Japan – Walking around Tokyo: let me guide you!

Let’s start the day having brunch in Omotesando or going for a picnic in Yoyogi park. Afterwards we head towards Meiji Shrine. Enjoy the serene atmosphere of the most beautiful shrine in Tokyo as the rest of the day is not going to be as quiet… after leaving Meiji to go and see the Dancing (Japanese) Elvis’s at the entrance of Yoyogi park, we then cross the bridge over the JR line and take some pictures of ourselves with the cosplays gathered there… or the goths, which seem to be more prevalent these days.

Heading towards  Takeshita Street , the density of people becomes intense: following the flow we enjoy all the funky stores. I recommend two stops: the 100 Yen Shop Daiso, where everything is worth about one dollar, and the purikura (see how this works in the tips) so we can go back home with a very Japanese themed photo of ourselves. My favourite purikura is in the basement just before Daiso on the right hand side when you go down the street.

Once we are done with Takeshita Street, we go to Uniqlo’s UT store where you can buy, for a very decent price, limited edition designer Tshirts sold in plastic bottles – very trendy!
Heading up to Omotesando, we marvel at the architecture of the luxury brands shops and stop at the souvenir shop  Oriental bazar (one of the best options for souvenirs) and Kiddyland (a gadget and toy store).
Once reaching the top of Omotesando, we head towards Minamai-Aoyama to see the Prada builidng, an architectural masterpiece by Herzog & de Meuron. Finally we reach the Nezu museum where we can have a rest after the craziness of Omotesando. The museum is interesting but what is best is the Japanese garden: an oasis of serenity in the middle of Tokyo!

In this area, even more than in others, everything changes quickly; if you follow my itinerary, let me know how things have changed. Enjoy!

Voyagista’s Tips

• Purikura are photo booths that offer various (crazy) options for editing photos of yourself and friends: you choose the background, pick your pose and customize. Some exaggerate some of your features and don’t look natural at all. 1, 2, 3, go, you have to be very quick to choose and customize the photos of yourselves because the clock is ticking, time is limited for editing. A real challenge, especially in Japanese!
• You can start this walk from the Harajuku JR or Meiji Jingu Mae underground stop. You could also stop at Omotesando but choose the good exit
• Better do this walk on Sundays: the Elvis and the cosplays are only here on this day and the atmosphere is the most intense due to the weekend crowds
• A good idea for glass wearers: if you want to have some new, cheap, trendy glasses go to Zoff – it takes only an hour to get them. Prices start at about 50 USD. No need for prescription, an eye doctor consultation is included in the price but you can also bring your current glasses and they will just copy the adjustments used

What about you? Have you been to Omotesando-Harajuku? What did you enjoy?

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