It is all so very kawaii the minute you get off the metro at Harajuku Station in Tokyo. This quirky part of town is home to all things cute and pink. Harajuku is most famous for its unique fashion and Lolita-dressed locals, but there is so much more to experience in this exciting part of the city! I did my best to explore the best things in Harajuku to share with you!

Guide to Harajuku

Where to Dine in Harajuku

Two Rooms Bar & Grill

Tokyo’s skyline is one of those that make you feel rather tiny. The city is filled with observation decks and skyscrapers where you can admire the sight, but my personal favourite is simply getting up to the terrace of Two Rooms Bar & Grill and admire the view with a margarita in my hands. The bar is only on the 5th floor, but trust me on this one.

5F AO Building
3-11-7 Kita-Aoyama,
Minato-ku
Tel. +81 3-3498-0002
Opening hours: 11:00-02:00 (Closes earlier on Sundays, see more details on their website)

Angels Hearts

Harajuku’s Takeshita Dori (or Takeshita Street) is known for its delicious crepes, which are sold at least in four different little stores along the 400 meter long street. The fillings are incredibly out of control. I tried one with strawberries, cheesecake, ice-cream and cream. But don’t get confused here, right next to it is Marion Crepes and their creations may look lustier, but Angels Hearts will treat your taste buds better.

Angels Hearts is located halfway Takeshita Street and is open around 11:00-20:00 most days!

Snacks in Harajuku

Reissue

There’s nothing better than a good cappuccino with 3D pandas made of milk. Right? Reissue is specialised in 3D latte art! I know it can be hard to sip down such beautiful creations, but the tasty experience is worth it.

2F Tanji Building
3-25-7 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku
Tel. +81 3-5785-3144
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00

Ra.agf

If the above café isn’t cute enough for you, Ra.agf offers you bunnies bouncing around! You can enjoy your latte while feeding carrots to the furry friends around.

3F Maison Harajuku 
6-14-15-201 Jingumae, 
Shibuya-ku
Opening hours: 12:00-19:30 (see more on the website)

Where to Shop in Harajuku

Takeshita Dori

Takeshita Dori, or Street, as already mentioned a few times in this post – is the heart and soul of Harajuku both for locals and tourists like myself. This street is filled with kawaii shops and snack places. There is nothing that isn’t cute over here.

Takeshita Dori is easily reached just on the other side of Harajuku metro station! Most stores are open between 11:00-20:00

Omotesando Hills

Omotesando is in general an area with a lot of global brands for us shopaholics, but to really get your credit cards grooving – head to Omotesando Hills. It’s a shopping complex of over 100 stores and some yummylicious restaurants.

4-12-10 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku
Tel. +81 3-3497-0310
Opening hours: 11:00-22:00

Kitty Land

Kitty Land is what we all thought of heaven as kids. It’s a massive department store of nothing but toys of different kind. There are complete floors dedicated to characters like Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma – I mean, there is a Rilakkuma World inside Kitty Land! The second I entered the shop, I felt like a little kid again, but this time with a credit card. Trust me when I tell you this, I did not leave the store empty handed.

6-1-9 Jingu-mae,
Shibuya-ku
Tel. +81 3-3409-3431
Opening hours: 11:00-21:00

Daiso

Daiso is the shopping option for travellers on a budget! Daiso is a large franchise of 100-yen shops around Japan. This is the store to get your souvenir chopsticks from without those added touristy prices. I also just noticed that they have an online store, so excuse me while I take a break from this post to purchase things I had no idea I needed.

1-19-24 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku
Tel. +81 3-5775-9641
Opening hours: 10:00-21:00

What to Experience in Harajuku

Go Lolita spotting on a Sunday

Lolitas are those girls and boys dressed fancy in a funky way, who can be spotted spending all of their free time around Harajuku. Sunday is your best bet!

Head to Takeshita Dori or Yogogi Park, right next to Harajuku metro station.

Purikura with friends

Purikuras are those Japanese photo boots, which make you look divinely fabulous and airbrushed. Also make sure to add all things kawaii to your photo – this is the best souvenir for yourself from Tokyo!

You will find a purikura from Takeshita Dori!

Relax at Yogogi Park

Tokyo is not really the city for green open spaces, so Yogogi has become popular among both locals and visitors. It’s a great place to go enjoy a picnic or to just walk around people-watching. There are often performers, especially on weekends. And make sure to snack on some street food!

Yogogi Park is just a few meters behind on your right from Harajuku metro station.

Visit Meiji Jingu shrine

Talking about green open spaces, right on the way to Yogogi Park, you can find Meiji Jingu shrine. This is the perfect getaway from all the hustle and bustle that is Tokyo.

Meiji shrine is right next to Yogogi park.

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