原宿 (Harajuku)

Harajuku is a shopping district in Tokyo just south of Shinjuku. It is supposed to be the center for youth fashion; supposedly every Sunday at noon the fashionable kids all come out and strut their stuff. I don't know if everyone was at Design Festa, but unfortunately on Sunday when I was there the fashion kids were nowhere to be seen. But it's still an interesting area!

Right near the train station is the Olympic Arena, built for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It is an impressive building!

It is a very crowded area!!! These two pictures are outside a fashionable mall, and in the narrow street that is the center for youth fashion shops.

This is looking out from the entrance of the mall. It has a really impressive mirrored escalator section as an entrance.

I have no idea what the first place here, "Hysteric Glamor" is, but I liked the name! The second is a tiny little condom shop that has an amazing variety, including some amusing ones with pictures of Rilakkuma ("Relax Bear") on the wrappers.

Harajuku also has a store devoted to Tintin, with this nice Captain Haddock figure, and the Original Fake store, that sells toys and clothes designed by the artist Kaws.

And it also has tucked away a tiny shrine to Inari, with these cool kitsune (fox) carvings.

(Speaking of Kaws, I just read that his "Companion" figure will be featured as a balloon this year in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I guess he has really made the big time!