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Harajuku (Page 8)

Baked Sweetness from London arrives in Tokyo as Lola’s Cupcakes opens shop in Harajuku!

Kay
Oct 5, 2015
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The Harajuku/Omotesando district in Tokyo is already a mecca of sweet shops from around the world, but things in the area just got even sweeter this past weekend as another internationally loved bakery opened its very first shop in Japan. Yes, we’re delighted that London’s celebrated LOLA’S cupcakes now has a shop in Tokyo, and as you may have guessed, we weren’t about to miss out on trying the sweet creations from one of London’s best-loved baking outlets, so there we were on opening day.

We already knew from the pictures that their cupcakes look simply amazing; now we couldn’t wait to try some for ourselves, and there were even going to be four original Japanese flavors too — Yum!

Europe, Japan
(food • grand opening • Harajuku • LOLA'S cupcakes • photos • sweets • video)

Cute shoe range from Sanrio features bejeweled loafers and pumps with My Melody armchair heels

Oona McGee
Oct 2, 2015

There are shoes, and then there are SHOES; dainty little works of art that adorn your feet, turning heads as you walk by and acting as conversation starters with complete strangers. In Japan, of course, fashion gets taken to the next level of cuteness and never more so than with the new range of My Melody showstoppers from Sanrio.

Japan
(cosplay • cute • fashion • Harajuku • Kawaii • My Melody • Sanrio • shoes)

This is what a Tokyo crepe with every dessert topping they’d let us order looks like 【Photos】

Casey Baseel
Oct 2, 2015

Tokyo’s Harajuku neighborhood means different things to different people. The beautiful people living the Japanese high life are drawn by the brand-name jewelers on the tree-lined Omotesando boulevard. Teens, meanwhile, flock to the narrow Takeshitadori shopping street to score up-to-date fashions that leave their parents scratching their heads in bewilderment.

And for those with a sweet tooth, Harajuku is all about the crepes.

Our intrepid Japanese-language correspondent P.K. recently took a break from seeing how many slices of roast pork or boiled eggs he could cram in his stomach and instead decided to see how much dessert he could consume in a single serving, as he decided to max out a Tokyo crepe by ordering one with every available dessert topping.

Japan
(crazy • crepes • food • Harajuku • P.K. • restaurants • sweets • Tokyo)

Our reporter visits Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku, a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu esque world of cuteness!

Kay
Aug 17, 2015

If you’re a fan of Japanese kawaii culture, there’s a new establishment that just opened in Harajuku this month which you may want to know about. It’s the Kawaii Monster Cafe, produced by artist and creative director Sebastian Masuda. As the name of the cafe suggests, Masuda is quite the leading figure in Japanese kawaii culture and has even handled direction and set production for solo live performances by none other than Japanese pop idol Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. So it really isn’t surprising that the cafe has attracted attention as a place where you can have the quintessential Kyary Pamyu Pamyu-esque psychedelic experience.

Well, that certainly piqued our interest, and as you may have already guessed, one of the reporters at our Japanese sister site Pouch visited the unique cafe so that we can give you a firsthand account of what the place is like!

Japan
(Harajuku • Kawaii Monster Cafe • Kyary Pamyu Pamyu)

Prepare for a “poopoopoo” picnic with Nintendo’s Kirby at Kiddyland this month

Mike
Aug 14, 2015

It’s hard to believe that our beloved, voracious powderpuff Kirby is over 20 years old now! “Born” in 1992 on the Nintendo Game Boy, the adorable little guy is actually a fully grown adult now, possibly with a driver’s license and, like, maybe even a family we don’t know about. We picture him holding down a boring office job somewhere in Tokyo, willing himself not to snap at his irritating boss and hoover him up (thus gaining his incredible powers of bureaucracy and micromanagement).

But, even though everybody’s favorite non-Jigglypuff pink ball creature is all grown up now, that doesn’t stop him from enjoying a good picnic!

A Poopoopoo picnic, to be exact.

Japan
(events • Harajuku • Kiddyland • Kirby • nintendo • toys • Umeda)

We visit the brand-new Disney store for grown-up women in Tokyo’s Harajuku 【Photos】

Oona McGee
Mar 25, 2015

Disney’s elegant princesses and cute characters have earned them legions of fans around the world. In Japan, adults of all ages are smitten, unashamedly saving up for specially branded clothing and accessories, and using precious vacation time for day trips to Tokyo Disneyland.

This love for all things Disney has resulted in three stores exclusive to Japan that cater directly to the adult market. Fukuoka and Chiba have each been blessed with a unique branch of their own, but it’s the newly opened store in Tokyo’s Harajuku, the birthplace of kawaii culture, that really sets out to impress.

Come with us as we take you through the store, with its pretty princess accents and attractive displays filled with bags, jewellery, smartphone accessories and more.

