Hey, hey it's......Harajuku!!!

A visit to Harajuku in Tokyo will always provide plenty of entertainment....even more so if you visit on a Sunday. Harajuku has many attractions.....the 'out there' Harajuku fashions, Omotesando Street, Takeshita Street, Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park ......to mention but a few.

To reach Harajuku from where we live in Yamashita-cho means, as normal, catching a variety of trains. We leave Ishikawacho on the blue Keihin-Tohoku Line then change to the orange Tokaido Line at Yokohama. At Shinagawa we change to the green Yamanote Line heading towards Shinjuku. Harajuku is one stop after Shibuya but two stops before Shinjuku. Research on Train Route Finder by Jorudan Co Ltd shows that we could also catch the Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Yokohama and change to the Yamanote Line at Ebisu but to date I have not used this route. It is about 35km's and takes 48 minutes travelling time, plus changeover time, and costs 540 yen ($6.60) each way. 

The railway network map below shows the journey, plus I have marked a couple of other places mentioned in earlier blogs.

The Harajuku Station looks very different to all other stations in Tokyo.

A visit to Harajuku on a weekday, although still busy, is far more relaxing than a weekend visit.  There are many things to see so it is definitely worth a visit at anytime but really ........Harajuku on a Sunday is a must! On a Sunday it is insanely busy and it's guaranteed you'll see some very different fashions-Gothic Lolita, Visual Kei, Decora, Punk, Rock-a-Billy, Hip-Hop...... Takeshita Street is a busy, busy place!

Like anywhere in Japan, return visits will always deliver a new experience. Whether it be a celebration, parade, ceremony, festival......someting will be happening somewhere. One Friday, with 'alien visitors' Marion and Sandy, it was exciting to witness many traditional wedding ceremonies underway at a large temple. Steve and I had earlier witnessed one on a Sunday.

In terms of seeing something new, our last visit was no exception. We wanted 'alien Paula' to experience some Tokyo crowds and crazy fashions so, although decidedly not Steve's idea of fun, we headed off on a Sunday. We weren't to be disappointed! On this occasion it was the 90th Anniversary of the shrine adjacent to Harajuku Station. As we blended into the crowd and made our way along Takeshita Street it was business as usual....tourists galore, energetic spruikers, 'out there' fashions and more tourists. Not surprisingly, Asian tourists far outweigh Western tourists, although this is one place you do see plenty of 'Euros'! 

In this place basically anything goes.....as these outfits clearly demonstrate!!

At the end of Takeshita Street we turned right and made our way to Omotesando Street. This street is famous for its upscale fashion shops...Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada.....and in recent times has been referred to as Tokyo's Champs Elysees. 

With trees lining either side, it is a lovely street to stroll along. On our last visit with Paula large groups of people, dressed in traditional Japanese costumes, were moving excitedly along the street. A certain indicator that something special was happening somewhere.

We continued up the street towards the Harajuku Station and Jingu Bridge where it's common to see large groups congregating. Once over the bridge you reach the very impressive Meiji Shrine (明治神宮)entrance.

Just before the entrance we were entertained by a variety of performances.

But wait there was more!! As we strolled along the broad walkway, with its overhanging trees, shrines to be carried by groups of men were being unloaded from trucks and there was an abundance of people in traditional costumes.

Further along we came upon another highly decorated area with even more performances and excitement!! 

 Ceremony or no ceremony ....like anywhere...everyone has to stop for food!!

Talk about sensory overload. 

One cannot help but be fascinated by the abundance of celebrations occurring so regularly in this wonderful country. Truly, the Japanese are specialists in this domain. Visits to Indonesia over the past few years have introduced us to the many religious ceremonies, which are an inherent part of life in Asian countries. We should not be surprised that these ceremonies are so prolific in Japan.

Everything here is big (except the people)...celebrations are big.....crowds are big....and  politeness, patience and enjoyment is huge!!!

HARAJUKU-WA SUBARASHI-I MACHI DESU!!

'Yeah, yeah, yeah!'......it's the Beatles Bar.

Just one night at the Beatles Bar in Shinagawa and you'll be addicted....... you'll be wanting to go back again and again.

In a tiny little room very near to the Shinagawa station you can find this very unobtrusive venue. There is nothing remarkable about the location at all and it would be very easy to overlook. Bek and Paul became addicted and Steve has returned often with various work and personal friends. To date I have only been a couple of times as I have either been the designated nanny or away.

You pay 2000 yen to get in with drinks on top. Patrons can purchase a bottle of whisky which the host, Oshima, clearly labels. The bottle is stored on a shelf over the bar and taken down upon return visits. Naturally once it's depleted you replace it. Due to a typical 'lost in translation' mistake the first bottle Steve had purchased was amusingly labelled 'Stephen and Lewis'. Somewhere along the line Paul and Canadian Steve finished off the 'Stephen and Lewis' bottle but duly replaced it for the next visit. It has now been replaced quite a few times. Even though whisky can be bought incredibly cheaply in Japan you do pay 'top yen' for it at the Beatles Bar.

