Takeshita Street, Harajuku

Possibly the busiest shopping street in Tokyo, Takeshita-dori is known for it’s alternative fashion and interesting offerings. While the whole area is filled with department stores and trendy boutiques, it’s the rough-and-ready style of many of the stores on Takeshita that keep it interesting. Often used as a location to test new style by fashion brands and trend-testers, it’s a good spot to see some of the newest fashions as well as try them out yourself. Sundays are the best time to see elaborately costumed people going about their business, although this has become less common these days as the tourist to local ratio has exploded.

While the street is famous for fashion, it’s growing a bit of a reputation for creative treats and sweets and is a great place to go for some of the ‘crazy’ food of Tokyo. Try rainbow cotton candy and freshly baked Calbee chips drizzled with chocolate, or try the Hokkaido choux cream buns that are filled fresh to order. There’s one snack that should be on everyone’s list though, and that’s a crepe. Filled with everything from slices of cheesecake to full chocolate brownies, the crepes are a sugar-overload to say the least, but are all the more delicious for it.

For a better feel of the area, listen to our podcast episode recorded from down on the ground at Takeshita Street.