Harajuku was once Tokyo’s premier counter culture neighbourhood: the place where the latest styles and subcultures originated. Today, parts of the area devolved into a spectacle mostly enjoyed by tourists, but away from the main draws, the original rebellious spirit persists.
Akihabara has by far the most maid cafes, but the beating heart of Japan’s Kawaii culture will always be Harajuku. This is a peculiar neighbourhood in the north of Shibuya, where just about everyone seems to spend their days trying to look as cute or cool as possible. The clothing stores seem only to cater for either carnival or the latest Tim Burton movie; the street food literally comes in every colour of the rainbow and it’s probably the best place in all of Tokyo to spot people in full cosplay. Exit Harajuku Station on a random weekend and you’ll immediately find yourself in a madhouse of motley hipsters and Lolitas. For decades, this was one of Japan’s main counterculture neighbourhoods: a safe haven for those who felt different. The latest fashion was sold here, and young people could stand out and be themselves. In recent years however, Harajuku became so popular there are now more tourists than locals walking about – especially in the incredibly busy and now quite tourist trappy Takeshita Dori. Take your time to explore the backstreets however, and you’ll see the original atmosphere linger in plenty of places.
Discover Harajuku: the ultimate travel guide to Tokyo’s most kawaii district
Originally, Harajuku was mainly used to station American soldiers. When they gradually moved back home in the fifties, the vacant space was taken over by Japanese youngsters. The first real subculture to gain a foothold in Harajuku still had an American touch. For a long time the streets were full of Rockabilly boys with motorcycle jackets, tight leather pants and greasy pompadours that would make even Elvis go “whoa mama”. Over the years, plenty of styles came and went, and some are still around. Being an extremely hip hombre myself – I own more than one shirt thank you very much – I’ll give you an overview of the most important ones. This way you can tick them all off in a booklet like a bird spotter.
“A myriad of styles and subcultures came and went in Harajuku throughout the years, and some of them are still around. I’ll give you a short overview of the main ones, so you can tick them all off in your little bird spotting booklet.”
Kawaii Fashion: cute dolled-up girls dressed in pastel colours with bows and little hearts. Lolita Fashion: Victorian-inspired style with wide skirts and lots of lace (there are Sweet Lolitas and Gothic Lolitas by the way). Gyaru: style that’s been around for decades, typified by orange Trump bronzer, extreme make-up and huge perms. Think of the worst looks from the eighties. Yami Kawaii: kawaii but emo – band-aids, syringes and broken black hearts. Punk & Gothic: similar to our own versions but better ‘cause Japanese. Streetwear/Ura-Harajuku: modern style combining expensive fashion brands with vintage clothes – sneakers, oversized hoodies and eye-catching sunglasses. Finally, Mori-Kei is a style that can only be described as hippie forest nymphs wearing self-knitted accessories. Those who’ve ticked them all off can go for a loud internal bingo and then move on to the order of the day by visiting these nine sights.
1. Yoyogi park: visit Harajuku’s true heart
In travel guides of all kinds, Takeshita Street is often described as the epicentre of everything that makes Harajuku unique, but due to the enormous overtourism this is no longer the case (in my opinion). If you actually want to some spend time among the locals, just take a walk through nearby Yoyogi Park instead. This is perhaps my favourite park in Tokyo, mainly because of the wide range of people and styles you’ll see here – especially on weekends. Families with children, international students playing music, public dance sessions, cosplay girls taking their insta-pictures: they’re all here. In November, the whole park turns a beautiful red and yellow, and from March you can walk under the cherry blossoms. There’s a rose garden and a central pond, and in the south part (over the footbridge) is an event square with a public stage. There’s something going on there almost every weekend, from events and performances to farmers markets.
2. The Strangers: Rockabilly in Yoyogi Park
When you visit Yoyogi Park, you should ideally do so on a Sunday afternoon around one o’clock. Not only will there be a ton of colourful people to meet, you can also witness Harajuku’s most unique spectacle by far: the weekly performance of The Strangers. This is a group of Rockabillies who’ve been dancing under the clock tower near the park entrance every Sunday for over thirty-five years – even in the pouring rain if they have to. Their style is fantastic, their pompadours impeccable and their moves as smooth as a baby’s bottom. The group is a mix of different ages, but quite a few of the original members are at least in their sixties. They still go all out every Sunday though, dancing for hours on classic songs from the fifties and sixties, and fraternizing with the audience afterwards. When you have passion driving you, sore muscles are no longer an issue. Wonderful group of people and a must for every visit to Tokyo.
