Hello everyone! My name is Shiota and I am the curator of MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center.
There are many photo spots in Harajuku gathering much attention on TV programs and SNS.
In this article, I will introduce to you some recommended photo spots in Ura-Harajuku with a staff member of “MOSHI MOSHI Kimono Salon,” located next to MOSHI MOSHI BOX. Even places that you visit often look different when you are wearing a kimono. Just try, and you will see!
The kimono she is wearing is yellow/green which are colors that suit this spring season. The color of the obi (band) is the same as the color of the kimono so it has a settled-look and it is suitable to walk around town in this kimono.
We took a photo in front of the cute shoji (paper door) of MOSHI MOSHI Kimono Salon!
Beams Harajuku
The big wall painting beside BEAMS Harajuku was depicted by an artist ZIO ZIEGLER. The wall painting is very outstanding since the wall is painted black and white!
BEAMS Harajuku
Address: 3-24-7, Jingumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Business hours: 11:00 to 20:00
Access: 6 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, Meiji Jingumae Station 5th Exit
7 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station Takeshita Exit/Entrance
Design Festa Gallery Harajuku
A building that has a café and gallery. The exterior of the building was designed as an art work. The entrance fee is free so let’s visit this location!
DESIGN FESTA GALLERY
Address: 3-20-18, Jingumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Business hours: 11:00 to 20:00
Fixed holiday: Year’s end holidays and New Year’s Day
Access: 6 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Meiji Jingumae Station 5th Exit
8 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Takeshita Exit/Entrance
URL：https://designfestagallery.com/
NOW IS FOREVER
A famous wall which is often featured on TV programs. The wall is located at the end of the street (Meiji Street) between New Balance and Muraski Sports.
Santo Nibunno Ichi
You will find this colorful building by going straight down the street between New Balance and Murasaki Sports located on Meiji Street, make a right turn at Family Mart and then make a right turn again at the first corner. The building includes tenants such as Harajuku’s popular second-hand-clothing store, “Santo Nibunno Ichi” and the photogenic ice cream shop, “Eddy’s Ice Cream.”
Santo Nibunno Ichi
Address: 4-26-28, Jingumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Business hours: weekdays 13:00 to 20:00, Saturday and Sunday 12:00 to 20:00
Access: 7 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Meiji Jingumae Station 5th Exit
10 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station Takeshita Exit/Entrance
Princess One Spoon Tokyo
This is a store that sells 500 kinds of accessories, girly sundries and sweets items. It is recommended to take a photo in front of the store since the exterior of the store is Western-style.
Princess One Spoon Tokyo
Address: 4-27-4, Jinbumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo, Jingumae S Building
Business hours: 11:00 to 20:00
Access: 6 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Meiji Jingumae Station 5th Exit
10 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station Takeshita Exit/Entrance
TEL：03-6434-7017
URL：http://www.p1s.jp/
Tonchan Street
You can find many stylish adds on “Tonchan Street” behind MOSHI MOSHI BOX.
Let’s find your favorite location!
SOUVENIR SHOP Kaho
This store is suitable to be used as a resting place. This is the strawberry parfait (1,200 yen – tax included) sold at this store located near the intersection of Meiji Street and Tonchan Street. The store is located above the power stone store and they sell sweets items that are great souvenirs.
You will feel happy eating sweets items here since many of their items include lots of big strawberries! The texture and taste of the ice cream is similar to gelato.
SOUVENIR SHOP Kaho
Address: 3-22-11, Jingumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Business hours: 11:00 to 20:00
Access: 5 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Meiji Jingumae Station 5th Exit
7 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station Takeshita Exit/Entrance
MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center
The clock designed by Masuda Sébastien who works with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu as her art director can be found at MOSHI MOSHI BOX. It is a land mark of Harajuku which is featured in magazines and on TV programs and is used in many artisits’ PVs.
It is recommended that you hide the silver-colored base of the clock when taking a photo.
