Aoyama/ Omotesando
Farmers Market @ UNU - Food market: Omotesando [Open 10am-4pm (weekends only).]
Farm-fresh fruits and vegetables are on sale at the popular farmers market that pops up every weekend in front of UN University (across the street from Aoyama Gakuin). Besides the dozens of stalls there are also a few food trucks selling...
Children's Castle - Attraction: Omotesando [Open 10am to 5:30pm weekends; 12:30pm to 5:30pm weekdays. Closed Mondays.]
Hachiko and its surrounding environs may be the hot spot for the teen-to-college crowd, but not far away is a place designed specifically for the younger set. Located between Shibuya and Omotesando stations, the National Children's Castle offers fun...
Loop - Club: Omotesando [Open 11pm-5am daily.]
A smallish room with good DJs, an excellent sound system and a very local crowd.
Ao - Shopping complex: OmotesandoWith its striking silhouette, this shopping and office complex stands out against the Aoyama skyline. The building was completed in 2009, designed by the architectural firm of Sakakura Associates.
Two Rooms Bar - Bar: Omotesando [Open 11:30am-2am daily.]
Although it's only located on the fifth-floor level, the big outdoor terrace at Two Rooms offers a lovely unobstructed view north looking out over Harajuku, with the skyscrapers of Shinjuku in the distance. Choose from well-made cocktails or any of...
Spiral Building - Notable building: OmotesandoPritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki designed this Aoyama landmark, which was completed in 1985. There is an excellent design shop on the second floor.
Fai - Club: Omotesando [Open 11pm-5am daily.]
A multi-level club that hosts a diverse range of music, including house, Latin and jazz events.
Blue Note - Jazz club: Omotesando [Open 5:30pm-1am daily.]
The venue of choice for top jazz and R&B acts from overseas.
Body and Soul - Jazz club: Omotesando [Open 7pm-12:30am. Closed Sundays.]
A small, intimate venue for live jazz.
Nezu Museum - Art museum: Omotesando [Open 10am-5pm (enter until 4:30pm). Closed Mondays.]
Pre-modern art from Japan, China, and other Asian countries is the focus of the collection here, with some 7000 items including painting and sculpture, calligraphy, ceramics and lacquerware. The stunning building was designed by architect Kengo...
Rin - Retail: Omotesando [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
The rather chic minimalist decor here is perfect for showcasing Rin's collection of arts and crafts from the outlying regions of Japan. You'll find exquisite pottery, elegant kitchen knives and a selection of artisanal food products. They also...
Prada - Notable building: Omotesando [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
This stunning building is the work of the Swiss architectural firm of Herzog & de Meuron.
Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum - Art museum: Omotesando [Open 10am-6pm (enter until 5:30pm). Closed Tuesdays.]
The artist and sculptor Taro Okamoto is known for his iconic, cartoonish and somewhat surrealist large-scale public sculptures. The museum occupies the space that he used as a studio and residence for fifty years, until his death in 1996. Upstairs...
Gallery 5610 - Art gallery: Omotesando [Open 11am-6pm. Closed Sundays.]
This small gallery focuses on the work of graphic designers but has also presented exhibitions of ceramics, metalwork and other crafts, and photography.
Shimada Yosho - Bookstore: Omotesando [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
Despite its ultra-fashionable location nestled among high-priced clothing shops, Shimada feels like a comfortable, old-style browsing bookstore, with narrow aisles and towering shelves piled high with gorgeous large-format coffee-table-suitable...
Harajuku
Omotesando Hills - Shopping complex: HarajukuThis very stylish seven-story shopping and restaurant complex features mostly small boutiques and luxury brands. The structure was designed by architect Tadao Ando and completed in 2006.
Tod's Omotesando - Notable building: HarajukuThe curving, organic-looking shapes of the glass and concrete facade are inspired by the zelkova trees that line Omotesando. The building was designed by architect Toyo Ito and completed in 2004.
GYRE - Notable building: HarajukuEchoing the spiral forms of Fumihiko Maki's Spiral Building and Tado Ando's Omotesando Hills nearby, the design of this shopping complex is based on the concept of five boxes stacked on top of each other and rotated around a central core, forming a...
Eye of Gyre - Art gallery: Harajuku [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
This small two-room gallery located next to the MOMA Store specializes in contemporary Japanese art, and it's generally worth checking out if you happen to be passing by.
MoMA Design Store - Retail: Harajuku [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
More than 1800 very tasteful items are stocked at this museum shop from the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Everything from stylish lamps to clever wristwatches to stationery and kitchenware. The selection also includes a number of items...
Tintin Shop - Retail: Harajuku [Open 11:30am-7pm daily.]
A well-stocked shop devoted to the beloved Belgian comic-book hero and his dog, Snowy.
Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku - Shopping complex: Harajuku [Open 8am-11:30pm daily.]
Yes, Tokyu Plaza is yet another multi-story shopping center in a city full of them, but this one is worth knowing about for the lovely sixth-floor rooftop terrace area that looks out over Harajuku. The spacious terrace area, the sixth-floor coffee...
LaForet - Shopping complex: Harajuku [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
One of Harajuku's most famous shopping destinations, this six-story building is crammed with tiny boutiques representing various current fashion trends. The top-floor museum hosts regular exhibitions of contemporary art.
Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art - Art museum: Harajuku [Open 10:30am-5:30pm. Closed Mondays.]
The museum holds a collection of 12,000 woodblock prints, and the selection on display changes monthly. Note that the museum is often closed for a few days a month while they change the exhibitions.
Yoyogi Park - Park/garden: Harajuku [Open summer 5am-8pm; winter 5am-5pm daily.]
This sprawling park next to Harajuku station (and adjacent to Meiji Jingu shrine) draws a big, diverse crowd on Sundays, but is much quieter during the week.
Meiji Jingu - Shrine: Harajuku [Open sunrise to sunset daily.]
One of Tokyo's major tourist destinations, Meiji Shrine is especially popular at New Year's, drawing more than three million visitors during the first three days of January. (The main New Year's Day ritual is held at 7am on January 1.) Other...
Yoyogi National Gymnasium - Notable building: HarajukuDesigned by architect Kenzo Tange, this elegant structure, with its dramatically sweeping profile, has become an iconic work of modern architecture. It was completed in 1964, built specifically for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
KDDI Designing Studio - Showroom: Harajuku [Open 10am-8pm daily.]
Located at the end of the Takeshita-dori teen-fashion shopping street, this five-story showroom focuses on mobile phones available from au, one of Japan's three major carriers. The third-floor "Portal Living" section showcases new software for...
Design Festa Gallery - Art gallery: Harajuku [Open 11am-8pm daily.]
Sprouting out of the backstreets of Harajuku like some bargain-basement Pompidou Centre is the Design Festa Gallery. If not Tokyo's most avant-garde art space, the gallery - an offshoot of Design Festa (Japan's biggest art and design event, held...
Vacant - Art gallery: Harajuku [Open 1-8pm. Closed Mondays.]
Exhibitions here vary widely in content, but tend toward the edgy, underground end of the spectrum. The space is also used for live music and other events. On the ground floor is a bar-cafe with a vegetarian menu and a big shop area selling...
Ra.a.g.f - Rabbit cafe: Harajuku [Open noon-7pm (LO; Sat, Sun 11-7:30). Closed Fridays, 3rd Thu.]
Visitors are encouraged to pet, play with and feed the dozen or so rabbits "on staff" at this small backstreet cafe. Several different breeds are represented, and most of them seem to be quite lively (especially compared to typical residents of a...
