Harajuku blog — The fullest Harajuku travel guide & what to do in Harajuku for first-timers

Not only has a bustling atmosphere with crowds of people passing by, Harajuku is also a neighborhood that converges cultural features, unique fashion styles and spiritual places imbued with Japanese culture. In this article, we will send you a brief article about this impressive neighborhood, scroll down to read more!

So, is Harajuku worth visiting, what to do in Harajuku and how to plan a budget trip to Chicago for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Harajuku blog (Harajuku travel blog) with the fullest Harajuku travel guide (guide to Chicago, Harajuku guide) from how to get Chicago, best places to visit, best time to come, what to eat as well as top things to do in Harajuku to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Harajuku – Tokyo’s bustling neighborhood (#harajuku blog)

Harajuku is a area located between Shibuya and Shinjuku, this is famous for its fashion streets specializing in selling clothes, fashion accessories in punk style, Gothic Lolita, Hip-hop,… Step Entering this neighborhood, you will have the opportunity to see the colorful street corners from the dense billboards above, the sparkling neon lights and especially the dynamic young people cosplaying as familiar Anime characters.

Not only that, Harajuku is also the convergence of fashion stores with diverse styles from popular to high-end such as Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton,… Here, you will easily find unique, strange cosplay accessories, one-of-a-kind outfits at an extremely affordable price. Not only that, this street also has many delicious snack stalls selling Japanese street food.

In general, the highlight of the Harajuku neighborhood is its unique fashion style. Many tourists say that this is one of the places that influence fashion in Japan in particular and Asia in general.

When is the best time to travel to Harajuku? (#harajuku travel blog)

You can go to Harajuku at any time of the year. Originally a bustling neighborhood, Harajuku is crowded all year round with many unique events. If you want to have more experiences, you can go to Harajuku in March-April and October-November, these are the two times when the Tokyo air is cool, very suitable for Harajuku strolls.

How to get to Harajuku? (#harajuku travel guide)

If you come from Vietnam, you need to buy a plane ticket to go to Tokyo. This flight will take you to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. After arriving at Haneda Airport, you can return to your hotel and then move to Harajuku by some of the following means of transport:

Subway: If you come from Tokyo Station, you can travel to Harajuku by the following 3 lines:

• Take the Marunouchi Line to Akasaka-mitsuke Station, where you change the Ginza Line to Gaienmae Station and walk a few minutes to Harajuku.
• Take the Yamanote Line and go through 11 stops to Harajuku Station.
• At Nijūbashimae Station, take the Chiyoda Line to get off at Meiji-jingumae Station, then walk a few more minutes to reach Harajuku.

If you depart from other locations, you can go to the Google Map application to look up the train route to take.

Airport shuttle: If this is your first time in Tokyo, you can book airport transfers on Klook, with just a few taps you can instantly book a shuttle to pick you up as soon as you arrive at the airport.

Where to go and what to do in Harajuku? (#harajuku guide)

Harajuku is a bustling neighborhood with trendy boutiques and modern styles, and here are 5 must-see attractions in Harajuku:

Kawaii Monster Cafe (#harajuku travel guide)

Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 4 Chome−31−10 YMスクエア 4F

This is a cafe-restaurant that attracts visitors with its colorful look and sumptuous meals. Not only for dining, you also admire famous Cosplay characters and shimmering fanciful space different from the outside world. If you come to Kawaii Monster Cafe for dinner, you will find the bustling Harajuku street scene especially fun.

NHK Studio Park

Address: 2 Chome-2-1 Jinnan, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-8001, Japan

NHK studio park specializes in organizing interesting events and unique exhibitions. This is a destination that many foreign tourists love, especially children. This is where interactive events with many famous people in popular children’s shows take place. This place is predicted to be a playground for the little ones.

For adults, this is a place for you to learn the knowledge from the show production exhibitions, and at the same time participate in the live recording sessions broadcast on television.

Laforet Harajuku

Address: 1 Chome-11-6 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Hours: 11AM–8PM

This is a place that specializes in selling trendy fashion items in Harajuku. Laforet Harajuku is the convergence of the latest designs for modern ladies. In addition, there are many restaurants serving a variety of dishes, such as Guzman y Gomez restaurant with super delicious tacos.

Omotesando Hills Complex

Address: 4 Chome-12 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Hours: 11AM–11PM

This is a building consisting of 6 floors and 3 basements. It converges many luxury restaurants and cafes with impressive architecture. Omotesando Hills was designed by famous architects, this place is known as the largest shopping district in Harajuku. If you are a fan of shopping, this is a place not to be missed when coming to Harajuku.

Takeshita Street

This is the street known as the main artery of Harajuku. This is a gathering place for many young people in Japan, here you can easily find interesting souvenirs, enjoy shopping in fashion stores located close together.

Meiji Jingu

Address: 1-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-8557, Japan
Hours: 5:20AM–5:20PM

Meiji Jingu is a very quiet and peaceful shrine to Emperor Meiji in Japan. This is a popular tourist attraction and a must-visit when coming to Harajuku and Shibuya. At Meiji Jingu you will see the clear blue sky dotted with green trees and see ancient shrines with impressive traditional architecture.

