I first heard about Harajuku while researching places to go in Tokyo, and I just knew that I would like it.
Eccentric fashion, kawaii culture, and over-the-top street food… what’s not to love? It’s a neighbourhood that really captures the quirks of Japanese pop culture - the area is packed with weird and wonderful experiences that you can only find in Japan.
I’ll admit that Takeshita Street was a little chaotic with flocks of people visiting the most popular spots, but I found that there was plenty of action on the compact side streets, too. Every hidden alleyway seemed to be overflowing with themed cafés, food stalls, boutique shops, and vintage fashion stores.
Whether you’re visiting Tokyo for the first time or coming back for more, it’s worth setting aside at least half a day to explore Harajuku. This colourful corner of the city is a must-visit destination for visitors to Japan’s capital. It’s chaotic, crowded, and completely unforgettable.
Come hungry, bring your camera, and prepare for sensory overload in the best possible way. Here are my suggestions for all the best things to do in Harajuku, Tokyo!
Quick summary:Harajuku is Tokyo’s quirkiest neighbourhood. In this guide, you’ll find the best things to do in Harajuku including themed cafés, shopping streets, sugary snacks, and fun photo spots.
Recommended tours & tickets:?️ Ninja Café experience in Harajuku - Dress up and learn ninja moves in this themed café.? Walking tour of Harajuku - Explore Harajuku’s cutest spots and hidden gems with a guide.? Kawaii food tour in Harajuku - Try the neighbourhood’s weird and wonderful snacks.? Harajuku sweets tasting tour - Sample rainbow treats and crepes in one delicious walk.⛩️ Meiji Shrine and Shinto walking tour - Discover Tokyo’s spiritual side at this peaceful shrine.
How to get to Harajuku
Harajuku is super easy to reach by train — just hop on the JR Yamanote Line and get off at Harajuku Station, right next to Takeshita Street. From where I stayed in Shinjuku, it was a quick 5-minute ride on the Tokyo metro. If you’re coming from Shibuya, it’s only one stop away (or about a 15-minute walk).
You can also take the Chiyoda or Fukutoshin subway lines to Meiji-Jingumae Station, which is connected by underground passageways and just a few minutes’ walk from all the action.
Tokyo’s neighbourhoods can be a maze, so you’ll definitely want mobile data handy for navigating the trains and finding your way around Harajuku — using the best eSIM for Japan is a convenient way to stay connected while travelling abroad. You can choose plans with unlimited data or pay-per-GB options, whichever fits your trip best.
The best things to do in Harajuku:
Check out a themed café
Are they gimmicky and overpriced? Absolutely. But they’re also so Japan, and it would be a shame not to embrace the full wacky experience of visiting a themed café in Tokyo — and Harajuku has some of the best.
There’s a cat café, a micro pig café, a samoyed dog café, and even a hedgehog and chinchilla café. I personally don’t love the idea of the animal ones, so I looked for alternatives and ended up at Peanuts Café, where I ordered a Snoopy-shaped pancake and a Charlie Brown latte. Both were a tad pricey (unsurprisingly), but the fluffy pancake, which came with a fragrant tea syrup, was delightfully tasty.
Alternatively, you could head to Café Reissue, where some incredibly talented baristas make 3D latte art that will blow your mind. No matter which one you pick, visiting any of the quirky Harajuku cafés is going to be a fun, photo-worthy experience.
For an interactive ninja experience complete with costumes and sword-fighting, visit the NINJA café in Harajuku — guaranteed fun with ninja stars!
Walk along Takeshita Street
Takeshita Street is the epicentre of kawaii culture in Tokyo, and it’s utterly chaotic. This iconic street is lined with quirky boutiques, novelty souvenir shops, and snack stalls selling some of the best food in Harajuku (and some of the weirdest).
You’ll find everything from cute plushies and gothic lolita fashion to rainbow-coloured desserts and pop-up shops that seem to appear overnight. It’s touristy and hectic, but absolutely essential if you want the full Harajuku experience.
Consider hopping on a kawaii walking tour in Harajuku. This tour hits up many of the best spots in Harajuku and along Takeshita Street, so you’ll be getting a decent overview of the neighbourhood in just half a day!
Eat ridiculous foods
One of the best things to do near Takeshita Street is to eat something completely ridiculous. You’ll find snacks here that seem designed for Instagram first and your taste buds second — but honestly, some of them are actually worth eating.