The host of the bar is a very funny guy. He is very humourous and to prove it he proudly pokes his finger through his glasses to show there is no lens.......... 'Just for looks!'

You are never quite sure what sort of music you'll get but it's all good. One night Paul even did a song or two! People crowd around the musician and simply listen or converse with other patrons.

On one visit there were six in our group; Moses, Steve and Sandy, Marion and Steve and I. We started the evening with a meal in a Japanese restaurant. You should have heard the complaints when we had to sit cross legged. There isn't actually much room in the eating spaces and if you are tall it's hard to find a space for the extra leg length.

As the Beatles Bar occupies a very small space and up to forty people often squeeze in, it can be very squashy and 'up close and personal'. We make sure we get there early enough to secure a spot. By the end of the night the tables and seats have been constantly moved around to accommodate everyone. One very friendly Japanese gentleman had been staring from across the room and finally took up residence next to me. I was happy to move next to Moses as things got a bit close. It is fun though, and yelling over the music makes for even more 'Lost in Translation' experiences than normal. The music is fantastic and the general ambiance of the place is so friendly and Japanese. No loud, anti social displays just respectful, enjoyable appreciation of excellent talent/s.

You can be sure it won't be an early night after any visit to the Beatles Bar. We were lucky to catch the last trains. We couldn't physically fit on one train leaving from Shinagawa so had to wait for the next one, then we caught the absolutely last train from Sakuragicho. On an earlier visit (when I was home in Australia) Steve and Moses had to walk from Yokohama because there were no connecting trains till the morning and then Steve borrowed Mose's bike to get home from Sakuragicho to Ishikawacho. He arrived home at 4am. Shame!!

On our most recent visit we had a group of  eight, all team project people.  We once again started with a traditional Japanese meal in a nearby restaurant. The food was very nice, particularly the tempura prawns, and of course, there were plenty of beers and wines to go with the sashimi.

'What a lucky man!'......Steve had two lovely ladies entertaining him.

Recovering from an irritation Moses looks just a little bit 'too cool for school' in his sunnies.

After the meal we relocated to the Beatles Bar where the entertainment was brilliant. The guitarist and vocalist were excellent. They asked for requests and we kept a constant supply up to them. There was not one request they didn't play. It was a fantastic night and after lots of singing out loud, playing supplied percussion instruments and too much whisky we all travelled home on the last, overcrowded trains. As the trains were so tightly packed we didn't even need to worry about falling over!!

Be prepared to (maybe) have too many drinks, go home smelling of cigarette smoke and have ringing ears for the next few days!! You'll never know if you don't have a go....

Glitz...Glamour...It's Ginza!!

From Ishikawacho........to Yokohama.........to Yurakucho.......it's here we step off the train to take a relaxed stroll around the Oedo Antique Market before finding our way to the streets of Ginza.

The Oedo Antique Market is held on the first and third Sundays of every month. On my last visit I went home the proud owner of a little old stool, which resembled a builder's work horse but was very quaintly made and apparently seventy years old. Who knows...could be only two years old...it's still quaint!

This time I decided to look for an antique Japanese doll. I wandered around the very busy and expansive market which is held outside the Tokyo International Forum. It is difficult to know whether you are indeed purchasing an antique or not but in my view it doesn't really matter....if you like it then buy it! After having a good look around I had a bit of an idea of what I would like. I had spotted a pair of dolls quite early on but decided to continue my reconnoiter. Finally, I was still drawn to the pair I had seen initially. In the usual broken, 'part English part Japanese' dialogue I found that the dolls were 80 years old and, fortunately, were also affordable. Many things at the market are very expensive.....sometimes I must admit to wondering why?? After handing over my six thousand yen I walked away with my dolls in their little wooden box. They definitely look old and the Japanese lady was almost offended when I questioned her again about their age. My dolls are now comfortably ensconced on our sideboard in the dining room.

As you wander around the market you may decide you would like a kimono...or maybe some china..... fabric...a trinket or nick knack.....jewellery...a print....really the choices are many!!!

Paula came home with a print, an obi and a doll. Steve found an old cigarette lighter, a relic from the Vietnam War, with an interesting inscription on it.

After we left the market we moved on to Ginza with its brand name shops lining each side of the main street, Chuo-dori. Each Sunday this street is closed to traffic and becomes Pedestrian's Paradise.  Here you can catch street music (nothing too loud) and performances, hawkers selling magical puppets which dance without strings, and thousands of other people to bump into. I am sure the Thompson Clan would be intrigued to see the mention of the magical puppets!! Magical my foot...says Paul!

The heart of Ginza is the intersection of Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori, dominated by the glass cylinder of the San-ai Building. I believe Ginza is adequately described by photographs alone.....

 
Steve found himself a new toy...he wishes!! The silent guitar in the Yamaha shop was really quite fantastic.

 Maybe you would care for some tasty delights.....

It will be exciting to return at Christmas when the streets are lined with over 200 trees illuminated by over 100,000 lights. It should be a magnificent sight and will be well worth a visit one night, when normally just the street lighting is spectacular!