I know for a fact that my wife and I had missed quite a few things when we visited the Harajuku ward. We had listed the Meiji Shrine, the Oriental Bazaar and Yoyogi Park as our stops for the day, but when we finally got off the station, aside from the Meiji Shrine, we spent our entire day exploring Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street).

Takeshita Dori is basically a 400 meter strip filled with trendy shops, restaurants, ticket sellers, and fashion boutiques. Perhaps the biggest attraction (at least for us) on the entire strip was the Daiso Harajuku or 100 Yen Shop. The shop basically sells all its products for 105¥ (tax included), and majority of their inventory are actually of pretty decent quality. This Daiso in Harajuku is boasted as the largest found in central Tokyo, and with three floors to explore, we understood why. Here you’ll find a large selection of hardware, tableware, garden materials, household goods, leisure items, and food items all in one store. If I had been a resident of Japan, I’m certain much of my shopping for daily items would be here. Although items were only 105¥ a piece, by the time we left the shop for the first time, we had spent roughly over 10000¥ on just candy and snacks! My wife in particular has a huge love for Japanese Pinky mints, and she bought at least 3000¥ worth of mints alone.

After leaving the Daiso, we spent some time exploring the rest of the strip. There were a ton of interesting shops we had wanted to check out, but we honestly didn’t have the time or energy to visit them all. As a safety precaution I advise anyone going into these areas to travel with a companion and to be weary of thieves and hustlers. Its seems that no matter where you visit, there are always those people who are trying to make a quick buck. I had been offered on one occasion to be taken to a “hip hop” shop on the second floor of a building on the strip that seemed to lead to nowhere. Fortunately I was with a group of four and the guy decided to drop his invitation when he discovered I wasn’t alone.

How to get to Takeshita Dori :
Upon arriving at the Harajuku Station using the JR Yamanote Line, choose the “Takeshita Exit” when leaving the station. Upon exit, you will be directly facing Takeshita Dori. The Daiso is located on the left side of the street entrance.

During our second visit to Harajuku, we made it a point to visit the Meiji Shrine. We had not visited any shrines yet on our stay, and I felt it was important that we visited a few before going home. My biggest advice to anyone visiting this shrine is to wear comfortable shoes. It was a long walk in! The scenery on the way in was quite beautiful, and despite being located in the nations capital city, the atmosphere was serene and very appealing.

Since this was the very first shrine we visited, my wife decided to look up the proper etiquette for entrance. We discovered that at the gate of every shrine there is a purification fountain. Upon reaching the fountain, there are several purification steps to take before entering the sacred grounds. The process is simple:

1. Take one of the ladles provided and fill it with fresh water and rinse your left hand.
2. Fill the ladle for a second time and rinse your right hand.
3. Fill the ladle for a third time and cup some water in your hands to rinse your mouth. (do not sip directly from the ladle)
4. Rinse the ladle out and return to its proper place.

After completing the purification process we entered the shrine. Its important to be aware of your surroundings and note that photography is not allowed in certain areas of the shrine itself. The shrine isn’t simply a tourist spot, but rather a place for regular worship and we actually saw quite a few men and women in business suits stopping in to make and offering and say a short prayer. As with any place of worship, behaving calmly and respectfully are very important.

Before leaving, we decided to make offering. Here were the steps we used.

1. Advance before the god enshrined, and make your offering. (boxes for yen are in the front)
2. Bow deeply two times.
3. Clap your hands twice.
4. Say a short prayer.
5. Make a deep bow once more.

Advice : Be very weary of the areas you are allowed to photograph. The shrine itself is normally permitted to be photographed, but it is absolutely forbidden to take photos of the actual god enshrined at any temple.