10 Awesome Things to Do at Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo!

There are plenty of fun things to do at Takeshita Street (or Takeshita Dori) in Harajuku, Tokyo. This bustling shopping street is lined with a tidy sprawl of fashion boutiques, mini malls, cosmetic shops, and awesome eateries.

Fashion wise, I saw many shops selling youth oriented street fashion items. Takeshita Street is also known for being a hub of the Lolita style, the famous fashion subculture that originated from Japan.

Besides fashion, Takeshita Street is also home to plenty of great eateries! We had a wonderful time indulging in the delicious food here.

Other than independent boutiques, there are also major chains like Daiso, Etude House, Matsumoto Kiyoshi, and McDonald’s.

We checked out an interesting purikura shop too, which was packed with swarms of teenage girls.

The wife and I went to the street on a Sunday at around 3pm, and it was REALLY crowded. We could barely move through the throngs of locals and tourists. Therefore, I think it’s best to come here on a weekday instead.

On the whole, Takeshita Street exudes an eclectic charm with its numerous quirky shops, but I would advise visiting only when it’s not crazily crowded.

Based on my own experience and research, I have compiled a list of 10 awesome things to do at Takeshita Street below, arranged in alphabetical order.

1. Cute Cube

Cute Cube is a mini shopping mall with 10 restaurants and shops, spread out over 4 floors. Popular shops include Etude House and Spinns, a brand known for its affordable streetwear fashion. We visited Zaku Zaku on the 1st floor and ordered the signature Croquant Chou, a cream puff with an elongated shape. It was delicious!

Cute Cube
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm (varies between shops)

2. Daiso Harajuku

Three-storey store

Plenty of things to buy at Daiso, including Japanese snacks!

We bought gloves for only JPY 100 and JPY 150!

Daiso is the largest 100-yen shop chain in Japan, and the three-storey Harajuku store at Takeshita Street is one of the most prominent outlets.

Walking around the store, I was blown away by the huge variety of items on sale here! From household goods and gardening equipment, to toys and souvenirs, to cosmetics and fake eyelashes, to Japanese snacks and even fireworks, it felt that the shop sold everything I could imagine.

Most of the items were indeed priced at only JPY 100, though I also saw many things sold at slightly more expensive prices like JPY 150 or JPY 200. These higher-priced items were clearly marked with price tags.

Note that the listed prices in the shop are before consumption tax, so a JPY 100 item will actually cost JPY 108.

The wife and I bought two pairs of quality gloves here for just JPY100 and JPY150 respectively. We had underestimated Tokyo’s cold weather in November and neglected to bring gloves for the trip. Luckily we managed to find really affordable gloves at Daiso!

Daiso Harajuku
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 9pm

3. Etude House

Etude House is the famous South Korean cosmetics store. It is located beside Totti Candy Factory and has a pretty pink interior. There are plenty of samples for you to try before buying.

Etude House
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 8pm

4. Harajuku Alta

Harajuku Alta is a popular mini mall known for its stores selling all things kawaii (Japanese for “cute”). There is a total of 19 shops over 4 floors.

The basement level has various gift shops, the first floor is home to fashion outlets, the second floor contains adorable character goods, and the third floor offers cutesy food items.

One of the most prominent shops is Disney, which sells plenty of classic Disney character goods.

Harajuku Alta
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 8pm

5. Jeans Mate

Plenty of affordable branded apparel at Jeans Mate

I almost bought this Nike sweater

Anello Bags

Amidst all the quirky fashion shops along Takeshita Street, Jeans Mate was one of the more “normal” boutiques I found. And it was one of the few shops that also sold men’s items.

I found a variety of fashionable apparel from famous brands like Nike, Converse, Fila, Levis, and more. Other than international brands, there were also some Japanese brand t-shirts on sale.

I also saw many stylish Anello bags on sale. There were Outdoor bags too, which were very trendy during my teenage years.

Surprisingly, all the items were extremely affordable. I was really tempted to buy a Nike sweater that was going at a great price, but unfortunately the shop didn’t have my size.

Jeans Mate
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 9.30pm

6. Liz Lisa

Classic lolita style shop

WC is known for its pastel-coloured apparel

Liz Lisa is a boutique that sells the classic “Sweet Lolita” style clothes. Other than clothes, there are also cute shoes and accessories that can go along with your regular wardrobe.

Yu can also check out ACDC Rag which offers more extreme styles like Gothic Lolita and punk.

If you’re looking for a brighter and more playful style, WC sells a variety of streetwear and accessories in pastel colours.

Liz Lisa
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8pm

7. Matsumoto Kiyoshi

Famous pharmacy in Japan

Matsumoto Kiyoshi is a famous drugstore chain in Japan that sells a variety of face masks, beauty products, medicine, supplements, and even Japanese snacks.

It was nice to walk around this shop for a while and check out all the interesting Japanese products. In the end I bought a packet of Matcha Kit Kat (JPY 199) to munch along the way.

Matsumoto Kiyoshi
Opening Hours: Daily 9.30am to 10pm

8. Panama Boy

Panama Boy is a secondhand vintage clothing store where you will find a wide selection of unique apparel, ranging from standard styles to quirky designs. There is also a variety of stylish accessories and shoes like leather boots and worn-in sneakers.

Panama Boy
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 8.30pm

9. Eggnam Purikura

Throngs of Japanese young girls in the purikura shop

Putting on makeup before purikura photoshoot

Eggnam Purikura was one of the most interesting places we visited in Tokyo. Located at the beginning of Takeshita Street, this is a large shop lined with plenty of photo booth machines (“purikuras”) where you can take photos with your friends and then print them out on glossy stickers. You can also alter the photos to “beautify” your face and / or add plenty of special effects. Purikura Land Noa, another popular purikura joint, is located nearby.

This was a really popular activity in Singapore when I was a teenager, and it was known as “neoprints” here. I still have lots of these stickers kept in my storeroom somewhere (yes I’m a sentimental person).

This trend may have faded out in Singapore, but from what I saw at Eggnam Purikura, this is definitely still a very popular activity for Japanese high school girls!

It was a frenetic atmosphere. The wife and I had to jostle our way through throngs of excited teenage girls in the shop. I originally wanted to take a purikura photo with the wife just for fun, but gave up after seeing the situation.

Some of the girls were even putting on make up before going for their purikura photo shoots.

I guess purikuras are only popular with girls in Japan, because I didn’t see a single male in the shop. I was the only exception. Therefore I was really glad that I went in with the wife, because otherwise the teenage girls would probably have thought that I was some middle-aged pervert.

Eggnam Purikura
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 10am to 8pm | Sat & Sun: 10am to 10pm |

10. Indulge in Delicious Food!

Super cute gelato from Eiswelt Gelato

Harajuku Rainbow from Totti Candy Factory

There are plenty of famous eateries along Takeshita Street! Just to give you an idea, I ate super cute ice cream from Eiswelt Gelato, bought Instagram-worth giant cotton candy from Totti Candy Factory, enjoyed delicious cream puffs from Zaku Zaku, and indulged in plenty of other delicious foods. You can check out my list of 8 best places to eat at Takeshita Street.

Takeshita Street in the evening

Map of Takeshita Street Attractions

This shopping street is located directly opposite Harajuku Station on the Yamanote line (Takeshita Street Exit). I have created a rough map of all the attractions above. You can also check out their exact google map locations.

This article is part of our super awesome Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide For First Timers. Everything you need to know about Tokyo is just a click away!