3. Meiji Shrine: people watching on hallowed ground
West of Yoyogi Park – it’s actually one continuous urban forest – lies Meiji Shrine. This is the second most visited religious site in Tokyo after Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. Meiji is a Shinto shrine (Japan’s original religion before Buddhism found its way to the island) and was built in the early 20th century in honour of Emperor Meiji and his wife. You enter the compound through a long forested footpath and under a huge wooden torii gate. This setting should make for a peaceful experience, were it not for the fact that Meiji Shrine is so overcrowded (especially on weekends) you’ll never have a spot to yourself. Any zen moments or personal enlightenment will most likely be off the table, so what you should do instead is focus on the people around you. Meiji Shrine is one of the most popular places in Tokyo for photo shoots. You’ll likely see several traditionally dressed couples doing their wedding shoot, as well as little kids in colourful kimonos forced to pose for the Japanese equivalent of their communion photos. If you’re looking for a quieter spot, visit Meiji Jingu Inner Garden outside the temple complex. You’ll have to pay a small entrance fee, but there will be far fewer other people.
4. Takeshita Dori: wade through the crowds at a kawaii circus
Takeshita Dori is Harajuku’s most famous street, and by far its busiest as well. Everything that once made the area cool and unique is taken to the extreme here, turning the entire street into a cacophony of rainbow colours. On weekends, literal pedestrian traffic jams form here, and it’s the only place in Tokyo – outside of a few of the raunchier nightlife areas – where you’ll actually be bothered by touts looking to rip you off. There are even security guards warning you with English signs walking about. The shops on Takeshita Dori are bursting with kawaii stuff, and you can buy rainbow cotton candy, rainbow cheese sandwiches and even pitch-black ice cream here (even emo-goths carrying the world’s misery on their shoulders want the occasional refreshing snack sometimes). There are plenty of gachapon and claw machine arcades to enjoy as well; you can rent your own cosplay costume and if you’re a fan of light animal cruelty you can visit a hedgehog, owl or even otter café. Be sure to take a look and enjoy the craziness for a moment, and then go do something else in a less hectic place.
5. Take ridiculous selfies in a purikura booth
Looking for a truly unique souvenir? Look no further and walk into one of the purikura halls on Takeshita Dori. Purikura are Japanese photo booths where you can take selfies with your friends and later edit them with all kinds of filters, stickers and digital make-up – yes, it’s actually a thing here. Afterwards you can print them out and take them home as stickers. Each booth has a different theme. Some give you huge manga eyes, others make your skin completely flawless. Once the photos have been taken and approved, you can start adding the effects and texts via a menu. Unfortunately this was only available in Japanese in my booth, which meant I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. This resulted in a pretty mediocre bunch of stickers, but hey: a souvenir is a souvenir
6. Cat Street and beyond: Harajuku’s cool little backstreets
The most rewarding streets in Harajuku are not the main boulevards, but the network of alleys connecting them. This area is called Ura-Harajuku or Urahara. Things are usually way quieter here, and you’ll find plenty of second-hand shops, coffee bars, little galleries and trendy barbers. Cat Street is the most famous of the bunch, and it effortlessly reflects the district’s original spirit without drowning you in a sea of people. This is a street for bohemians, with a pleasant mix of high-end fashion boutiques, vintage shops and streetwear stores. You can try some Harajuku classics here as well. Harajuku Crepes for example: pancakes rolled into a cone filled with fruit, chocolate or other sweets. Angels Heart and Marion Crêpes are two well-known places that have been competing since the seventies, and are located right across the street from each other. I can’t confirm whether or not there are angry looks going back and forth on a daily basis.
7. Enjoy a street performance
Also everywhere in Harajuku – especially on a sunny weekend day – are a whole range of street musicians. There were kids performing on stage in Yoyogi Park, near Cat Street I passed several very capable jazz and blues ensembles, and near the train station a rock band was pumping out drum and guitar solos to a gathered crowd of a couple of hundred people. A sixty-year old man in a Dick Tracy raincoat carrying a Hello Kitty bag was dancing like a madman throughout their show. I have no idea whether he belonged to the band or just happened to walk by and wasn’t able to contain himself.
