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Inside Harajuku Takeshita Street: Why is This Place Known as Tokyo's 'Teen's Holy Land'?

Last updated: 2 September 2020

If you want to experience Japanese kawaii culture, be sure to visit Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo. Takeshita Street, where trendy stores are located, is always crowded with people who are looking for cutting-edge fashion and trendy items. In particular, there are plenty of cheap and cute miscellaneous goods and fashion items that will captivate.

Here are some of the things you need to know in order to enjoy the unique charm of Takeshita Street!

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Takeshita Street is a 350m shopping street that runs from JR Harajuku Station, Takeshita Exit, where the oldest wooden station building in Tokyo was built in 1924, to Meiji Street. The street is lined with fashion-related shops selling casual and used clothes, as well as cute goods and confectionery stores.

Takeshita Street, which is called the “Teen's Holy Land”, is known for its cheap prices that even elementary and junior high school students can afford with their extra money. However, it also has an abundant selection of cute clothes and items. There are many unique shops, and the atmosphere is exciting just by looking around.

Omotesando, which runs in parallel to Takeshita Street, is a street where luxury brands and restaurants that are considered the main attraction in Harajuku are lined up. Takeshita Street is an alley of this street, so it can also be considered a back street. Since its birth in the mid-1970s, small fashion stores have opened along the narrow streets, and they have become very popular.

It is also popular as a tourist spot visited by field trips from all over Japan, and the unique scenery of Takeshita Street is the main reason why many people go there even on weekdays. Recently, the number of foreign tourists has increased, and the entrance of Takeshita Street has become a common site for commemorative photos. It seems that many foreigners visit this street not only for the items reminiscent of the Japanese kawaii culture but also for the unique fashion of passers-by.

In addition to Omotesando, where high-end brands line up around Takeshita Street, there is also Ura-Harajuku, a quiet residential area dotted with unique shops, where you can enjoy shopping and dining in a calm atmosphere. In addition, the famous power spot, Meiji Jingu Shrine, which is an oasis in the city, and the vast and natural rich Yoyogi Park are within walking distance.

Takeshita Street, Harajuku, the epicenter of the fashion, is home to specialty stores that deal with original fashion articles and items. It's no exaggeration to say that if you want something that can grab the attention of young people, you should definitely come to Takeshita Street. For example, we will feature the type of store you can find here.

●Fashion
The most noticeable stores on Takeshita Street are fashion shops. Stores that sell a wide variety of fashion items, from street fashion to girly clothes, unique visual-kei and gothic and lolita styles. There are many reasonable prices that teens can afford, and secondhand clothing is also a popular attraction. However, the fashion district of Harajuku is best known for its detail-oriented clothes. The fashion styles of store clerks are also noteworthy, and some of these clerks are also charismatic.

●Zakka (Miscellaneous goods)
There are many shops that sell character merch, household goods, and accessories on Takeshita Street. Some stores have more than 3000 kinds of items that teens and adult women love. There are also a variety of affordable ones called “pechipura”, so you can enjoy shopping in a treasure hunting mood. Shops selling character merch sometimes sell Harajuku limited goods. New products are stocked every now and then, so you are greeted with a different scenery each time you visit here.

●Sweets
Takeshita Street is known for its numerous crepe stores. You might also like the fact that you can enjoy crepe with various combinations such as tuna, cheese, ham besides the classic whipped cream, chocolate and fruit. The appearance of a girl wandering around Takeshita Street while eating and taking out crepes that have been taken out is a specialty. Usually, you will find a girl strolling Takeshita Street while eating take-out crepe.

In addition, there are plenty of other sweets such as pancakes, popcorn, candies, ice cream, and cotton candy. This street has a lot of colorful and eye-popping things, so it's popular among young women because it looks good on photos.

●Purikura (Print Club)
You can also experience Purikura, which has been popular among Japanese teens since the mid-1990s, on Takeshita Street. Purikura is like a photo booth, a machine that allows you to create stickers with freely posed photos. Recently, you can freely put drawings and letters on the photos using stamps and you can also change your skin color, eye size, leg length, etc. You can put it on your belongings or give it to your friends. Many people take photos here as a commemorative photo of Takeshita Street.

●Showcase stores (Antenna Shops)
On Takeshita Street, where fashion-conscious young people gather, there are several companies that open showcase stores to check sales trends. Snack confectionery manufacturers and 100-yen stores have opened stores here to help people understand the hottest trends among teens and feature a large number of items and products limited to Takeshita Street.

Takeshita Street, which has fashion items and miscellaneous goods for teens, is a good place for foreign tourists to find souvenirs. There are many types of character merch that are perfect as souvenirs in Japan, and you can find some that you can only buy in Harajuku.

Playful goods such as parfait-shaped straps and nail polish highlighters are also available at great prices. At the 100-yen shop, which has an excellent assortment of goods, you will find items that are perfect as Japanese souvenirs, such as chopsticks, tableware, Japanese folding fans, and other useful goods. Shops selling Japanese-style designs and Japanese printed T-shirts are also popular.

Takeshita Street is like a theme park for Japanese teens and is a narrow alley filled with cute things. You'll be excited about everything you see, such as colorful and cute sweets and stylish clerks. However, this area is so crowded that you won't be able to walk straight on weekends. Most shops will be closed around 7:00pm, so plan ahead when to visit.

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