Harajuku and Omotesandō Guide: Takeshita Street, Style and Japanese to Use

Harajuku and Omotesandō sit side by side between Shinjuku and Shibuya: one a narrow street of kawaii fashion and crepes, the other a broad avenue of flagship stores and striking architecture. Both are free to wander, and both are perfect for the Japanese of shops: trying things on, asking for sizes and paying.

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Harajuku and Omotesandō Guide: Takeshita Street, Style and Japanese to Use

Step out of JR Harajuku Station and you have three Tokyos within ten minutes' walk: the forest of Meiji Jingū behind you, the crowds of Takeshita Street in front of you, and the calm, tree-lined luxury of Omotesandō to your left. Takeshita-dōri, about four hundred metres long, is where Japanese teenagers have shopped for decades, packed with small fashion shops, accessory stalls and crepe stands. Omotesandō, around a kilometre long, was laid out in the Taishō era as the front approach to Meiji Jingū and is now one of the world's great architecture streets, lined with zelkova trees and buildings by Tadao Ando, Toyo Ito and SANAA. Between them run the back streets of Ura-Harajuku and Cat Street, with vintage clothes and independent labels. This guide covers which station to use, what to see from Takeshita Street to Omotesando Hills, the words on the signs, the Japanese for trying on clothes, asking for another size and paying, some manners for crowded streets, and how to rehearse it all aloud before you go.

JR Harajuku's Takeshita Exit opens straight onto Takeshita Street

Omotesandō is the front approach to Meiji Jingū, lined with zelkova trees

Keep left on Takeshita Street; the official street guide asks walkers to do so

Kore, shichaku shite mo ii desu ka asks if you can try something on

Why Harajuku and Omotesandō belong on your Tokyo list

Harajuku, 原宿, literally a lodging on the plain, was once a small post town on a road out of Edo. Today it is the name everyone uses for the area around Harajuku Station, officially Jingūmae, and it has been a stage for Japanese youth fashion for decades. You may still see gothic lolita dresses, punk boots and colourful decora accessories on Takeshita Street, though the everyday crowd is now mostly shoppers, school groups and visitors from all over the world.

Omotesandō has a different rhythm. The broad avenue runs downhill from the Meiji Jingū entrance to Aoyama-dōri, shaded by zelkova trees, with pavements wide enough to stroll. Its flagship stores were designed by famous architects: Omotesando Hills by Tadao Ando, Tod's by Toyo Ito and Dior by SANAA. Even if you buy nothing, it is a walk through contemporary Japanese architecture.

For a Japanese learner, this is the easiest place in Tokyo to practise the language of shops. Staff greet you with irasshaimase, the fitting room is always a short request away, and the signs, sizes and price tags are in the same few words everywhere in Japan.

The entrance to Takeshita Street in Harajuku, with a large arch sign reading Takeshita, shop signs on glass buildings and shoppers crossing the road
The entrance arch of Takeshita Street, across the road from the Takeshita Exit of Harajuku Station.japanvlogjp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Getting there: Harajuku, Meiji-jingūmae and Omote-sandō stations

JR Harajuku Station, on the Yamanote Line, is a few minutes from Shinjuku or Shibuya. Its new station building opened in 2020. For Takeshita Street, leave by the Takeshita Exit, Takeshita-guchi: the street begins directly across the road. The main exit faces Omotesandō and the entrance to Meiji Jingū.

Underground, Meiji-jingūmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines is signed as 明治神宮前〈原宿〉, Meiji-jingūmae 'Harajuku', and its exits come up at the crossing of Omotesandō and Meiji-dōri, close to Laforet and Cat Street. Omote-sandō Station, on the Ginza, Hanzōmon and Chiyoda lines, is at the Aoyama end of the avenue. A good plan is to arrive at Harajuku, walk Takeshita Street, cut across to Omotesandō, and continue on foot down Cat Street to Shibuya.

JapaneseRomajiMeaning
竹下口はどちらですか。Takeshita-guchi wa dochira desu ka.Which way is the Takeshita Exit?
竹下通りはどう行けばいいですか。Takeshita-dōri wa dō ikeba ii desu ka.How do I get to Takeshita Street?
表参道駅まで歩いて何分くらいですか。Omote-sandō-eki made aruite nanpun kurai desu ka.About how many minutes' walk to Omote-sandō Station?
キャットストリートはこの先ですか。Kyatto sutorīto wa kono saki desu ka.Is Cat Street further along here?
渋谷まで歩いて行けますか。Shibuya made aruite ikemasu ka.Can I walk to Shibuya?

