a Ghibli-designed clock, clearly inspired by Howl's Moving Castle
Sundays are Harajuku days. The plan was to spend the day wandering around the neighbourhood. This required a change of trains at Yoyogi, so we decided to have breakfast at the Tully's there.
coffee, cheese and egg toast, and plain toast
this boy was doing work - heh not so different from Singapore
Then it was back to Yoyogi Station for a quick ride to Harajuku.
Yoyogi Station
what we didn't have for breakfast - cream-filled hot dogs omg
Harajuku was, as always, a feast for the eyes.
wow, no smorking indeed
cute t-shirts - too bad the material was not to my liking
doggy outfits
we grabbed a Harajuku crepe
one of these
the hordes poured in
mostly young women
the latest (and hippest) craze
ice cream from Hokkaido!
yes, the Hanabatake ice-cream chain
another queue for something sweet - entrance to a food court selling nothing but desserts
Then there were these fun murals:
We turned into the back lanes of Harajuku which are lined with an eclectic mix of fashionable boutiques and themed eateries.
punk lolitha brand
food & fashion - how Japanese
typical of Japanese obsession with the foreign & the exotic
Jindian cuisine, anyone?
of course the colonial Indian cafe is next to a knitting shop
another hip Japanese brand
ok that's so wrong - the Japlish or the concept, I don't know
oh look pink flamingos!
the peasant look - only in Japan
Unlike previous visits to Harajuku, we had no destination in mind this time. Without an itinerary of must-visit places, we were free to go where our fancy took us. Which was how we came across this place:
Omamori
it looked nice and inviting
a trendy nook
filled with local denizens
This was our chance to be part of an oshiare neighbourhood scene and we didn't hesitate.
brown (!) rice, salad, miso soup & pickles
the chicken set
the pork set
The set meals were delish and cost only 1000¥ (SGD$16) each. We were most pleased with our little find.
This flyer lay on our table at Omamori...
... and then we passed by the shop.
hip ne
We had just a little bit of the Harajuku stroll left...
yup, they do lei it on thick
mobile kakigori
We emerged from the backlanes of Harajuku, onto the main drag of Omotesando where window shopping is de rigueur.
the latest trend - organic produce
next door to Kiddyland
ooh macaroon art
or is that macaroon sculpture?
we didn't forget to pop into the ever-fascinating La Foret for a dose of funky creative fashion
this place was new to us, so while HM was busy browsing...
I was busy people-watching.
entertainment provided by WeGo
gyarus galore
not above being tempted
anything to catch the eye
We decided to walk to Shibuya.
amazing, a Gundam gallery
my favourite t-shirt shop
pseudo-Bohemian chic
Finally, we ended up at Shibuya 109 and Shibuya 109-2 (yes, there are two of them).
everything a lolitha would want
the secret to every gyaru's perfectly coiffed head
looking for the perfect match
plenty of choice - cute or sexy
not the perfume
trends never die, not in Japan
40% flying off
how could a gyaru resist this?!
didn't that look go out in the 70s?!
Deep Roy? Is that you?
Tired out from all that walking and not keen to venture out into the rain, we settled on dinner at Shibuya 109 itself.
Chirico Di Napoli (Spaghetti House)
Inside the restaurant
It seemed like a nice cheery place and the Japanese do make a decent al dente pasta. And it had a view of the Shibuya streets.
our view
We opted for the set meal which comprised:
a standard soup starter
spaghetti with Chinese spinach, prawns and crab meat
spaghetti with mozarella cheese, ham and tomato sauce
parfait
We hadn't gone out of our way to eat at any critically acclaimed restaurant nor sought out any must-eat food joints, but we were pretty pleased at our choices for the day. That was what we liked about Tokyo - that we walk into almost any eatery, like a local would, and be reasonably satisfied with the quality and presentation of the food.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the view from various vantage points before turning in for the night.
Tokyo Tower, emulating the Eiffel
Tokyo - a city like no other
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