Japan
(accessories • Disney • fashion • Harajuku • shopping • stores)

Dress like your Barbie in a cute, limited edition retro lingerie/bikini set

Audrey Akcasu
Jan 22, 2015

Are you a Barbie girl in a Barbie world? If your answer is yes, you’ve probably been dreaming of this day your whole life. Finally, you can look like your Barbie doll!

We’re not talking about getting thousands of dollars worth of cosmetic surgery to look like Real Barbie or wearing Barbie heads in your shoes. But we are talking about wearing undergarments that match those of your Barbie doll. You’ll be like twins!

The Japanese lingerie and apparel shopping website Peach John, has a lingerie line called Yummy Mart. Yummy Mart is teaming up with Barbie and LAFORET, a lingerie shop in Harajuku, to bring you a limited edition collection of Barbies and underwear to match!

Japan
(Barbie • cute • Harajuku • limited edition • swim suit • underwear)

Coming to Harajuku? Check out this new tourist booth for maps, Wi-Fi, crêpes and more!

Scott R Dixon
Dec 23, 2014

Long before Gwen Stefani was inspired by the Tokyo neighborhood, Harajuku’s status as the center of Japanese fashion and pop culture had been well solidified. From strange footwear to unbearably cute cuisine, a visit to Harajuku is never dull and is a must-see for any tourist coming to Tokyo.

But the crowded streets, small shops and the language barrier might be a bit daunting for a first-time visitor. So to make that trip more worthwhile, a tourist organization is opening up a bilingual information booth in the heart of Harajuku to make sure visitors get the most out of their time in the exciting neighborhood.

Japan
(business • fashion • Harajuku • moshi moshi nippon • pop culture • Tokyo • tourism)

We try recreating Lady Gaga’s signature look using only stuff bought at a 100-yen store

Krista Rogers
Aug 22, 2014

On August 12, Lady Gaga arrived in Tokyo to kick off the Japan leg of her worldwide artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball. The pop icon is no stranger to Japan, and has proclaimed her love for the country on multiple occasions in the past. Not to mention the fact that her quirky fashion style seems perfectly at home with some of the bizarre outfits you’d find in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.

One of the reporters from our Japanese sister site happens to be a dedicated ‘Little Monster’ himself. Although ‘Lady Jun’, as we’ll call him from now on, is fascinated by Lady Gaga’s eccentric fashion statements, one question has always bothered him–is it possible for a normal person to create an outfit in Lady Gaga’s signature style without breaking the bank?

Enlisting the help of his fellow reporter and amateur Sailor Venus cosplayer Yoshio, the two headed over to a Japanese 100-yen shop (the equivalent of a dollar store in the States) to find out for themselves. The end result of their mission? Well, let’s just say that their creation was a bit puzzling.

Japan
(100 yen shop • bizarre • fashion • Harajuku • Lady Gaga • puzzle)

Harajuku-themed music video improves Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” with sumo, bears, and robots

Philip Kendall
Jun 2, 2014

Like it or loathe it, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” is still killing it in the charts more than six months after its initial release and remains of the most played songs on the radio. Sure, the lyrics are kind of simple, and its gets kind of repetitive, but when an artist devotes so much energy to being upbeat and provides a track that you just can’t help tapping your feet to, it’s hard not to crack a smile.

Fan-made remakes of the music video are ten a penny right now, with people all over the world feeling the urge to make their own smiling, strutting, and dancing compilations, but one particular video, titled “Harajuku Happy“, is by far one of the coolest we’ve seen, giving us a tour of the titular town while showing that life in Japan’s capital isn’t all black suits and bowing.

Internet, Japan
(dance • happy • Happy Harajuku • Harajuku • music • Pharrell Williams • video)

Disney’s Dreamland Illuminations in Harajuku Light up Your World, You Won’t Want to Go Home

Karen Bremer Masuda
Nov 9, 2012

In celebration of Walt Disney’s 110th Anniversary, Disney has put together a literal dreamland of illumination displays in Harajuku, Tokyo. A part of the larger “Walt Disney 110th Anniversary Omotesando Harajuku Dream Together Project 2012,” these light displays are open from November 1st to December 25 and are already drawing crowds of viewers.

Our female correspondent visited the display last week and tells us that while Harajuku’s Disney Dreamland illumination event is a must see for Disney lovers, even if you aren’t a Disney fan, you will surely be impressed by this awesome display of lights.

Japan
(Christmas • Disney • entertainment • Harajuku • Tokyo)

Starbucks Espresso Journey in Harajuku Provides a Unique Coffee Experience at the World’s First Starbucks Pop-up Store

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Sep 26, 2012

Starbucks Japan invites you to enjoy a “supreme espresso experience” at the chain’s first-ever pop-up store in Tokyo. Created by designer Oki Sato, co-founder of design company Nendo, and nestled in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo, this unique Starbucks event is aimed at providing visitors with a memorable coffee drinking experience. Visitors can enjoy back-to-basics coffee drinks which highlight the richness of Starbucks espresso and are even able to try their hand at making Starbucks coffee and sample Starbucks Via flavored coffee in the second floor’s “experience space.”