8. Tokyu Plaza: a psychedelic escalator and a rooftop jungle
The two main boulevards in Harajuku (Meiji Dori and Ometesando Dori) intersect with each other at the Jingumae intersection. Every crossing feels like being part of an emigrating ant colony, and this is mainly because there was a huge and popular mall built on every corner of it. Laforet is an iconic department store known for its range of streetwear and underground brands. On the other corners are two Tokyu Plaza buildings. The glass complex with the palm grove on the rooftop (which you can freely visit by the way) is Tokyu Plaza Harakado. Here you’ll find a public bath, a relaxation floor and a sex toy shop called Tenga Land (which immediately gives you something to do on the cozy cozy chill floor). Across the street is Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Omokado, which you can only enter on an escalator running through a psychedelic hall of mirrors: ideal for Instagram shots.
9. Do your business on a transparent public toilet
Pee-shy people should skip this entry altogether, but for everybody else I have one more unique Harajuku experience on offer. On a little football field next to Yoyogi park, you’ll find a colourful public toilet block, completely translucent at first sight. This makes it quite socially unacceptable to use – especially when there’s a bunch of kids on the field. But when you actually step in and lock the door, you’ll immediately notice the glass walls are suddenly no longer transparent. This is because turning the lock unleashes a current that makes the glass opaque. This means only modern technology is keeping you from committing public indecency. Unfortunately the system had apparently broken down when I visited, which caused the glass to remain in the same state whether you turned the lock or not. Luckily for everyone in urgent need, it was stuck in the non-transparent state.
General travel tips for Tokyo: hotels, tours and public transport
**Disclaimer: This section contains a number of (useful) affiliate links. This means that if you book a hotel or tour through a referral on this page, I’ll receive a small compensation for it, so I can put food on the table without having to start an Onlyfans account. It won’t cost you even an extra cent, so why hesitate? Thank you in advance!**
Where you stay in Tokyo doesn’t really matter that much and depends on your budget and interests. Make sure you’re close to a metro station though. It’ll save you plenty of time every day and apart from the occasional bus, you don’t need to use any other means of transport. I found all my hotels in Japan on Booking.com.
You can book a lot of interesting activities, guided tours and food experiences in Tokyo. For a complete overview, take a look at GetYourGuide.
Buy a local eSIM card before you get to Japan, you’ll need it. I’ve been using Airalo for years. This is an app that lets you buy data in almost every country on the planet. It just takes a couple of clicks. Install the sim at home and activate it after landing: that’s it. You really need mobile data in Japan, so you can use Google Maps to navigate through the subway system in real time. Google will tell you which train to take when, which carriage is best for your transfer and which exit you need to use to get to your destination fastest. Without online help you’re almost guaranteed to get lost.
You’ll need a Suica Card to use public transport smoothly. The Welcome Suica Card is specifically catered to tourists and can be ordered online. You can top up the card with cash in any station, and it works in other Japanese cities as well. The Suica Card also serves as an electronic wallet. The Japanese economy is surprisingly cash-focused, so if you don’t pay with your Suica Card, you’ll be carrying around a whole pouch of nearly unusable coins after a couple of days.
If you plan to visit a lot of different cities with the Shinkansen bullet train, it’s best to buy a Japan Rail Pass (book it here directly). You’ll have to do this from home and long before your departure, because they’ll actually send you the pass by mail and you can’t buy one in Japan. If you’re only visiting three or four cities like I did, it might be better to buy separate tickets on the spot – you’ll have to do the math to see which option is preferable. JR-passes can be booked here. Don’t want to bother with all of this and looking for a tailor-made trip (either individually or in a group) instead? Check out Japan Experience: they offer plenty of wonderful itineraries throughout the entire country.
7-Eleven and Lawson are every budget traveller’s friend. These convenience stores (“konbini” in Japanese) are on almost every street corner and many of them are open 24/7. Unlike in the rest of the world, they actually offer decent microwave meals (they’ll warm them up for you for free), delicious pastries and deserts and lots of adventurous stuff I was too afraid to try. Supermarkets are cheaper still, but they’re closed at night. 7-Elevens always have an ATM in store, accepting all foreign cards. You’ll want to use these, because plenty of other places won’t be as compliant.
EU citizens do not need a visa to enter Japan for trips up to ninety days. You could basically leave tomorrow should you want to. The yen is historically low these days, so now is the time.
Ready for more Tokyo? Read my articles on Akihabara, Ginza, Asakusa, Ueno and Marunouchi next.
Looking for another Asian Trip? Read my blog posts on Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Hanoi. Would you rather go to Texas? Read my posts on Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.
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