MOSHI MOHIS BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center
Address: 1F, 23-5, 3rd Street, Jinguame, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Business hours: 10:00 to 18:00
Access: 5 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Meiji Jingumae Station 5th Exit
7 minutes on foot from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Takeshita Exit/Entrance
How did you like our recommended photo spots? In this article, I introduced to you some standard/new photos spots of Ura-Harajuku.
Feel free to contact MOSHI MOSHI BOX if you ever get lost!
Why not check out this article as well.
https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/34595
◼︎Information
Moshi Moshi Kimono Salon Produced by YUMENOYA
Address: 〒150-0001, 3-23-5, Jingumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Business hours: 10:00 to 18:00
Fixed holiday: None
TEL：03-5770-5131
URL：https://www.tokyo-samurai.com/blank
■MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center
MOSHI MOSHI BOX is a tourist information center located at the cross road of Takeshita Street, Meiji Street, and Harajuku Street. The staff there are experts on the Harajuku area. You can get the most up-to-date news of Harajuku from the site.
Services:
Service list
・free wi-fi
・free water
・free PC & charge
・baggage room
・gift shop
・currency exchange
Opening Hours: 10:00-18:00
Closed: The year-end and New Year holidays
Contact: 03-2225-6447
Twitter・Instagram @mmb_harajuku
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Hey everyone – it’s MidoriBlackmore!
We all know that Harajuku is the capital of fashion, right?
Nowadays, we walk the streets of Harajuku, passing the countless number of fashion gurus. How can an entire district be so gorgeous and trendy?
That’s why today I’m going to be showing you a range of gorgeous walls found on the streets of Harajuku.
I took these pictures myself!
1.GALLERIE of Harajuku Objects
Located near the remains of SPINNS 2nd store and walking down Meiji-dori in the direction of Laforet is a large “Harajuku” sign that really stands out! Decorated with stickers and with a street-style finishing touch, this cool sign is something not to be missed!
Address: Patria Building B1F 1-9-18 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo, 〒150-0001
Accessible hours：12:00～21:00
２.TOKYU PLAZA
Facing Laforet, the entrance to Tokyu Plaza is filled with its famous escalator mirrors. The mirrors make it so easy to take pictures!
Address: 4-30-3, Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours: 11:00-21:00
３.BUBBLES
A gorgeous wall displaying the unique clothing style offered at BUBBLES is located in front of the store. Unfortunately, the swing that was located here long ago is now gone. However, many flowers have bloomed in its place.
Address: 1st floor, 4-32-12, Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours: 12:00-20:00
>>next page
4.Princess One Spoon
Located in the backstreets of Harajuku along with the second hand shops is Princess One Spoon. The building itself looks like a castle. Wear a cute dress and take a picture at this location for a perfect shot. As one would expect, the inside of the store is overflowing with cuteness too.
Address: Jingu-mae S Building, 4-27-4, Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours：11:00-20:00
５.VACANT
Located in the back streets of Harajuku, this second hand store is the no.1 stop for people who want to take stylish snaps. This simple wall is the rental space of “VACANT”!
Address: 3-20-13, Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
６.NOW IS FOREVER
Located behind Cat Street, a wall decorated with the phrase “NOW IS FOREVER” stands, existing to help you take a colourful snap. This wall has become very popular on SNS threads. As you cannot fit the whole wall in one picture, a panorama shot is recommended!
>>next page
７.Sakuratei
This is an okonomiyaki shop located near NOW IS FOREVER. The whole shop is covered in cute artwork. You can take pictures of the gorgeous exterior, however, do remember that the interior is also filled with walls of beautiful art. Not to mention, you can also eat delicious okonomiyaki here!
Address: 3-20-1, Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours: 11:00-0:00
８.BEAMS Sidewall
Find BEAMS, which is located along Meiji-dori, and you will find a wall painting. A cool wall painting like this one is rare in the Kawaii fashion district of Harajuku. The monochrome finish to the design is perfection!
９.MOSHI MOSHI BOX
The last thing I will show you today is our MOSHI MOSHI BOX World Clock. Just by taking a photo in front of this giant clock, which was designed by Sebastian Masuda, will allow you to join in on our Harajuku Kawaii culture.
So, what do you think?
