What To Do in Harajuku: Our Guide

Harajuku's reputation as Japan's street fashion capital far precedes itself, and indeed there are few places that rival the neighborhood's range and originality in this department.  What many people fail to realize until they get here, however, is that Harajuku is also one of Tokyo's best culinary destinations.  Dining options run from low-brow to high, with some of the city's hippest cafes and coffee shops sprinkled in between.  All of this is set against the backdrop of Meiji Jingu, one of Japan's most beautiful and culturally significant Shinto shrines.  For the best ways to experience it all, here's our guide to Harajuku, with tips for where to go and what to see. 

Meiji Jingu (AKA Meiji Shrine) is one of Tokyo's most impressive shrines, and the most important State Shinto shrine in Japan.  It is a stunning refuge with a historical and cultural position as significant as anywhere else in the country. 

The museum puts together thoughtfully curated exhibitions of perhaps 100 prints at a time, with each exhibition lasting only three or four weeks.  Topics ranging from the prosaic to the fantastic are paired with meticulously researched, multilingual explanations that provide fascinating rabbit holes into Japanese history. 

Those who want to get to a taste of the more sophisticated side of Tokyo's celebrated urban aesthetic should not miss Cat Street.  Shoppers can spend hours here, as can fans of urban architecture and design. 

Marion Crêpes has served generation after generation of Harajuku youth, and the fashion forward teenagers who flock to the neighborhood to embrace kawaii culture are still the primary customers here.  Still, it's reputation for revolutionizing the French confection in Japan attracts an assortment of food lovers. 

Takeshita Dōri began as just another humble shōtengai (shopping district) with an assortment of sundry shops when it officially opened in 1974.  By the turn of the millennium Takeshita Dōri and Harajuku at large was already widely recognized as ground zero for the nation's youth fashion scene. 

Pocketed between Shibuya and Harajuku, Tokyo, Trunk (Hotel)’s two low-rise buildings are four stories each.  The exteriors of glass, black steel, and stone are softened by the timber decks and ferns that line each floor's wraparound terrace.  It’s a showstopper, for sure, but one that feels part of neighborhood.  Inside, a subdued vibe takes over common areas—all of which feel like a lounge, equally suited for a MacBook, a latte, or a cocktail. 

Deus Ex Machina is good for a long heel-cooling session over coffee and a sandwich with a dear friend or two, especially when the weather is fine.  It's ideally located on the outskirts of Harajuku, easy to get to but removed from the hullabaloo. 

Part of Red Rock's charm is its unassuming, unpretentious presentation.  The space is little more than a half dozen small tables and a modest lunch counter behind which the cooks pile up tender roast beef one bowl at a time. 

The menu at Shigeyoshi is scrupulously seasonal, with a range of prix fixe courses incorporating whatever chef Chef Sato feels like making at the moment.  The cuisine can best be described as fine Japanese home cooking. 

As the second Tokyo outpost for Shizuoka Prefecture's Baird Brewing Company, Harajuku Taproom deals exclusively in Baird Beer.  The tap list of 15 (plus two cask ales on hand pump) includes Baird's regular lineup as well as seasonal selections.