Experience the real “Kawaii” in Harajuku!
Enjoy a half-day tour in “Harajuku”, a spot popular not only in Japan but all over the world, made famous for the quirky fashions and cosplayers found there in the early 2000s. A tour guide who is very familiar with the Harajuku area will be showing you around the best “kawaii” (cute) spots that most tourists don’t know about.
① H.I.S. Tourist Information Center (13:00)
To begin the tour, we will meet at the HIS Tourist Information Center located in front of JR Harajuku Station.
② DAISO (13:05-13:20)
The first location will be the youth’s holy land “Takeshita-dori”. This street is filled with shops selling all kinds of bright and interesting stuff. Many little side streets branch off it; you never know what you’ll find down those! Once we enter Takeshita Street we will visit “Daiso Harajuku”, which is a 100-yen shop that has stores all around the world. However, Harajuku’s store is a wonderful spot for purchasing souvenirs for friends and family. The store has so many small and cute items which are only available in Japan.
③ Totti Candy Factory (13:25-13:35)
After our visit at “Daiso Harajuku”, your guide will walk you around Takeshita Street while introducing various highly recommended shops including “Totti Candy Factory”, which is a large colourful shop that sells cotton candy. We can stop by any shop that may interest you at all!
④ Reissue Café (13:50-14:35)
Once we pass through Takeshita-dori, we will have a short break at a special café called “Reissue”. This Latte Art café offers amazing and intricate 3D latte art. They can create popular game characters such as Pikachu, popular anime characters and more. You are able to ask for any character which you like, if you are interested in creating your own latte art with your favourite character, by all means do so!
※ Please note that the cafe is closed every Monday.
⑤ B-SIDE LABEL (14:45-14:55)
Next you will check out B-Side Label, a quirky sticker store with waterproof stickers and labels made by Japanese artists who express themselves through their unique pop art styles. There are over 5,000 designs with 50 new ones added each month.
⑥ SOOTANG HOBBY OMOTESANDO (15:00-15:10)
Step inside this Japanese toy store, filled with colourful figures and characters from animes and manga. The second floor houses a gallery with high quality exhibitions, changing regularly.
⑦ Onitsuka Tiger (15:15-15:25)
After taking lots of pictures, we will visit the world’s largest Onitsuka Tiger specialty store, “Onitsuka Tiger OMOTESANDO”. Here, you can purchase special Japanese-made shoes which are unavailable anywhere else. They also offer customised order services, so you may create your own original pair of shoes which would not be available anywhere else in the world. This shop is a great spot for Onitsuka Tiger and sneaker enthusiasts. If you are not interested in Onitsuka Tiger or sneakers, we will take you to other enjoyable locations. Please do not hesitate to consult with your tour guide.
⑧ 6% DOKIDOKI (15:30-15:35)
This pop culture inspired store is perfect for those into "kawaii" culture. It has super cute clothes and accessories that scream "Japan".
*The store is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so you won't be able to visit on those specific days for any tours scheduled during that time.
⑨ Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku (15:35-15:45)
The next stop on the tour is the vibrant Tokyu Plaza Harajuku, a must-visit destination for fashion enthusiasts and trendsetters. This iconic shopping complex with its impressive mirrored entrance is a haven for those seeking the latest in Japanese fashion and pop culture. Explore the numerous floors filled with a diverse range of boutiques, flagship stores, and avant-garde fashion labels. From quirky streetwear to high-end designer brands, there's something for every taste and budget.
⑩ - 1. Owl Village or Kawaii Harajuku Zoo (16:00-16:45)
Next it is time to play with super cute owls at the owl café, “Owl Village”, which is one of the most popular spots in Harajuku. Inside this store, there are not only fluffy owls, but also a hawk! You can take lots of pictures of you holding the owls, or pretend like you’re in Harry Potter!
Owl Village has limited seating capacity, and there may be cases where it is fully booked and you cannot visit. In such cases, we recommend visiting Harajuku Kawaii Zoo instead.
