| South of Shinjuku is Harajuku.
This trendy area, a magnet for young people from their early teens upward, has
a mystique all its own. Harajuku is the center of the street-fashion universe
for punks, goths, and all its other factions. Harajuku's "main street"
is Takeshita-dori, a pedestrian boulevard lined with boutiques, cafes, restaurants,
and discount stalls that support every sartorial fad. On a sunny weekend afternoon,
this narrow lane is so packed that people do not walk so much as allow themselves
to be borne along by the tide of jostling bodies. Harajuku attracts trend-lovers
not only from within Japan but from Korea, China, and other places as well. It
seems that Harajuku's reputation as a fashion mecca has spread beyond Japan's
borders.
Just one street over from Takeshita-dori, a totally different atmosphere prevails.
The sweeping boulevard known as Omotesando, which runs parallel to Takeshita-dori,
has a chic, adult ambience. Studded with cafes, restaurants, and high-end boutiques,
the street, which runs about a kilometer southeast from Harajuku Station, has
been called the "Champs-Elysees of Japan." It is fun to get dressed
up in a stylish outfit and stroll along this boulevard. And it is just as much
fun to sit at an outdoor café and watch the stylish people stroll by. |
