Omotesando boulevard

Another stylish part of Tokyo is the zone formed by Omotesando and Aoyama. Omotesando, a boulevard shaded by tall, leafy zelkova trees and lined with tony cafes and designer boutiques, has a European atmosphere that has elicited comparisons to the Champs-Elysées. The boulevard and the surrounding maze of small streets form a veritable hair-salon district where over 400 shops compete fiercely. People come here from all over the country to seek the services of top salons and stylists. East of the Omotesando area is Aoyama, a sedate district that grew up around Aoyama Gakuin University. This neighborhood's main attraction is Kotto-dori (literally "antique street"), a 700-meter-long street of shops specializing in Imari ware and other art objects and curios. Even if you're not looking to buy anything, it's fun to walk along this street, which also offers an array of cultural attractions including the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, showcasing Chinese and Japanese antique art; the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum (in the building which the late artist [1911-1996], who created the Sun Tower monument for the 1970 Osaka Expo, used as his atelier-cum-home); the Blue Note Tokyo jazz club; and an array of galleries and interior-design shops. index | previous | next