Keeping The Other Half Happy In Japan

Above, Harajuku can be reached via the  JR Yamanote Line. Just exit at Harajuku Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A number of kaiju fans wanting or planning a visit to Japan to see those landmarks and locations used in their favorite movies are likely to have wives or girlfriends. And, they may be joining their spouse or boyfriend in Japan.

If a wife or girlfriend isn't particularly interested in kaiju, tagging along to those landmarks and locations may get a bit old to her after a while. So, how do you keep her happy so you can continue on your location treks in harmony?

Above, the Harajuku Zenmall has quite a number of small shops to peruse in. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's an idea, take her on shopping sprees (provided you have the cash that you've had the foresight to budget in before leaving home) in-between your kaiju location and landmark treks. Let's face it, guys, shopping is in their DNA.

Harajuku would be an ideal place for a shopping excursion to keep her happy.

Modern Tokyo Times has an article on Harajuku and nearby Omotesando, and it begins with:

Harajuku is internationally famous because of fashion and the electrifying buzz of the main street which connects Harajuku and Omotesando. Trendy youngsters flock to the Takeshita-dori and this is what makes Tokyo fashion so special because the main street is so different and this applies to style, age group and the ambient feel. However, the distance between both places is so short and this is why Tokyo fashion is so special. 

Harajuku and the area adjacent is not only focused on fashion because the Meiji Jingu shrine is the most opulent and sophisticated in Tokyo.  This stunning shrine is very symbolic and rich in grandeur and you have a lovely garden and many walkways in this spacious area. Also, it is a living shrine but because of the open nature of Shintoism you don’t have the overtly pious nature of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.

Above, Spider-Man scales the side of a Harajuku building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Harajuku alone is an interesting place to visit, even to guys who aren't even remotely interested in clothes shopping. Who knows? You might even get to see Spider-Man there!

To read the full article, go here.

Harajuku Stands Out From The Crowd

Above, the entrance to Harajuku's Zenmall that contains many small clothing shops.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan Times has a new article on Harajuku's Takeshita-dori.

They begin with:

Harajuku, one of the most popular tourist spots for foreign visitors to Tokyo, is best known for Takeshita-dori, the narrow lane crammed with shops that runs for about 350 meters from JR Harajuku Station toward Meiji-dori. 

In a survey earlier this year by global travel information website TripAdvisor, Harajuku was voted the most popular tourist destination in the country. 

The street has become famous for its large number of shops and boutiques targeting youths, especially high school girls, with fashion items having unique — even peculiar — tastes.

To read the article, go here.