Last Sunday I headed to crazy Harajuku with Merri, my partner in crime. Harajuku is a hip, trendy and fashionable neighborhood in Tokyo. There are all kinds of interesting fashion choices on display here. This is an example of Tokyo “kawaii” culture, meaning, over the top cute and/or adorable.
Yes, that is in fact, an octopus hat!
Even cute from the back!
This man had a puppet to match!
There was a whole group of people dressed up and they kind of paraded in a group together. (Maybe I have discovered a new use for Ella and Eva’s hair clips!)
This would probably be an example of cosplay, or “costume play”, where you dress in a certain theme or as a character.
We had a great time watching this procession. And you thought band aid’s were only for boo-boo’s!
We then wandered over to Yoyogi Park and came across this group of guys dancing up a storm. I called them the Japanese Elvis’. They all had pompadours, leather, and blasted rockabilly music. They were awesome! It is my dream to dance with them someday!
They really got into it!
These were not young guys either, mind you. There were a few that looked to be well into their fifties!
This guy was my personal favorite, and seemed to be the ring leader.
Lots of pet fashions were also on display. This little dog had jeans AND a hat!
This one had a Mickey Mouse outfit, complete with a hood with attached mouse ears.
This cat was in on the action, as well.
Not sure what to make of this one. His panda bear companion had just taken a potty break.
Next stop, the Omotesando. This is a large tree lined shopping district with every high end store you can imagine. It was designed after the Champs Elysees in Paris and is every bit as exclusive! (With a few non-exclusive stores thrown in, like this one, haha!)
There are ALWAYS characters.
I loved these beautiful tulips.
This was a line for popcorn, yes, popcorn. It was at least 30 people long. Must be good popcorn!
Here is said popcorn store.
One street off of the Omotesando, was Takeshita Street. This was the lower class, (and more fun), street to browse. This was a particularly interesting costume shop.
Just out of the corner of our eyes, we saw a tutu skirt in the McDonald’s, and we just HAD to get a better look. These guys were more than happy to pose for a photo, but when I said “kawaii”, which is usually taken as a great compliment, this guy said “No. No kawaii.” I thought to myself, “you are wearing bunny ears, somehow the word “handsome” didn’t come to mind!” LOL!
This is Takeshita Street, it was PACKED, and so much fun!