Meiji Shrine and Wooden Torii Gate
Meiji Shrine was built in 1920 and worships the emperor and empress of the Meiji era. Every year, it is the most popular choice for many shrine visitors to pay their New Year’s respects to. It is very popular with Japanese people and tourists alike.
The highlight of the shrine is the giant Wooden Torii Gate. Twelve meters tall and seventeen feet wide it is said to be the biggest of its kind in Japan. When you go through the gate you will immediately feel the peaceful atmosphere. The roughly 100,000 trees planted within the area are offerings from various regions around Japan.
Yoyogi Park
Yoyogi Park is located next to Meiji Shrine. With an area of 54.1 hectares, you can enjoy the natural beauty of all four seasons on the vast park grounds. Visitors can spend their time watching the flowers, having picnics, playing music and enjoying sports in the park.
The Yoyogi National Stadium, built in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics, is also in this area. If you like architecture, the hanging roof of the stadium, built without using pillars so that spectators could focus on the games, is something you should check out. Its smooth lines and silhouette are very artistic as well.
Takeshita Street
Takeshita Street is the representative shopping street of Harajuku. It has rows of affordably-priced shops selling fashion items, accessories and general goods. It is popular with Japanese people and international visitors alike.
Takeshita Street is particularly busy on holidays, with many people flooding the street. Some of the stores here include the famous 100-yen shop The Daiso, Calbee Plus, which sells freshly fried potato chips, and the boutique Takenoko, which sells peculiar fashion items such aslolita goods.
It is also famous for its various crepe shops and it is very popular to walk down Takeshita Street while eating a crepe. How about buying your favorite crepe and taking a picture of yourself with the Takeshita Street in the background?
The Kawaii Monster Cafe
The Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku is full of kawaii (cute) culture. It is a themed cafe with a fresh and interesting feeling to it. Stepping into Kawaii Monster Cafe means entering a vivid and crazy new world.
The food and drinks are extremely colorful, such as thispasta served on a paint palette and beverages full of strawberries, oranges, and other fruits. The cafe is just like Harajuku, it absorbs trends and creates a new culture with them. Kawaii Monster Cafe gives the area’s unique culture a visible form.
Moshi Moshi Box
The Moshi Moshi Box, with its cute clock art, is a tourist information center in Harajuku. In addition to providing sightseeing information, it has various other services, such as free Wi-Fi, phone charging and currency exchange. The second floor is the pop-themed Moshi Moshi Kimono Salon, where you can try on original style kimonos. How about getting pictures of yourself wearing a Harajuku style kimono as a keepsake of your trip?
Laforet
The fashion complex Laforet Harajuku symbolizes the area highly popular with teens and young adults. This building primarily houses brand name apparel and cosmetic stores but it also contains cafes and other general shops. There is an official Sailor Moon store with goods that are sure to delight fans located on the sub-basement floor.
Kiddy Land
Kiddy Land is the leading toy store in the Harajuku area. Here you will find Studio Ghibli character merchandise, as well as many goods featuring famous characters such as Doraemon, Hello Kitty and Snoopy. Kiddy Land is even sometimes visited by Hollywood stars who come to Japan. If you’re an anime fan, you should definitely stop by Kiddy Land.
Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku
Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku is a shopping complex across the street from Laforet Harajuku. If you go up the escalator at the entrance you will be surrounded by mirrors. This makes the building and especially the escalator a famous spot to take photos. Located on the roof is a place to relax known as the Toy Forest. This lush green garden is even seasonally decorated for occasions like Halloween and Christmas. A cooling mist sprays through the area on hot summer days.
Gomaya Kuki Ice Cream
Gomaya Kuki’s flagship item is its super-rich sesame ice cream, made with about 9,000 sesame seeds. While the ice cream is delicious on its own, variations like ice cream parfait topped with green tea pudding and sesame ice cream tempura are also items that shouldn't be missed. You can add sesame seed and sesame oil toppings for free, so why not customize the ice cream to your liking?
Omotesando Hills
Omotesando Hills, five minutes walk from Meiji Jingumae Station, is a shopping mall with a collection of Japanese brand boutiques. Within the facility, there are more than one hundred shops that handle unique and high-quality merchandise. The main building, with three sublevels and three floors above ground, has a central open air space with a unique design. It is surrounded by a spiraling slope. Feel free to come to Omotesando Hills to discover newest urban Japanese fashion.
The Cat Street
The Cat Street, a promenade that connects Harajuku to Shibuya, is a road lined with unique shops. It also offers comfortable cafes where you can take a break when you’re tired. The area around Cat Street is beloved as the hidden side of Harajuku for many years. Other than the main street with its rows of high fashion outlets, you can find many street brands and other unique shops around the Cat Street. Experience the fun of walking around the unknown side of Harajuku.