⑩ - 2. Harajuku Kawaii Zoo (16:00-16:45)The Kawaii Zoo is a cafe where you can play with a variety of cute animals such as ferrets, meerkats, fennec foxes, and hedgehogs.
⑪ Break up at the H.I.S Harajuku Tourist Information Center (17:00)
We hope you have a nice day in Harajuku with your friends and family!
· Shopping at recommended spots.
· 3D Latte Art experience in a secret café that is unavailable anywhere else in the world.
· Visiting lovely cute shops and spots.
· Feel like a model and take cute Instagram pictures.
· Pictures with cute owls or animals at the cafe.
· It is possible to arrange tour route changes according to your request.
· Extension of tour time is available at 6,000 yen per hour (per group).
· We can organise hotel pick-up for an extra 8,000 yen.
・During the peak travel seasons of March, April, and October, please be aware that there will be an additional charge of 2,000 yen per person for the tour.
| Price | ¥12,000 per adult (13+) ¥22,000 for 1 person (private tour) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 hours |
| Hours of availability | Start Time：13:00 |
| Inclusions | · English Speaking Guide |
| Exclusions | · Food and drinks |
| Participants | 1〜6 people |
H.I.S. Tourist Information Center Harajuku
Michelle（Australia）★★★★
A good introduction to Harajuku
My guide Rie escorted me from my hotel to Harajuku. This was convenient as I had only just arrived in Tokyo and was not familiar with the train system. Rie is very friendly and was very keen to accommodate my needs. As I was the only person on this tour Rie was very flexible about changing the itinerary for me when requested. Some of the places visited were rather hidden and would have been difficult to find so it was handy having Rie with me to show me around. After the tour I decided to spend more time on my own in Harajuku; Rie sent a follow up email with images to provide me with more direction on other things I wanted to do. An enjoyable tour :)
Csnowmon（USA）★★★★★
A fun adventure
This was an excellent tour! It was a good way to visit some trendy places in Harajuku without a language barrier. Our guide kindly tooks lots of pictures for us and even allowed us to customize some of the stops on our tour. Rie-san went above and beyond! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to explore Harajuku and learn about Japanese culture.
CIVIL JONATHAN（Philippines）★★★★★
Harajuku Half Day Private Tour
We’ve been to Harajuku before but our tour with Yoko took us to the hidden cool spots of Harajuku. She was also very pleasant and patient with us. It was our honeymoon so she made sure we had a great time.
Kathryn Prell（USA）★★★★★
An amazingly thorough intro to Harajuku
Yumi is an amazing guide and very knowledgeable of the area's activities and shops. We had a fabulous time with her at various attractions. Easy to communicate with and an enjoyable experience all around.
Nicole R（）★★★★★
Harajuku and Imperial Palace
Yumi was the best. Could not have asked for a more hospitable, flexible and knowledgable person. She managed to keep everyone happy with what we saw and where to go. She went above and beyond. Thoroughly recommend.
Brody Lundeby（）★★★★★
A Half Day Harajuku Tour with Yumi-San
It was an excellent tour because we have an excellent tour guide, Yumi-san. She’s very knowledgeable about the place, conscientious and very accommodating. I hope future tour guides that we will encounter here in Japan will be like her. The places and shops that we went to are very awesome such as the Owl Cafe, the LINE Friends Store and the Onitsuka Tiger just to name some. I will definitely recommend their service to my friends and relatives who are planning to visit Harajuku.
Joshua（UK）★★★★
Wonderful time in Harajuku
The trip is wonderful. It helps me to explore new places in Harajuku. The tour guide is so nice and friendly.
