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Asia Japan Tokyo Shopping Harajuku

Overview

Harajuku

The guide was updated: 2025-10-14

Harajuku is Tokyo’s nexus of youth culture and cutting-edge fashion, centred on the famously crowded Takeshita Street. This pedestrianised lane is a sensory overload of trendy boutiques, crepe stands and colourful street style. Just a short walk away, the tree-lined boulevard of Omotesando offers a more refined contrast, with its flagship designer stores and modernist architecture. The district is defined by its iconic department stores, which act as fashion incubators. Laforet Harajuku (1-11-6 Jingumae) is a multi-level epicentre of avant-garde brands and subcultures, while the cylindrical 109 Store (2-29-1 Dogenzaka) in nearby Shibuya is a legendary hub for bold, teen-oriented trends. Beyond shopping, Harajuku offers a peaceful retreat at the adjacent Meiji Jingu shrine and Yoyogi Park.

Useful Information

Address: Harajuku, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase

Roppongi Hills

Roppongi Hills

Roppongi Hills is a landmark "city within a city", a vast integrated complex that redefined urban living in Tokyo upon its 2003 opening. Its centrepiece is the 54-storey Mori Tower, a vertical hub of commerce and culture. The tower's upper floors house two major attractions: the Tokyo City View observatory for panoramic vistas and the Mori Art Museum, a leading venue for contemporary art. Beyond the tower, the complex unfolds with over 200 shops and restaurants, a cinema, the Grand Hyatt hotel, and the serene Mori Garden. Public art, including Louise Bourgeois’ iconic Maman spider sculpture, is integrated throughout the open spaces.

Isetan Shinjuku Store

Isetan Shinjuku Store

The Isetan Shinjuku Store began its life as a kimono retailer in 1886 and has since evolved into a landmark of high fashion. The department store styles itself as the 'world's greatest fashion museum'. This vast enterprise spans multiple floors, offering an extensive range of products from cosmetics and household goods to electronics, blending timeless classics with the very latest trends.

Ginza Mitsukoshi

Ginza Mitsukoshi

Japan’s oldest department store has stores in Ginza and Nihonbashi. Womenswear, accessories, menswear, toys, childrenswear and restaurants from the fourth basement floor to the 12th floor. Mitsukoshi welcomes visitors from all around the world, with free Wifi, a Tax-Free Counter and Foreign Tourist Information Centre.

Shibuya 109

Shibuya 109

For a definitive look at Japanese youth fashion, head straight to Shibuya 109. Since its opening in 1979, this cylindrical landmark has become the epicentre of Tokyo's iconic 'gyaru' subculture, a style once defined by dyed hair, deep tans and dramatic makeup. Spread across ten floors, its roughly 120 boutiques offer a concentrated hit of the latest trends in clothing, accessories and cosmetics. While its roots are in a specific aesthetic, the mall continues to draw a fashion-forward crowd, including local and international celebrities, solidifying its status as a barometer of Shibuya's ever-evolving style.

Oriental Bazaar

Oriental Bazaar

Visit Tokyo’s best-known gift shop to stock up on trinkets for friends back home. Get a kimono, washi paper, Japanese patterned fabric, sensu fans, or a tea set. There are English-speaking staff on each floor. They also offer gift-wrapping and overseas shipping services.

Laox: Duty Free Flagship at Akihabara

Laox: Duty Free Flagship at Akihabara

Spanning seven floors, this vast duty-free complex is a one-stop shop for everything from household electronics and cosmetics to fashion and sports goods. It’s a practical choice for tax-free shopping, offering a wide range of products that make for reliable travel souvenirs.

Ginza

Ginza

Ginza is Tokyo's definitive luxury quarter, a district where history and high fashion seamlessly intersect. Its name, meaning "silver mint", harks back to its 17th-century origins, but today it is synonymous with global sophistication. The main thoroughfare, Chuo-dori, is lined with flagship stores for elite brands like Chanel, Hermès, and the iconic Japanese department store Wako. While the district is a paradise for label lovers, its appeal extends beyond shopping. The post-war architecture is now punctuated by modern complexes like Ginza Six, a multi-level destination of designer boutiques and dining. For a more local experience, the network of side streets reveals exclusive art galleries, intimate bistros, and traditional department stores like Mitsukoshi.

Harajuku

Harajuku

Harajuku is Tokyo’s nexus of youth culture and cutting-edge fashion, centred on the famously crowded Takeshita Street. This pedestrianised lane is a sensory overload of trendy boutiques, crepe stands and colourful street style. Just a short walk away, the tree-lined boulevard of Omotesando offers a more refined contrast, with its flagship designer stores and modernist architecture. The district is defined by its iconic department stores, which act as fashion incubators. Laforet Harajuku (1-11-6 Jingumae) is a multi-level epicentre of avant-garde brands and subcultures, while the cylindrical 109 Store (2-29-1 Dogenzaka) in nearby Shibuya is a legendary hub for bold, teen-oriented trends. Beyond shopping, Harajuku offers a peaceful retreat at the adjacent Meiji Jingu shrine and Yoyogi Park.

Aoyama

Aoyama

Aoyama, one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city, offers a world of Japanese and international upmarket brands. The sculptural Prada building here stands for everything this neighbourhood is about — sleek sophistication is the name of the game. Well-recognised Japanese designers including Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake stand side by side with Prada and Louis Vuitton.

Akihabara

Akihabara

Welcome to Neon Land. Akihabara is the electronics capital of Japan and walking through its streets you can barely see in front of you due to the amount of flashing shop signs and video screens. Street stalls sell the latest high-tech computer devices, while huge electronic retailers flog televisions at duty-free prices. Head for the duty-free stores if you want to speak to English staff, and bring your passport with you to qualify for tax-exempt goods. Akky (1-12-1 Sotokanda) is one of the best shops for this. Come out of Akihabara station and look for the glaringly obvious Electric Town exit.

Kappabashi Dori

Kappabashi Dori

Kappabashi Dori, or 'Kitchen Town', is a unique district dedicated entirely to the restaurant trade. Stretching between Ueno and Asakusa, its shops are a treasure trove of professional-grade kitchenware, from pots and pans to furniture and signage. The street is also famous for its stores selling hyper-realistic plastic food samples, a quintessential feature of Japanese restaurant displays. For visitors, it's the ideal place to find distinctive souvenirs, from beautiful lacquerware and ceramics to hand-painted chopsticks.

MEGA Don Quijote

MEGA Don Quijote

MEGA Don Quijote is a chain of stores known for selling pretty much everything, from sake-flavoured Kit Kats to whimsical crab-shaped headgear. This particular location in Shibuya is the largest one in Tokyo, where you'll be able to purchase clothes, food, beauty products and toys. If you're looking for a souvenir to bring back home, this would be the ideal place to get something truly memorable.

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