The place I'm gonna describe in this note, was on the very top of my list of things to see in Tokyo. Mecca for all the fashonistas, haven for photograpohers, ideal place for cloth shopping, eating and just having overal fun. Have you guessed already? YES! Today a bit wider about Harajuku, a part of Shibuya's area, famous for being colorful place of all types of alternative fasion lovers.
First things first- there are two ways to get there- by metro or JR. First takes you Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku station, oposite to Tokyu Plaza & very near to Vivienne Westwood salon, sticked to famous Laforet shopping center. There you can fnd many lolita related brands, such as Metamorphose, Angelic Pretty, Putumayo, Swimmer, h.Naoto and more.
(spotted this cute girl just under the entrance to Laforet)
Unfortunately no direct photos are allowed. These were taken between stairs, only area You can photograph.
Second one goes to Harajuku station, located oposite to Takeshita street.
When I was living in Hiratsuka, it was easier to take JR (still, 1,5 hour spent in train one way...). After moving to second hotel, I used metro (which is much cheaper cuz the distance is smaller- took 25 minutes to get to Harajuku station). By the way- not sure if I mentioned but at some point, with help of Tomo- I started using a PASMO card. It works as a concession card (like London's Oyster) and saves quite a lot of time. So highly recomended. Anyway, continuing with Harajuku topic. The whole area is usualy very crowded, but extremly on Sunday afternoon. This is the view on Takeshita street at that time.
Normaly it takes 10 minutes to go thru it, on Sunday You'll be very lucky when it will take ya less than hour. But it's worth the time. Just look!
There is also big branch of favourite lolita shop around- BODYLINE.
I saw it, I went inside hoping that maybe I will meet Mr.Yan, but it seems he was in Poland celebrating his b-day at that time (no joke, I am serious!). SUCH A SHAME! (now, for all of people who do not know why I am so ironic about it- Bodyline has some reputation. Few people like it, some hate it. I myself have few dresses from there and I like them but tbh design & quality of newer products is bad. It's like cheap cosplay that cost fortune, while for the same money you can get other respected brands clothes in Closet Child that is 50 meters from Bodyline's lair. Not as visible but deffinitely worth going.
On Takeshita you can find also Liz Lisa and it's sister brand Tralala.
Aaaaand other great shops/ secondhands worth checking out :)
Even a Korean Brand- Etude House.
And when you'll get hungry, there's this:
Angel crepes or Santa Monica are famous for, well, crepes with wild filling. I saw such things as Strawberry cheescake- chocolate cream- whiped cream- soda (!) crepes. I took just humble Matcha with brownie(green one). Warning- These are EXTREMLY SWEET.
So this is more or less how it looks like. Pictures are nothing compared to real place. Just go, visit, get thru Takeshita dori and experience all of this yourself. You will not regret it!
PS. If any of you, my readers, visited London's Camden Town area- Takeshita is slightly similiar. Atmospere is unique and you just want to go back there, over and over again.