CHRISTOFF/ANDREA MS（Australia）★★★★★
Walking tour Harajuku
Excellent tour for children and adults tailored to our needs Guide friendly and very knowledgeable very enjoyable day highly recommend we ended our tour at the gardens and temple. Arika took photos along the way and made suggestions for local food to try Octopus balls were a hit with everyone
CHEN ZIMEI（China）★★★★★
Yumi is a kind and kind woman. The real person is younger than the photo sent in advance. The English is very good! We got it wrong for half an hour. She was very patient. She could add the contact details sent by her email to whatsapp, and the schedule could be customized, provided that there were several people who agreed, such as my girlfriend and I like food and various This kind of cafe, I don't like shopping, yumi helped us to cut down the travel itinerary, and added her personally recommended cafe, that one is really awesome! According to domestic coffee friends, it is an old shop opened in the Showa era, it is worth a visit! Called Enseigne dangle
Melody（US）★★★★★
Fun Harajuku tour
This was a really nice introduction to Harajuku. Yuki was a wonderful guide and really tried to adapt the tour to what I was interested in. It was great having her as a guide because she was able to translate Japanese for me so I could just enjoy the places on the itinerary. We visited a lot of unique places and I got to see exactly what I wanted in Harajuku, as well as some other places. i highly recommend taking this tour!
Jennifer（USA）★★★★★
What a Hoot
A very interesting tour. Fumiko was lovely and showed me very interesting places that I don't think I would have seen in my own. I loved the Owl Cafe.... so cute.
Alissa Crafter（Australia）★★★★★
Lovely host, amazing area.
Kyoko was very lovely, attentive and patient. It was great to have someone who knew so much about the area, and we found some great spots we possibly wouldn't have on our own. We were all very happy with out tour.
Jenny Mai（USA）★★★★★
Excellent walking tour!
We had a great time seeing the sights and shops with our tour guide, Emiko! With her knowledge, she was able to tailor the tour to what we were interested in. Emiko gave great insights and recommendations where to go. The absolute cherry on top was the visit to the owl cafe. Thank you, Emiko, for making our visit to Tokyo such a memorable one!
-Austin & Jenny
CHRISTOPHER ZOANETTI （Australia）★★★★★
Excellent Experience
Emiko Kaneko was absolutely the best tour guide! She was able to accommodate all our requests. We would definitely recommend her!
Yevgeniya Fridlyand（USA）★★★★★
Amazing time in Harajuku with Emiko
Emiko was a fantastic and personable guide - she was very flexible, had great knowledge of the area and showed us Harajuku in a way that we would not be able to see on our own.
Jennifer Coleman（USA）★★★★★
Fun Tour, Great Guide!
We had a great time touring Harajuku with our guide Fumiko. The tour started at Takeshita Street where we got giant cotton candy and window shopped the unique stores. We ventured into the neighborhood and were shown fun local shops we wouldn’t have found on our own as well as went to the high end shopping district. The highlights of our tour were the Reissue Cafe that made 2D and 3D lattes and the owl cafe where we interacted with many owls. Fumiko was so kind and helpful with reservations and translating for us. She also took lots of photos for us. It’s a fun part of town and must visit while in Tokyo!
Paula Janssen（USA）★★★★★
Loved it !
Eriko took us all over Harajuku! We had a shopping experience, latte art, and owl cafe. It was amazing!! What a fun day and many different experiences. Eriko was the best.
Jennifer Debrow（USA）★★★★★
Fun time in Harajuku!
Eriko did a fabulous job! It was just me, my sister and my 18-year-old niece. She took such good care of us! Showed us special shops, very proactive about helping us with the staff in shops, at the ready with wet wipes and tissues, made reservations for the latte art cafe and animal cafe. She took great pictures of the three of us and sent them afterwards by email. She helped us find a taxi at the end of tour as well. We could not have been better cared for and loved our time in Harajuku!
Claudia Amezcua（USA）★★★★★
Fun experience
Fun experience in Harajuku- we got to see animal cafés, hidden shops and cool photo opportunities. Emiko helped greatly for translation services and showed us one of kind places.
Ramonito Alanes（USA）★★★★★
Our tour guide, Yumi, was wonderful. Despite having the sakura season crowds, she expertly guided us around Harajuku. Yumi was very patient and receptive to my family’s interest. Would highly recommend!
Karina Shetty（India）★★★★★
Emiko-San was Fab!
We met Emiko-San and she was so wonderful. She took us in a wonderful tour and my kids loved her. Small world that we found out that we lived in Brazil around the same time and she remembered my school. Lots of wonderful connections and she was so so so helpful with all our questions. Thank you Emiko-San!
