10 Best Things To Do In Harajuku (Tokyo) For First Time Tourists

This is a list of ten best things to do in Harajuku (Tokyo) for first time tourists! This vibrant district around Harajuku Station is well-known for being the hub of Japan’s teenage subculture and street fashion.

However, Harajuku is not just for teenagers. It is also home to an upscale shopping street and several famous cultural sites.

And of course, we found plenty of delicious food here, such as adorable animal-shaped gelatos, tasty Japanese crepes, fluffy souffle pancakes, and many more.

On the whole, Harajuku exudes a lively quirky charm and you’d be remiss to visit Tokyo without checking out this eclectic neighbourhood.

1. Takeshita Street

The centre of Harajuku’s teenage culture is Takeshita Street (also known as Takeshita Dori), a vibrant 400-metre long thoroughfare lined with a tidy sprawl of trendy fashion boutiques, mini shopping malls, cosmetic shops, and wonderful eateries.

I saw many shops selling Lolita fashion clothes, secondhand clothing, and trendy streetwear. There is a three-storey Daiso outlet here too.

However, my favourite activity was checking out all the delicious food! Takeshita Street is most famous for its Japanese crepes, which explained the many crepes stores I saw along this short street.

I bought a strawberry chocolate crepe from Marion Crepes, which was sweet and delicious. Other than crepes, the street also sells giant cotton candies, crispy cream puffs, super adorable ice creams, and many other tantalising snacks.

I visited Takeshita Street on a Sunday afternoon and it was crazily crowded! Therefore, I strongly recommend going on a weekday instead.

Takeshita Street is a short walk from Harajuku Station.

2. Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine is a famous Japanese shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. It is located in a forest next to the beautiful Yoyogi Park.

The wife and I took some pictures at the shrine’s torii (traditional Japanese gate) before walking along the stone pavement towards the shrine complex. It was a very tranquil path surrounded by lush greenery.

Along the way, we saw large colourful barrels of sakes stacked up in towering rows. There was also some sort of flower festival going on.

After reaching the shrine, we wandered around the peaceful compound for a bit. To our delight, a traditional Japanese wedding took place while we were there! It felt surreal to witness this Shinto wedding which was solemn, serene and beautiful at the same time.

The Meiji Shrine gate is a short walk from Harajuku Station.

3. Tokyu Plaza

Delicious pancakes from Bills Omotesando

Starbucks Omotesando

Tokyu Plaza is a seven-storey modern shopping mall home to various international and Japanese retail shops.

It is most famous for its mirrored entrance, which is a super popular photo spot for tourists. We took a photo here too of course.

On the sixth floor of the mall, there is a gorgeous Starbucks outlet with outdoor terrace seats offering wonderful views of the city. It is the most beautiful Starbucks branch I’ve ever seen.

On the seventh floor, there is a popular Aussie cafe called Bills Omotesando which serves delicious breakfast and brunch items. We had a wonderful breakfast here! The signature Ricotta Hotcakes (JPY 1500) was really delicious, with a fluffy and moist texture that seemed to melt in my mouth.

Tokyu Plaza
Address: 4 Chome-30-3 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Website: omohara.tokyu-plaza.com/en

4. Omotesando Avenue

Ralph Lauren shop

Ralph Lauren shop staircase

Omotesando Hills shopping mall

Omotesando Avenue is a tree-lined luxury shopping avenue that is sometimes referred to as Tokyo’s Champs-Élysées.

We saw many standalone luxury boutiques along the avenue like Chanel, Longchamp, Dior, Gianni Chiarini, Ralph Lauren, etc. The Ralph Lauren boutique, in particular, was really beautiful. We enjoyed browsing around the charming space which featured stylish Ralph Lauren clothes, dark wood furnishings, leather armchairs, and even a wooden elevator. Pictures are not allowed but we managed to take a few contrabands photos.

There are also many restaurants and cafes in this area. We ate a delicious lobster roll at Luke’s Lobster, had the BEST gyoza at Harajuku Gyozaro, and ate super fluffy pancakes at Flippers.

Omotesando Hills is an upscale shopping complex that offers a variety of international luxury brands like Jimmy Choo, Dior, G-Star RAW, Jo Malone, Balmain, and many more. The wife had a great time shopping here.

Omotesando Avenue is a 10-minute walk from Harajuku Station.

5. Kiddy Land

Kiddy Land is a four-level toy shop that sells a huge variety of American and Japanese character goods such as Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Hello Kitty, Pokemon, etc.

We saw many adorable toys, plushes, clothing, and stationaries on sale. If you have children they will love this store.

Kiddy Land
Address: 6 Chome-1-9 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Hours: | Mon to Fri: 11am – 9pm | Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 9pm |

6. LINE Friends Flagship Store

LINE Friends Flagship Store is a three-storey LINE character goods shop that sells plushes, clothes, accessories, stationeries, and even food products.

I saw a huge Brown the bear near the entrance, with many tourists and locals crowding around to take a photo with it.

This is mainly a shop for the BTS fans, because there is one whole floor dedicated to BT21 merchandise. “BT21” is a series of characters that were co-created between BTS members and LINE.

You’re welcome, ARMYs.

LINE Friends Flagship Store
Address: 4 Chome-31-12 Jingumae, Shibuya 150-0001, Tokyo, Japan
Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm

7. Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art

The Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art features rotating exhibitions of Ukiyo-e from Ota Seizo V’s private collection of over 12,000 pieces. Ukiyo-e is a type of painting that depicts the culture of the Edo period.

Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art
Address: 1 Chome-10-10 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Opening Hours: | Mon: CLOSED | Tue to Sun: 10.30am – 5pm |
Website: www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp/eng

8. Togo Shrine

Togo Shrine is dedicated to Marshal-Admiral Togo Heihachiro, one of Japan’s greatest naval commanders. Under his command, the Japanese navy managed to defeat the Russian fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. This was a spectacular feat because Russia was at that time the world’s third largest naval power.

Togo Shrine
Directions: 5-minute walk from Harajuku Station
Address: 1 Chome-5-3 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Opening Hours: Daily 6am to 6pm

9. Jingu Bridge

Annoyed street performer

Jingu Bridge (“Shrine Bridge) is a small bridge located near the entrance of Meiji Shrine. It is also known as “Harajuku Bridge” or “Harajuku Cosplay Bridge”.

It used to be a very popular gathering spot for cosplayers and fashion performers on weekends, which led to it becoming a tourist attraction. However, it seems that this phenomenon has died down in recent years.

I didn’t spot any cosplayers when I went to the bridge on a Sunday afternoon. All I saw were plenty of people walking towards Meiji Shrine and one uptight street performer who got annoyed when I took a photo of him.

Jingu Bridge is steps from Harajuku Station.

10. Indulge in Delicious Food

Luke’s Lobster

Flippers

Harajuku Gyozaro

Marion Crepes

There are plenty of awesome eateries in Harajuku! Many of them are located along Takeshita Street, which is lined with a tidy sprawl of cafes, crepes stores, snacks shops, etc. There are also many other wonderful eateries around the neighbourhood like Luke’s Lobster, Harajuku Gyozaro, Starbucks, Bills Omotesando, and Flippers.

This article is part of our super awesome Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide For First Timers. Everything you need to know about Tokyo is just a click away!