There’s the famous rainbow cheese toastie from Le Shiner (yep, multi-coloured melted cheese… I could not bring myself to try it!), or the tornado potato from LONG! LONGER!! LONGEST!!!, which is a deep-fried spiral potato on a stick that’s basically a supercharged curly fry.
For those of you that love the idea of overwhelming your taste buds, a kawaii Harajuku food tour may be the best way to sample all the weird and wacky foods that this neighbourhood is known for!
Follow up with over-the-top sweets
No visit to Harajuku is complete without something sugary. You have to check out the giant rainbow cotton candy from Totti Candy Factory — I didn’t tackle one myself as I’d literally just finished a snoopy pancake and couldn’t face more sweets, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching other people wander out of the shop holding pastel sugar clouds bigger than their heads.
You’ll also find crepes in Harajuku absolutely everywhere. Most are stuffed with whipped cream, strawberries, and sometimes entire slices of cake. One of the most iconic stops is Santa Monica Crepes, with its bubblegum-pink storefront, but there are plenty of other crepe stands along Takeshita Street.
If you want to find all the best spots to eat sweets in Harajuku, try a Harajuku fun food walking tour where you can sample crepes, cotton candy, and other treats while getting insights into Harajuku’s unique food culture.
Go shopping on Cat Street
If Takeshita Street is a chaotic blast of colour, Cat Street is its more refined, laid-back cousin. Stretching between Harajuku and Shibuya, this pedestrian shopping street is home to independent fashion boutiques, cafés, and concept stores.
Cat Street is the place to find stylish Japanese fashion, sustainable brands, and smaller Tokyo clothing labels that cater to a more minimalist aesthetic. It’s one of the more chilled-out Harajuku attractions, and perfect for a leisurely afternoon wander.
Browse the used fashion stores
Vintage shopping in Harajuku is an adventure in itself. The neighbourhood is filled with second-hand and thrift stores, many of which focus on American-style streetwear, retro fashion, or reworked Japanese garments. I stopped in at a few, and weirdly, a lot of them seemed to lean heavily toward menswear — the local guys must really love fashion.
My personal favourite of the Harajuku thrift shops was Kinji, which had a huge selection of casual vintage pieces along with upcycled denim and kimono remakes. Another great shop is Chicago, a shop that stocks mostly American vintage with the occasional traditional kimono thrown in. For something more boutique-style, Flamingo has curated retro finds in a cosy space that feels more like a vintage studio than a thrift store. And if you’re in the mood for bougie browsing, head to Ragtag on Cat Street, where you’ll find second-hand designer fashion, including high-end labels at semi-affordable prices.
Take a breather at Meiji Shrine
Harajuku can be overwhelming, so if the sensory overload gets too much, escape to the forest. Just a few minutes’ walk from Takeshita Street is the peaceful, shaded entrance to Meiji Jingu, one of the most famous shrines in Tokyo.
Walking through the enormous torii gates and into the tranquil forest honestly feels like you’re stepping into another world. While I found the shrine itself to be rather busy with tourists, I really loved the quiet walk through the forest after the chaos of Tokyo’s streets. The wall of sake barrels on the way in was also an unexpectedly interesting attraction along the pathway to the shrine.
Meiji Shrine is one of the top Harajuku activities and is popular with tourists. Consider joining a Meiji Shrine and Shinto walking tour if you want a more immersive experience and integrate some more traditional and spiritual Tokyo attractions to your itinerary.
Find the Tokyu Plaza Omotesando escalators
That’s right, I am literally recommending an escalator. The mirrored entrance to Tokyu Plaza Omotesando is a surprise Instagram spot — you ride up through a tunnel of reflective geometric panels that make for a very artsy visual.
I stopped in to check them out, and they’re cool enough for a few quick snaps. You don’t need to linger, but if you’re planning a Tokyo itinerary and wondering what to do in Harajuku, these escalators make a fun little detour as you explore the area.
So, should you visit Harajuku?
Harajuku is one of the most unique places to visit in Tokyo — it’s a neighbourhood where tradition and eccentricity collide. It’s loud, colourful, sometimes overwhelming, but always entertaining. The answer is yes, a visit to Harajuku is lots of fun: eat something weird, shop for something unexpected, and embrace the madness.