What and where to eat in Harajuku?

Food is always an interesting experience in all travel. If you have chosen to visit in Harajuku, then you should definitely visit the following must-go dining places:

Kuri

This is a bar that offers over 100 different types of sake. Coming here, you will enjoy savory sake parties with delicious snacks. This bar is located about 7km from Ginza station – quite far but well worth the time to travel and experience. In particular, the shop has many combos to reward sake at affordable prices, so don’t forget to come here to chat with your friends!

Jiromaru

Address: 1 Chome-26-3 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan

This barbecue restaurant serves the style of “standing up”. This place often serves delicious grilled beef and beef intestines at relatively good prices. Here you can order large chunks of meat especially fresh. The restaurant is located very close to Seibu station (about 1.6km) and usually opens from 11pm, closes at 5am the next morning.

Afuri ramen

This is a restaurant specializing in extremely delicious traditional ramen noodles. Here, you will enjoy the vividly decorated bowls of noodles with many colors from vegetables, eggs, onions, meat,… In particular, the restaurant also serves vegetarian ramen with a variety of vegetables. The restaurant is only a 3-minute walk from Takeshita exit at JR Harajuku station, so it is quite convenient for traveling.

Harajuku Gyozaro

Address: 6 Chome-2-4 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Hours: 11:30AM–10PM

Harajuku Gyozaro is famous for its delicious pork gyozas. Pan-fried gyozas with a golden shell or soft steamed gyozas at the shop are chosen by many visitors as a snack. Gyozas are dipped with special sauce to create an unmistakable flavor. The gyozas at the shop are often served with tea or beer. Note, the shop is often very crowded during peak hours, so please be patient to queue, it won’t take much time.

Sushi Bar Yasuda

Address: 4 Chome-2-6 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan

Sushi Bar Yasuda restaurant space is not too big, there is only a small bar to serve diners and inside are chefs preparing food. The restaurant can only serve about 8 guests at most at a time, so visitors need to watch the time or make a reservation. This sushi shop owns dishes made from fresh ingredients, so it will surely bring you great taste experiences.

Where to stay in Harajuku?

Below, we will suggest you some Harajuku hotels to stay in to prepare for your stay in this neighborhood for a few days:

Imano Tokyo Hostel

Address: 5-12-2, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $30/night

Imano Tokyo Hostel is located about 810 meters from Shinjuku. This is a good price hotel with rooms fully equipped with modern equipment. The hotel’s bedroom space is decorated in a minimalist style, inside there is an extremely chill and spacious restaurant, coffee and bar area.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

The Millennials Shibuya

Address: 1-20-13 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Shibuya, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $93/night

The Millennials Shibuya is a 3-star hotel located about 855 meters from Meijijingu-mae Station. The hotel is close to many of Tokyo’s famous attractions. It is built in a modern architectural style with fully furnished rooms.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Keio Presso Inn Shinjuku

Address: 3-4-5 NishiShinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $119/night

The 3-star Keio Presso Inn Shinjuku hotel is located about 1.85km from Harajuku Station. The hotel’s exterior is built with minimalist architecture, inside are rooms with simple decoration to ensure privacy and comfort to help guests have great relaxing moments.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Hotel Tateshina

Address: 5-8-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Kanto, Japan
Room rate: from $97/night

Tateshina is a 3-star hotel just 2.5km from Harajuku Station. The hotel has a neat and luxurious appearance. Here you will be rested in spacious rooms and fully equipped with modern amenities. The hotel has many different types of rooms to help meet the needs of both individuals and groups of friends or family.

You can check rates, reviews and book on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Check out more top and best hotels in Harajuku on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Conclusion

After learning a little about Harajuku, do you think this neighborhood is one of the must-visit attractions when coming to Japan? If so, why not hurry up and quickly hunt for flight tickets to Japan and book a hotel to start your trip to the bustling Harajuku neighborhood right away!

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Tokyo you can refer to

• Private Narita International Airport Transfers (NRT) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Private Haneda International Airport Transfers (HND) for Tokyo 23 Wards, Hakone, or Karuizawa
• Airport Limousine Bus Transfers from/to Narita and Haneda International Airport (Free Wifi Onboard)
• Tokyo Amazing Sightseeing Bus Day Tour
• Tokyo Highlights Private Day Tour
• Nikko Day Tour from Tokyo
• Mt Fuji & Hakone Day Tour: Lake Ashi & Ropeway Day Trip from Tokyo
• Nikko Cultural Day Tour from Tokyo
• Tokyo Subway Ticket (24, 48, or 72 Hours)
• Tokyo Skyliner and Tokyo Subway Ticket
• Shuttle Bus Transfers (One Way/Round Trip) from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea
• Sky Hop-on and Hop-off Bus Pass
• 4G Prepaid Sim Card (JP Airports Pick Up) for Japan
• 4G WiFi (Japan Pick Up) for Japan
• JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days)

Looking for best autumn spots in Japan? Read here. And Kyoto here. And top things to do in Tokyo: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Tokyo travel blog — The fullest Tokyo city guide for a budget trip for the first time visiting Tokyo, Japan.