Harajuku

Sunday we went to hang with the cool kids in Harajuku. This is an area of Tokyo between Shibuya and Shinjuku that is well known for it's unique shopping and street fashion. On Sundays throngs of young Japanese people come to here to hang out and show off.

Harajuku is a mecca for those who love clothes. There is everything here from the cheap chic Zara and Muji to Prada, and Chanel on Omotesando Street (often called the Champs Elysees of Tokyo). There are a lot of very cool stores for Japanese labels such as A Bathing Ape.

All fashion is embraced here. We saw a lot of skate and punk kids and some hip hop fashion. But what we really were there to see was the Gothic Lolita and Cosplay styles for which Harajuku is so famous. We saw a few...some "Harajuku Girls" (a term coined way before Gwen Stefani) dressed as a pair of Little Bo Peeps and a few other interesting things.  Next time we go we're taking a pocket full of cash and hoping we will catch the rockabilly groups that regularly perform in the park. We'll also have our camera at the ready... we weren't quick enough to get any really great photos of any of the people we saw.  Check out this link to see what you are missing:  Gothic Lolita

We also got some pics of Shibuya Crossing. When you see Tokyo in a tv show or movie, this is usually what is shown. It is a huge intersection surrounded by neon signs and video screens-sort of like Times Square. It is estimated that over 1500 people flood the street every 90 seconds when the light changes. We also saw the Hachiko dog statue. As the story goes, this dog waited for her master everyday at the Shibuya train station. After her master died, she continued to come for years and wait outside the station. When she died, a statue was erected in her honor. Now it's a popular meeting spot near the station.