# Takeshita Street, Tokyo > Takeshita Street is a pedestrian street in Harajuku about 350 m long, right opposite the Takeshita exit of JR Harajuku station. It's the heart of Tokyo's youth fashion: kawaii clothes and accessory shops, crepes, rainbow candy floss and photo booths. Strolling is free. It's quietest on weekday mornings. Meiji Jingu shrine is across the road. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/takeshita-street - City: [Tokyo](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo), Japan - YesGo score: 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Opening hours: Street always open; shops usually roughly 10:00–20:00 - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — it's a pedestrian street - Length: ≈ 350 m - What's here: Youth fashion, accessories, crepes and sweets - Crowds: Very heavy at weekends and in the afternoon - Nearby: Omotesando, Cat Street, Meiji Jingu shrine - Getting there: JR Harajuku station, Takeshita exit — the street is opposite - Coordinates: 35.67116, 139.70496 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Harajuku** — the district at the heart of Japanese youth culture and fashion (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈ 350 m** — length of the pedestrian street (source: travel guides) - **Crepes** — sweet pancakes with cream — the street's signature (source: travel guides) - **1980s** — teen street-dance groups, the takenoko-zoku, danced here (source: en.wikipedia) - **Omotesando** — the neighbouring boulevard of global fashion boutiques (source: en.wikipedia) - **Meiji Jingu** — the forest shrine across the road from the station (source: en.wikipedia) - **JR Yamanote** — Harajuku station — one stop from Shibuya (source: en.wikipedia) - **Keep left** — at weekends you're asked to walk on the left (source: travel guides) ## What is Takeshita Street? **Takeshita Street** is a narrow pedestrian street in **Harajuku**, the district known as the centre of Japanese **youth culture and fashion**. It runs for about **350 m** from the Takeshita exit of JR Harajuku station down to Meiji-dori. It's packed with small shops selling **kawaii** clothes, accessories and cosmetics, 100-yen stores, 'purikura' photo booths and sweet stands — **crepes** with cream and fruit, rainbow candy floss and other photogenic treats. In the 1980s teen street-dance groups performed here, and the street has been a symbol of fashionable Tokyo ever since. > **How to handle the crowds** At weekends and in the afternoon the street is jammed: keep to the left as the signs ask, and don't stop in the flow for photos. It's quietest on weekday mornings, as the shops open. Bins are scarce: it.s easiest to eat your crepe at the stand where you bought it and leave the wrapper there. ## How the street works The street starts right across the road from the **Takeshita** exit of JR Harajuku station, under an arch sign. Shops usually open roughly 10:00 to 20:00. The street itself is short — you can walk it in 10–15 minutes, but with shop stops it takes an hour. Takeshita Street ends at Meiji-dori. From there, carry on down **Omotesando** boulevard with its flagship boutiques, or along quieter **Cat Street** with its street-fashion shops and cafés — you can walk all the way to Shibuya. ## What to see and do - **Kawaii fashion** and accessory shops. - **Crepes** — sweet pancakes with cream. - **Rainbow candy floss** and other photogenic sweets. - **Purikura photo booths**. - **Omotesando boulevard** — global fashion boutiques. - **Cat Street** — street fashion and cafés. ## How to get to Takeshita Street 1. **JR Harajuku station** (Yamanote line) — Takeshita exit, the street is right across the road. 2. **Meiji-jingumae metro station** (Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines) — 2–3 minutes on foot. 3. **From Shibuya** — one stop by JR or about 20 minutes on foot via Cat Street. 4. **From Shinjuku** — two stops on the JR Yamanote line. 5. **From Meiji Jingu** — across the road from the south gate. ## Takeshita Street or Omotesando | | Takeshita Street | Omotesando | | --- | --- | --- | | Style | Youth and kawaii fashion | Global designer boutiques | | Prices | Cheap | Expensive | | Atmosphere | Noisy and packed | A spacious boulevard | | Food | Crepes and sweets on the go | Cafés and restaurants | ## How long do you need? Allow **45 minutes to an hour** for Takeshita Street. It pairs well with **Meiji Jingu** across the road, and in the evening you can walk to **Shibuya Crossing** via Cat Street. To see fashionable young Tokyo, come on a weekend afternoon — but be ready for crowds. ## Is Takeshita Street worth visiting? Yes, at least briefly: it's Tokyo's brightest and quirkiest youth-fashion street, and a crepe here is almost obligatory. The YesGo take: it's very crowded at weekends, and many shops cater to tourists. Come on a weekday morning and carry on along Omotesando and Cat Street — calmer and more interesting. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] A weekday morning — fewer people - [ ] The station's Takeshita exit - [ ] Cash for the stands - [ ] Meiji Jingu across the road - [ ] Cat Street to Shibuya on foot ## Tokyo shopping and markets: compare and choose Shopping streets and markets in Tokyo rated by YesGo. - [Akihabara](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/akihabara) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · free - [Ginza](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/ginza) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · free - [Senso-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/senso-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · free - [Takeshita Street](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/takeshita-street) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free - [Tsukiji Outer Market](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/tsukiji-outer-market) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free - [Ameyoko](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/ameyoko) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free - [Toyosu Market](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/toyosu-market) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Harajuku and Shibuya in a day Meiji Jingu in the morning, Takeshita Street in the afternoon, and Shibuya Crossing in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Meiji Jingu](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/meiji-jingu) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · free; Gyoen garden paid 2. [Takeshita Street](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/takeshita-street) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free 3. [Shibuya Crossing](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/shibuya-crossing) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · free; Shibuya Sky ≈ ¥2,700–3,400 ## Good to know Takeshita Street is one street in the Harajuku district; 'Harajuku' as a fashion style and songs with the word aren't about it. Omotesando and Cat Street are neighbouring streets. ## Tips - Weekday mornings are calmer. - Keep to the left. - Eat your crepe at the stand where you bought it. - Carry on to Omotesando and Cat Street. - Across the road: [Meiji Jingu](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/meiji-jingu). ## Questions ### Where is Takeshita Street? Opposite the Takeshita exit of JR Harajuku station. ### Is there a fee? No, walking around is free. ### What should I try? Crepes with cream and fruit, and rainbow candy floss. ### When is it least crowded? On weekday mornings. ### How long is the street? About 350 m. ### What time do shops open? Usually around 10:00, closing around 20:00. ### How long do you need? 45 minutes to an hour. ### What's nearby? Meiji Jingu shrine, Omotesando boulevard and Cat Street. ## How we checked The district, youth culture, the history of street dancing and the neighbouring streets are from Wikipedia. The street's length (≈ 350 m), crepes and the keep-left rule are from guides. Each shop keeps its own hours, so we give approximate times. Coordinates are the middle of the street from OSM, because the Wikidata point covers all of Harajuku. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Harajuku — youth fashion, Takeshita Street, Omotesando, stations - Travel guides (GO TOKYO, Tokyo Cheapo and others) — street length, crepes, keep-left rule, shop hours (unofficial) - OSM — coordinates of the middle of the street; Wikidata Q746573 - YesGo general facts for Japan — transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.