Meiji Jingu. 🌳
Just steps from the chaos of Harajuku Station lies a 700,000 square meter forest containing over 100,000 trees. Walking the gravel path to the main shrine is a ritual of purification, washing away the noise of the city.
The Torii Gates
Massive wooden gates made from 1,500-year-old cypress trees. Bow once before entering.
Kazaridaru (Sake Barrels)
A famous wall of decorative sake barrels donated by brewers nationwide. A perfect photo spot.
Purikura Culture. 📸
"Purikura" (Print Club) is essential Harajuku culture. These are advanced photo booths that automatically retouch your face, enlarge your eyes, and let you decorate the photos with digital stickers.
The "Big Eye" Effect
Be prepared! The machines automatically make your eyes huge and skin porcelain white. It's part of the fun.
Graffiti Time
After the photo, you move to a screen to draw on your pictures with neon pens and stamps.
Where to Go
Head to the basement of **Takeshita Street** shops or the specialized "Purikura Land" arcades.
Sunday Tradition
The Rockabillies
Yoyogi Park. 🕺
On Sundays, the entrance to Yoyogi Park transforms into a stage for the famous **Tokyo Rockabillies**. Dressed in leather jackets with massive pompadour hair, they dance to 1950s rock-and-roll. It is one of the coolest free shows in Tokyo.
Picnic Protocol:
Grab some food from Harajuku, walk to Yoyogi, and watch the diverse mix of dancers, musicians, and dog walkers.
Design Festa Gallery. 🎨
Hidden in the backstreets of Ura-Hara is a labyrinthine gallery where anyone can rent a space to show their art. It is raw, chaotic, and completely free to enter.
The Structure
A maze of small rooms, hallways, and even toilets covered in art. It feels like walking inside a sketchbook.
Okonomiyaki
There is an attached Okonomiyaki restaurant (**Sakura Tei**) where you cook your own food surrounded by wild murals.