What you will see: from Takeshita Street to Omotesando Hills

The two main streets run roughly parallel, with a web of smaller lanes between and around them. Allow half a day if you want to browse, or two hours for a walk-through with a crepe on the way.

Omotesandō avenue seen from a pedestrian bridge at sunset, with lines of traffic between two rows of leafy zelkova trees
Omotesandō from a pedestrian bridge: the zelkova trees line both sides of the avenue.gog.creator, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Takeshita-dōri, 竹下通り: the narrow, busy street of fashion, accessories, sweets and crepe stands, about four hundred metres long.
  • Laforet Harajuku, ラフォーレ原宿: a maze-like fashion building at the Omotesandō and Meiji-dōri crossing, full of Tokyo labels.
  • Tokyu Plaza Omotesando, known as Omokado, with its mirrored entrance, and its sister building Harakado across the crossing, opened in 2024.
  • Omotesando Hills, 表参道ヒルズ: Tadao Ando's long, low shopping complex, opened in 2006 with a spiral ramp inside.
  • Kiddy Land, キデイランド: a toy and character shop on Omotesandō, several floors of Japanese and international characters.
  • Cat Street, キャットストリート: a winding lane from Omotesandō towards Shibuya, built over a covered river, with boutiques and vintage shops.
  • Ota Memorial Museum of Art, 太田記念美術館: a small ukiyo-e museum on a quiet lane just off Omotesandō; it pays only in cash and closes between exhibitions.

Exits, streets and the words on the signs

The signs you meet here belong to two worlds: the street and station names that get you around, and the shop words that get you through a purchase. Takeshita Street's own official guide asks visitors to keep left, 左側通行, because the street is so crowded, and it is closed to cars during the daytime shopping hours.

Inside the shops, look for the fitting room, the sale rail and the tax-free sign. Sizes are usually given as S, M and L or as numbers, and staff will often write a price on a calculator if you look unsure.

Six signboard words you will see in Harajuku and Omotesandō: Takeshita-dōri, Takeshita-guchi, Omotesandō, Meiji-jingūmae, hidarigawa tsūkō and shichakushitsu, in kanji with romaji
Street and station names, the keep-left notice and the fitting room: the words you will read most in Harajuku.
WordReadingMeaning
竹下通りTakeshita-dōriTakeshita Street
竹下口Takeshita-guchiThe Takeshita Exit of JR Harajuku Station
表参道OmotesandōThe avenue: the front approach to Meiji Jingū
明治神宮前Meiji-jingūmaeMetro station in front of Meiji Jingū
左側通行hidarigawa tsūkōKeep left
試着室shichakushitsuFitting room
セールsēruSale
免税menzeiTax-free
古着furugiSecond-hand clothes

Shopping Japanese: trying on, sizes and paying

Shop staff in Harajuku speak quickly and politely, and they will say the same few things in every shop: irasshaimase, welcome, when you come in, and a string of questions at the till, such as whether you want a bag and how you will pay. Knowing the questions in advance is half the battle.

Bags are usually charged for, so expect fukuro wa goriyō desu ka, would you like a bag? A simple daijōbu desu, I'm fine, means no. For payment, you will hear o-shiharai wa, and your payment is...? Answer with kādo de, by card, or genkin de, in cash. Tax-free rules change on 1 November 2026, when visitors start paying the full price in the shop and claiming the refund at departure, so carry your passport and ask the shop how it works.

Refuel with a crepe. Takeshita Street's crepe stands have been a Harajuku tradition for decades, and ordering one is simple: point, say the name or number on the menu, and add o hitotsu kudasai.

A hand holding a rolled Harajuku crepe filled with whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce, with a plastic spoon
A Takeshita Street crepe: rolled into a cone and filled with cream, fruit and chocolate.Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
これ、試着してもいいですか。Kore, shichaku shite mo ii desu ka.May I try this on?
もう少し小さいサイズはありますか。Mō sukoshi chiisai saizu wa arimasu ka.Do you have a slightly smaller size?
ほかの色はありますか。Hoka no iro wa arimasu ka.Do you have it in other colours?
これをください。Kore o kudasai.I'll take this, please.
カードで払えますか。Kādo de haraemasu ka.Can I pay by card?
袋は大丈夫です。Fukuro wa daijōbu desu.I don't need a bag.
免税の手続きはできますか。Menzei no tetsuzuki wa dekimasu ka.Can you do the tax-free procedure?
このクレープをひとつください。Kono kurēpu o hitotsu kudasai.One of these crepes, please.

Crowds, manners and practical tips

Harajuku is relaxed and anything-goes in fashion, but the streets are packed and a few habits make everyone's day easier.

