out the bigger list by checking out my more detailed guide on Thatch. Please feel free to leave a comment or any questions down below. Watch out for my next guide.