Harajuku, the ULTIMATE fashion district of Tokyo. The place which inspired the birth of the ICONIC FRUITS magazine and the Lolita fashion adored by many across the world. It is not surprising therefore Harajuku is filled with an abundance of clothing boutiques, accessory shops, thrift stores and much much more. You do not need to walk far from Harajuku station itself to begin your once-in-a-lifetime shopping experience.
The first thing many people do is head down the famous Takeshita Dori. Down this very narrow and busy street you will find shops galore, ranging from your stereotypical souvenir and tax free shops all the way to a shop selling rainbow candyfloss which I am sure you have seen on Instagram at some point.
As much as Takeshita Dori has to offer, it is sometimes a little overwhelming and stressful. I'm telling you, if you arrive there anytime after 11am, expect it to be crammed as you head down the street. It is often hard to just browse because of the fact it gets so busy and you can more often than not find yourself missing out on good places to shop.
But don't worry, I have your back. Today I will be providing you with a list of shops down Takeshita Dori itself and other places in Harajuku which I think are WORTH visiting. If you have fallen deeply in love with Japanese fashion and street style (like I have myself over the last couple of years) then these are the shops for you. These shops range not only in style but in price range so I can guarantee that there is something for everyone. You ready to revamp your wardrobe? Well, let's begin the tour.
Paris Kids
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae, 1-chome−19, 神宮前１丁目１９−８ 原宿ファミリービル 1F
You will find Paris Kids right near the beginning of Takeshita Dori. It is hard to miss given that outside an array of colourful hair accessories and sunglasses are normally displayed. Paris Kids is definitely one of my must-go-to shops in Harajuku. This is because if you are looking for accessories which are currently in trend such as the pearl hair clip or the cherry earrings, you will sure find it here for real cheap. When I went here this April, I got the cutest red heart earrings for ¥97 (72p) in their sale section. Even there full price earrings are under ¥ 1000 (£7). I would say this shop is a good place to buy gifts as well given how reasonable it is. So if you are looking to stock up on your accessories, Paris Kids is your new paradise.
W♡C
Address: 1 Chome-19-５ Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
W♡C is for sure one of my favourite brands in Japan. The Harajuku branch is also my favourite out of any. Perfect for those who have a 'kawaii' and girly style and live for pretty colours, W♡C is home to cute graphic tees, bags and Esther the bunny. I must admit, this brand is a little bit more on the pricey side which is understandable given the fact the brand has such a distinctive vibe and look. What is great about the Harajuku store is that the upstairs floor is a thrift/vintage floor. I bought my lilac Levi's jacket from here and honestly is one of my most loved items. If you are wanting the perfect denim jacket, pair of shorts or dungarees you can find all these items right here. Also the fitting room itself is super cute, if you are looking for an 'aesthetic' place to take a selfie, I would recommend taking one in there.
Burlesque
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae, 1-chome−16−8 ジュマペール 原宿 1F
If you think that the outside of the store itself is pretty, wait until you get inside. Burlesque is located next to the ever so popular Santa Monica crepe stand. This store can easily be missed because of the fact around this area of Takeshita Dori it often gets very crowded but i'm telling you this shop is worth a visit. The shop itself is quite small but it still stocks a lot of goodies, in particular a lot of clothes and accessories which are in 'trend'. If you like your logo socks, then come here because they sell super cool Starbucks, Domino's Pizza knee-high socks.
Spinns
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome−7−1 Cute Cube Harajuku 2F
I often end up getting a lot items from brands such as FILA when I go to Japan. For the people who have in the past asked where I have gotten such items, Spinns is the answer. Spinns is one of the most popular high street brands in Japan. This shop stocks everything from accessories to shoes to vintage items and to branded items. The SPINNS in Harajuku is located upstairs Cute Cube so be careful not to miss it. I would say the price of items in SPINNS is similar to that of W♡C, that said I do find that a lot of branded items like Kappa and FILA you can get cheaper here than in England. SPINNS caters for both styles and it is one of the only shops here which stocks both women's and men's clothing. This brand also does a lot of cool collaboration with one of their most recent being a SPINNS X Hokusai collaboration where you could get special SPINNS t-shirts with the famous paintings on.
WEGO
WEGO is similar to SPINNS and is also one of my other favourite places to buy clothes. I honestly cannot count how many WEGOs there are in Harajuku but there is already two down Takeshita Dori itself. The one further down Takeshita is the bigger of the two stores so I would recommend walking down a bit to that one . Like SPINNS, WEGO sells a range of items, even selling stationary, sweets and snacks and home decoration bits. WEGO is the collaboration master and often does collaborations with famous KPOP bands so if that's something your interested in then you have to check out WEGO. A lot of my clothes in my wardrobe are from WEGO so this just goes to show how it is one of my most loved places to shop.
