Harajuku is Tokyo’s pop culture paradise, full of funky fashion and the trendiest new street food, so if you’re not sure what to do on your Tokyo trip, we’ve got the latest tips and tricks for how to spend a day in Harajuku!

Harajuku Never Stops Changing!

The birthplace of Tokyo street fashion, a haphazard think tank for food trends, and a melting pot for Japanese subcultures – Harajuku is always on the cutting edge of Japanese culture. Even during the slow years of the covid pandemic, when Japan’s borders closed and many things went on hold, Harajuku was still leading the charge towards new trends and exciting changes in Japan. And now that the flow of international travelers has returned and tourism is heating up, Harajuku’s neverending cycle of new! new! new! is right back on track.

Whether you’re planning your first visit to Harajuku, or you’ve been a hundred times before, this fun chunk of Tokyo is as lively and exciting as ever, and there’s plenty of new spots to see and some to return to! Check out a few of our favorite Harajuku recommendations in this guide focused on: Harajuku’s most noteworthy new facilities, famous Harajuku foods, and fashion with that distinct Harajuku feel!

Harajuku’s Newest Landmark: Harakado

A New Center for Harajuku Culture

Our first stop is the newest addition to the Harajuku landscape, Harakado (Tokyu Plaza Harajuku), which opened in the heart of Harajuku on April 17, 2024. Its location on a corner straight across from Omokado (Tokyu Plaza Omotesando) gives the intersection a new symmetry, and the building’s combination of shining glass and green tiered terraces balances out Omokado’s famous mirrored entrance.

While Harakado’s outward appearance is certainly eyecatching, what makes it really special is its unique facilities. That visually stunning terrace really does offer visitors a space to relax in the sun, looking down at the Jingumae intersection. Harakado also aims to incorporate and promote the arts, reflecting the legacy of the Harajuku Central Apartment building that historically provided a space for artists and creatives to mingle in the ’60s and ’70s on this very same street corner. The goal, they say, is to revive Harajuku’s historic reputation, and make it a birthplace for a brand new wave of culture.

Unusual High-End Brands

Harakado contains a total of 75 retail shops, but the selection certainly doesn’t feel like just any shopping mall. Yubune is a cosmetics and fragrance brand that uses natural ores and hot spring water in their products, and Cloudy specializes in fashionable purses and totes produced in Ghana. Tenga Land is the first of its kind as a large-scale Tenga specialty store. Some boutiques focus on just one artist or illustrator, and there are quite a few rare brands gathered together in one building.

Local Restaurants With an International Feel

Diners at Harakado also have their pick of both local specialties and tasty imports. Harakado has the first Harajuku location of Ippudo, one of Japan’s most popular ramen chains, as well as Giolitti, a gelato shop you may recognize from its appearance in the Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday” and Kanbu Chicken, a popular Korean chicken shop making its first strides into the Japanese market. Shikin, on the other hand, is just the second branch of a local Harajuku Japanese-Chinese restaurant, and FAMiRES is a totally original eatery opened by the people behind the Michelin-starred Tokyo restaurant Sio.

A Space for Art to Live and Breathe

Not only do some of the shops sell artists’ work at Harakado, but the art has seeped into other spaces as well, most noticeably in the 4th-floor space they call “Harappa.” This entire floor is dedicated largely to art, with a number of nature-focused large-scale installation pieces and smaller sculptures dotting the floor in between. There are also benches scattered throughout the space, and a cafe counter in one corner, so visitors are free to sit down, relax with a drink, admire the art, and take pictures to their hearts’ content!

Harakado / Tokyu Plaza Harajuku (東急プラザ原宿「ハラカド」)
6-31-21 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours:
　shopping: 11:00 – 21:00
　dining: 11:00 – 23:00
　(other hours vary)
Official Website (en)

Harajuku’s Most Delicious Food

Meals

Harajuku is known for snacks and sweets, but the swelling crowds and the lively culture have encouraged a thriving restaurant scene as well, especially down all the narrow alleys and side streets. Our first Harakuku recommendation is Harajuku Gyozaro, a down-to-earth gyoza shop with a very simple menu that has earned a reputation for quick, flavorful, and filling food. The star of the show is their pan-fried gyoza, which arrive at the table (or on the counter) piping hot and crispy straight from the griddle, and are priced quite reasonably at a cost of 340 yen for six. You can get them without the garlic and chives, but why would you? (The fried gyoza with shiso or the boiled gyoza are both good choices if you want some gyoza variety, though!) You also can’t go wrong ordering their cheap and flavorful sides: bean sprouts topped with a meaty sauce, or fresh cucumbers in miso sauce. Perfect for a quick lunch, or a casual meal with a drink or two!

Harajuku Gyozaro (原宿餃子樓)
6-2-4 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 11:3 – 22:30
Official Website (jp)

When the line is full of locals and travelers alike, and it’s so long it winds back and forth in front of the shop, you know they’re doing something right in the kitchen! And that’s just what you’ll find at Menchirashi, an udon restaurant that takes their noodles to the next level with creative new recipes. First-time customers are sometimes surprised by the small quantity of soup that comes with Menchirashi’s udon, but fans of the shop will tell you that the flavorful broth really packs a punch, especially if you get one of their more unique recipes. The trendiest option right now is carbonara-style udon, made with Japanese udon noodles and a creamy Italian-inspired sauce!