  • Keep left on Takeshita Street, as its official guide asks, and do not stop in the middle of the flow for photos.
  • Finish your crepe or snack near the stand where you bought it rather than eating while squeezing through the crowd.
  • Ask before photographing people in striking outfits or shop staff; many are happy to pose, but it is their choice.
  • Take rubbish with you: there are few bins on the streets, so hold on to wrappers until you find one.
  • Arrive when shops open on a weekday for the calmest Takeshita Street; weekend afternoons are the busiest.
  • Carry some cash for small stands and the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, which accepts cash only.
  • Use a coin locker at the station if you are loaded with shopping and want to walk on to Meiji Jingū or Yoyogi Park.

Practise the fitting room before you go

The conversation you will almost certainly have in Harajuku is in a fitting room. Staff use polite shop language, such as achira ni narimasu, it is over there, and o-mochi shimasu, I will bring it, so practise hearing those forms as well as saying your own lines.

Then practise with a partner who answers back. In Unihongo, choose the Shopping topic and ask your AI Sensei to play a shop assistant on Takeshita Street or Omotesandō, or try the Order at a Café mission to rehearse the coffee stop afterwards. Saying the lines aloud once before you go is what makes them come out naturally at the till.

A four-line chat between a shopper and a shop assistant in Harajuku, asking to try something on and for a smaller size, in Japanese with romaji
The fitting-room exchange: ask to try something on, then ask for a smaller size.
JapaneseRomajiMeaning
これ、試着してもいいですか。Kore, shichaku shite mo ii desu ka.May I try this on?
はい、どうぞ。試着室はあちらになります。Hai, dōzo. Shichakushitsu wa achira ni narimasu.Yes, of course. The fitting room is over there.
もう少し小さいサイズはありますか。Mō sukoshi chiisai saizu wa arimasu ka.Do you have a slightly smaller size?
少々お待ちください。お持ちしますね。Shōshō o-machi kudasai. O-mochi shimasu ne.Just a moment, please. I'll bring one.

Official information

Shop hours vary and change often, so check each shop's own site. The Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau's official guide covers the area, and the Takeshita Street shopkeepers' association publishes a map and street news in Japanese.

Key points

A practical way to improve

Read the fitting-room dialogue in this guide aloud until it feels easy, then open Unihongo and choose the Shopping topic. Ask your AI Sensei to play a shop assistant in a Harajuku boutique: ask to try on a jacket, ask for a smaller size and a different colour, and ask whether you can pay by card. Then switch to the Café topic, or the Order at a Café mission, and order a drink on Omotesandō. The session report afterwards lists your corrections and new vocabulary, so the shop Japanese is already in your mouth when you walk in.

  1. 1

    Choose one clear goal

    Focus each session on a situation or skill you can actually use.

  2. 2

    Practice actively

    Say complete answers aloud instead of only reading or recognizing Japanese.

  3. 3

    Review and repeat

    Keep useful corrections and revisit the same skill until it feels natural.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which station is best for Harajuku and Omotesandō?

For Takeshita Street, use JR Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line and leave by the Takeshita Exit. For the middle of Omotesandō and Cat Street, Meiji-jingūmae 'Harajuku' Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines is closest. For the Aoyama end of the avenue, use Omote-sandō Station on the Ginza, Hanzōmon and Chiyoda lines. The whole area is walkable, so you can arrive at one and leave from another.

Is Harajuku worth visiting if you don't like fashion?

Yes. Even without shopping, Takeshita Street is a spectacle, the crepes are a Tokyo classic, and Omotesandō is worth walking for its architecture alone. Meiji Jingū's forest is next to the station, the Ota Memorial Museum of Art shows ukiyo-e prints on a quiet back street, and the Nezu Museum at the Aoyama end has a Japanese garden. It makes an easy half day combined with Shibuya.

When is Takeshita Street least crowded?

Weekday mornings are the calmest; many shops open late in the morning, so arrive just as they open. Weekends, school holidays and afternoons are the busiest times, when the street can move at a shuffle. If the main street is too crowded, the side streets are usually much quieter and have plenty of shops of their own.

What does Omotesandō mean?

Omotesandō, 表参道, means the front approach to a shrine. Omote is front, and sandō is the approach path to a shrine or temple. The avenue was built as the main approach to Meiji Jingū, which opened in 1920, and the name stuck to the whole district. You will see the word sandō at shrines all over Japan.

Can I shop tax-free in Harajuku?

Many larger shops offer tax-free shopping for visitors with a passport. Japan changes its system on 1 November 2026: instead of paying without tax in the shop, visitors pay the full price and claim the refund when they leave Japan. Carry your passport, ask the shop how their procedure works, and check the rules before your trip.

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