StyleNanda
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae, 1-chome−6−９ OM169ビル
A Korean Fashion Brand located in the heart of Takeshita Dori Street, StyleNanda is perfect for those who classic, simple on-trend pieces which are of good quality. Not only is the store itself beautiful but StyleNanda's clothing and its sister make up brand 3CE IS beautiful. The clothes and make up from here are more on the expensive side but I would say its definitely worth the money. In sale season the price of the clothing goes down by half so you can get the items for a really reasonable price. The store has three levels, two which stock make up and one which stocks the clothes. On the second floor, you can get a cute instapic on a pink sunbed and dazzling pink neon light. The fitting room here is also another good place for a selfie as it has such an 'American Diner' and Retro vibe to it.
Off Takeshita Dori you will find some real gems...
Bubbles
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae, 4-chōme−32−12 1F
If you are looking for the perfect platform shoe, Bubbles is the place for you (this rhyme was unintentional). Located about a 5 minute walk from the end of Takeshita Dori, Bubbles is a small boutique store tucked away down one of the back roads. Once again, the outside of this shop itself is beautiful and is rather aesthetic being another good place for an instagram photo. Bubbles' clothing is rather expensive. The style of the clothing varies from 'cute gothic' with a lot of black lace to chic. I have never personally bought anything from Bubbles but it is somewhere I always visit when I'm Harajuku, I love the clothes so much and I hope one day I can just bite the bullet and splash out on one of their items.
Nadia
Address: 4 Chome-28-29 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Nadia is a store I discovered for the first time when I went to Tokyo this April. When you get to the end of Takeshita Dori, following the crossing and walk straight down. If you do this, you will come across this super hip boutique. Nadia definitely has that 'cool' and 'badass' girl vibe. Achieving the 'insta-baddie' look means making a trip to Nadia. When I visited, I picked up one of the necklaces shown in the photo above. To date, it is one of my favourite necklaces. I would say the necklaces are the highlight of this store. It stocks such simple necklace which are perfect for layering. Like Bubbles, I would say Nadia is slightly more on the expensive side but it is worth a look if you are wanting to pick up some cool garms.
ME
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 4 Chome−28-28, Lucessimo1F-B
Right near Nadia is ME which has recently become one of my absolute favourite places to shop. Although small, ME has the most unique pieces for a good price. I think the reason I am so in love with this boutique is because I am inspired a lot by KPOP fashion and Japanese streetwear and this place provides the best pieces to help me bring these types of looks to life. Remember to look through the bargain boxes outside the shop, I promise you can find some real cool gems in here for cheap.
Romantic Standard
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, 渋谷区Jingumae, 4-chome−4−25-35 渡辺ビル
Walking further down the street from where ME is leads you to the wonder that is Romantic Standard. I think this is my all time favourite boutique in Harajuku and I only discovered it last year. You will find so many ICONIC pieces in here. I have bought an array of items from this store and everything I have bought I have LOVED. This boutique sells a lot of pieces which are on trend such as Chanel inspired dresses and the pearl bralettes which have come into fashion. If you like graphic vest tops like the ones sold on Doll's Kill or O'Mighty, you will ones similar in here for much cheaper. This shop gives me such inspiration and it is somewhere you have to go.
♡ My Top Tips for Shopping in Harajuku ♡
♡ Try and head over as early in the day as possible. Since Harajuku is one of the top tourist places in Tokyo it quickly gets busy. This not only makes it slightly more difficult to shop but to browse
♡ MOST clothing in the shops mentioned above are one size only. In the boutique shops such as ME and Romantic Standard sizes seem to run smaller so don't be disheartened if you are unable to fit into some of the clothes, this is something I face every time I am shopping in Japan.
♡ Some of these places DO NOT have any fitting rooms
♡ Explore. Most people tend to just stick to shopping down Takeshita Dori but Harajuku has so many great places to shop. If it is your first time here, definitely spend a whole day here to see what is what.
♡ Most staff members in these stores will speak some English but it may be worth learning a couple of phrases such as 'how much is this?' just in case
♡ Tax is NOT included in the price of the item. On the label, there will be the price of the item and then the price with tax in small print below.
♡ I have provided you guys with the address of each place, so if you are lost, copy them into Google Maps and you are good to go!