Menchirashi (麺散)
6-13-7 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 11:30 – 23:00
Official Website (jp)

Street Food & Sweets

#マリオンクレープ 原宿竹下通り店限定！
＼大人気クレープのご紹介📢✨／

原宿に来たら一度は食べてほしい💭

🤎『ミスターマリオン』🤎

チョコレートパフェのような濃厚な味わいで、さらに可愛くリニューアルした【原宿マシュマロ】を使用🍫🍌

原宿竹下通り店でぜひお召し上がりください👩🏻‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/t2g9bfsRyO

— マリオンクレープ【公式】 (@marion_japan) May 14, 2024

When it comes to Harajuku snacks, it doesn’t get more classic than a Harajuku-style crepe! Perfect as a sweet treat after a savory gyoza lunch, or as an afternoon snack when you need a little sugar to keep you going, Harajuku is known for crepes filled with whipped cream, fresh fruit, ice cream, hearty chunks of cake, or even savory toppings like tuna salad or Japanese curry. Perhaps the most famous of the area’s crepe shops is Marion Crepes, which people have been lining up to try for decades. If it’s your first time in Harajuku, you won’t want to skip the experience of a decadently sweet Harajuku crepe on Takeshita-dori Street!

Marion Crepes Takeshitadori (マリオンクレープ 原宿竹下通り店)
1−6−15 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours:
　weekdays: 10:30 – 20:30
　weekends: 10:00 – 20:30
Official Website (jp)

Takoyaki originally comes from Osaka, but you can find some pretty authentically delicious octopus balls in Tokyo as well! WaraTako is located in Harajuku, but offers fluffy, Osaka-style takoyaki with basic toppings (sauce, mayo, bonito flakes) or a rotating selection of extra toppings like green onion, fish roe, or even Japanese pickled plum! Look for the shop’s bright red paint and the slim side profile!

WaraTako Harajuku Omotesando (笑たこ 原宿表参道店)
5-11-3 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 – 20:00
Official Website (jp)

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One of Harajuku’s most recent street food trends might also be one of its oldest, because these days candy apples are back on the menu!

Candy apples have been around in Japan as “ringo ame” (りんご飴) for centuries, but in the year 2024, most Japanese people think of them as summer festival food – the kind of snack you might buy from a stall before you sit and watch fireworks. But the “ringo ame” specialists at Daikanyama Candy Apple are bringing them back as everyday snacks, offering classic sugar coatings as well as flavored candy apples with toppings like cinnamon, matcha, cocoa, and hojicha! Try one for a fun new take on a nostalgic snack.

Daikanyama Candy Apple Takeshitadori (代官山Candy Apple 原宿竹下通り店)
1-7-3 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 10:30 – 19:00
Official Website (jp)

Bonus: An Omotesando Cafe

Harajuku has two sides: the little back alleys filled with unique boutiques and crazy street food, and Omotesando, a broad avenue lined with high fashion designers. It’s over in the Omotesando area that you’ll find Ralph’s Coffee, Ralph Lauren’s very own coffee shop, which offers 100% organic coffee that tastes straight from an Italian coffee shop. The fun vintage styling has made it a popular place to grab a cup of coffee, take some pictures, and maybe even take home some of their coffee-related Ralph Lauren merchandise!

Ralph’s Coffee (ラルフズ コーヒー表参道)
4-25-15 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00 – 19:00
Official Website (jp)

Harajuku Fashion for Everyday Wear

FR2: In Your Face “Photographer” Fashion

If you’re not shopping for some fun new fashion, is it a real trip to Harajuku? This Tokyo neighborhood has a lot to offer, but at its heart Harajuku is a center for both the latest trends and the most outrageous new styles. Whether you’re looking for a whole new wardrobe or just window shopping, you’ll definitely want to take a peek at what’s for sale when you visit Harajuku!

For a touch of streetwear style with some very Japanese quirks, look no further than #FR2, which has made a name for itself in recent years as a brand with a strong identity. (And that identity, according to brand lore, is that of a spicy rabbit photographer.) #FR2 combines adult imagery with an impeccable sense of style, with the addition of one very cute bunny logo – featuring bunnies doing what they do best, of course. Stop in for the kind of wild t-shirts that scream “Harajuku shopping trip.”

#FR2 Harajuku
4-31-6 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 – 21:00
Official Wesbite (jp)

Volcom: Skater Fashion Meets Japan

Volcom is a California brand with roots in board sports and laid-back athletic style, and there’s still plenty of that to be found in their Harajuku shop. But the brand has embraced its surroundings in this Tokyo location, collaborating with local artists, offering limited-edition designs and styles found only in Japan, and creating a whole new vibe. Halfway between the heart of Harajuku and Shibuya, skaters won’t want to miss this iconic brand in Tokyo.

Volcom Store Shibuya
6-19-16 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 – 20:00
Official Website (jp)

What’s Big in Tokyo

Tokyo has been on a roll in recent years, with big new facilities popping up in every direction, and it looks like 2024 is a major year for Harajuku. From new shopping and entertainment complexes to new trends, there’s a lot to see in Harajuku this year, but with a little good advice (like the tips above) you can ensure yourself a great time in this fun little sliver of Tokyo. And if you’re looking for more like it, don’t miss our new guide to Odaiba while you’re here!

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