By now, everyone's heard of Harajuku thanks to Gwen Stefani's brief appropriation of Tokyo street culture and because of the outside world's fascination with Manga Cosplay. The Harajuku girls are still there with their shock fashion but Harajuku is about so much more than girls in bizarre get-ups. It's the center of youth culture and fashion in Tokyo and therefore offers some of the best and interesting shopping options in the city. The main drag is Takeshita Street and it is jam packed with a mix of shoppers, tourists, Harajuku girls and teens. The streets can get annoyingly busy so channel your inner Japanese teen and duck into one of the many trendy stores to try on sunglasses, pick up a crepe and people watch on the sidelines. But at the end of the day, this area is all about catering to teens so if you start feeling old, head over to the adjacent neighborhood Omotesando where you can sip coffee and shop more age appropriate items with the rest of the old folks.
