Tokyo, Japan 2014: Harajuku’s Takeshita Dori

Young and trendy, as only the Japanese can. That’s probably how I would describe the entertainment and shopping district of Harajuku, and that is best embodied in its famous street, Takeshita Dori (or Takeshita Street). Since I passed through here the other day while on my way to Meiji Shrine, I knew it’s something I wanted to check out.

It was a weekday, and it was still drizzling, so I knew seeing cosplayers and “extreme fashion” among the other people in the street is already unlikely. Still, browsing through the stores from one end of the street to the other was already quite an experience in itself.

Harajuku is known as Japan’s “kawaii” (lit. cute) capital. And it shows. General consensus would say that it is geared more towards the young and teens. Still, there is something for everyone. In fact, I found myself buying stuff here; something that I wasn’t convinced to do in Shibuya 109.

I only had around 3 to 4 hours to go around the area (right after my jaunt to Lake Kawaguchi), so I decided to focus on Takeshita Dori, which is basically the shopping street in Harajuku. The whole stretch of street is lined with shops, boutiques, restos, cafes, and everything in between.

takeshita dori harajuku 17 takeshita dori harajuku 01To get there, take the Yamanote Line and get off at the Harajuku Station, which is located between Shibuya and Shinjuku. Take the Takeshita Exit and, right across the street, is Takeshita Dori.

I arrived there at 2:30pm. I left at 5:45.
I arrived there at 2:30pm. I left at 5:45.

takeshita dori harajuku 03takeshita dori harajuku 04It’s mostly dominated by Japanese brands, especially the boutiques and novelty shops. The food places, however, are not. Spot the McDonald’s logo.

It was a feast for the senses. Definitely a shopping haven, but geared more towards those looking for that kawaii factor. I do not see OLs (office ladies, as they call them in Japan) getting their work attires here.

takeshita dori harajuku 06They have everything, from cute to gyaru to goth fashion. There was even a store that sells lingerie. Offbeat lingerie. And there was the Takenoko store, which sells costumes ranging from Captain Jack Sparrow costumes to dominatrix attires (complete with whips).

takeshita dori harajuku 07There’s DAISO Harajuku, one of the largest 100-yen shops in Tokyo. I didn’t go in, though. 🙂 Come to think of it, I only entered a 100-yen shop when I was in Nagoya during the last couple of days of my trip. I regret not having entered it sooner to discover its “wonders”.

takeshita dori harajuku 05And crepes!!!! Crepes everywhere! There were a lot of crepe places in the area, but the one I saw that people were queuing for is Marion Crepes. I’ll make a separate post for it later.

Marion Crepes
Marion Crepes
Marion Crepes
Marion Crepes
Angel's Heart Crepes, directly facing Marion Crepes. Note the "loneliness".
Angel’s Heart Crepes, directly facing Marion Crepes. Note the “loneliness”.
Ignore the BURLESQUE bit, I was aiming for the Santa Monica Crepes.
Ignore the BURLESQUE bit, I was aiming for the Santa Monica Crepes.
Santa Monica Crepes
Santa Monica Crepes

Oh wait, I take it back. There are a few places where office ladies might go to for their work attire.

takeshita dori harajuku 14I spotted this store when I veered on a side street. It’s a Vivienne Westwood shop, selling pre-loved, well, Vivienne Westwood clothes, shoes and bags. I went in, hoping to see if they have those Melissa shoes. They do, but none are in my size.

And even if there were, I still would not have bought it. Even at more than 50% off, I still found them pricey. They were pre-loved (secondhand, we call them), but still in good condition. Some of the clothes I saw even had some tags on.

Another thing that I saw?

Fangirl traps.

And by that, I mean places like these:

takeshita dori harajuku 10There were a number of “idol” shops in the area, presumably selling Johnny’s goods (and some AKB48 for the many males who also frequent the area). I did not go inside any of them, though. It’s not that I don’t trust myself and my self-control, because I know I can prevent myself from spending on those (I think I outgrew it. Spending on these goods, I mean), but I still did not want to take the risk.

So I just took photos of the store fronts, haha!

Oh, and I also stumbled on Gorakudoh.

takeshita dori harajuku 15I suppose this is the Harajuku branch. Gorakudoh is a local ticket seller, I think. If you’re in the Philippines, think Ticketnet or Ticketworld.

I went in to see how much concert tickets for Arashi’s The Digitalian cost.

And there it is.

These are tickets for the Nagoya concert on December 7, 2014 at the Nagoya Dome. You can’t see it in the pic, but the ticket price printed on the ticket itself is 9,000 yen. That is the ticket for fan club members who won in the lottery to buy con tickets. Those who weren’t able to win have to buy their tickets elsewhere, and Gorakudoh is one possibility.

Unfortunately, they will pay more than the 9,000 yen ticket price. In this case, the one on top costs 60,000 yen each, and the one below it 65,000 yen.

takeshita dori harajuku 16Yep. It’s a crazy world.

Takeshita Dori is a glimpse into another side of the multi-faceted Japanese culture. It’s fascinating, and some may even make you go, “WTF!?”. But hey, you’re in Harajuku; going “WTF?!” is a given. (Wait until you get to Akihabara. Heh.)

takeshita dori harajuku 18

One day more and 2014 will roll over into 2015. How’re you feeling so far?

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