There are more trendy spots in Harajuku than what I have shown you today – the district is just brimming with a variety of fashion perks! Finding these spots all by yourself is a real treat in itself!
Midori Blackmore ＠MidoriBlackmore
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Related article：Limited Time Rascal the Raccoon Collaboration at Baskin Robbins in Harajuku!
Related article：Best 7 photo taking spot in Harajuku to take a photogenic picture in Tokyo sightseeing
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【Tokyo Stroll】Feel the true spirit of Japan during the hanami season! Explore these cherry blossom spots to get some beautiful photos
When you think of springtime in Japan, you immediately think of cherry blossoms. As the hanami season blossoms, there are no doubt lots of people out there who want to experience Japan’s 4 distinct seasons. One famous hanami spot in Tokyo is Meguro River. It is a location packed every year with people who walk along the river to see all the beautiful cherry blossoms. In this article, we recommend the ideal photo spots to visit during the cherry blossom season while the flowers are in full bloom!
How to access Meguro River
Meguro River, Tokyo’s quintessential hanami spot. The atmosphere changes as you walk along the river – upstream, mid-stream, and downstream – and a place where you are sure to enjoy your hanami.
Upstream: 3-minute walk from “Ikejiri-Ōhashi Station” via the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line
Mid-stream: 1-minute walk from “Nakameguro Station” via the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Tokyo Metro Line
Downstream: 6-minute walk from “Meguro Station” via the Tokyu Meguro Line / 5-minute walk from “Fudō-mae Station” via the Tokyu Meguro Line
The closest station to Meguro River is Nakameguro Station, but it’s a very accessible place via whichever station you alight from when you depart from Shibuya.
“Nakanohashi Bridge” – The symbolic bridge of Meguro River
If you walk along Meguro River in the direction of Nakameguro Station from Ikejiri-Ōhashi Station, you’ll come to see a red arched bridge. This is “Nakanohashi,” a characteristic bridge that has been used as the location for many TV dramas, and the symbol of Meguro River.
At the entrance of the bridge you will see “Nakanohashi” (in Hiragana) written in cute brick art. It’s a recommendation photo spot location and one where anyone can take a cute photo!
Try taking a photo with the bridge and cherry blossoms in the background, alongside the cute owl statue. The hanami season is also a time where vivid pink-coloured paper lanterns are put up to decorate the scenery even more, meaning you can take some really colourful photos.
It’s located upstream of Meguro River. Since both the width of the river and the bridge itself are narrow, only people and bicycles can pass through. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the arch seems as if it spans the river surface. As you walk along the bridge, the overhead branches and falling cherry blossom petals are extremely beautiful.
This area isn’t too busy so you can enjoy a relaxing stroll around it. And the cherry blossom trees are really close to you, so you can take really nice photos with the gorgeous cherry blossom petals.
>>next page
“Sakurabashi Bridge” – A naturally famous cherry blossom location!
The next place we visited was “Sakurabashi Bridge.” The scenery is so beautiful at this bridge that you could even say it was designed for the sole purpose of viewing cherry blossoms. This area is located mid-stream at Meguro River and is packed with people during hanami.
Just as the name suggests (sakura = cherry blossom), the cherry blossoms overhead at Sakurabashi are truly a sight to behold! Not only is the contrast between the rich green trees and light pink cherry blossoms beautiful, there are even illuminations meaning you can see the flowers at night, making this the perfect location.
The handrails of the bridge are decorated with yellow coloured cherry blossoms. In fact, each of the bridges along Meguro River all have place names and such written on them, so even the handrails are in on the hanami fun. It’s fun to look at all of them while you’re walking.
The deep coloured pink of the paper lanterns and the light pink of the cherry blossoms together with a touch of those yellow sakura designs is really cute!
Gaze at cherry blossoms from a different point of view
Even looking at the cherry blossoms overhead while you walk along the pedestrian bridge near Nakameguro Station is good. Seeing them at a different location from usual is elegant too.
Walking and eating – another real pleasure of hanami
When the hanami season hits, lots of food stalls start to pop up along Meguro River. From dawn to dusk they are bustling with people. Eating finger food while looking at the cherry blossoms is a really fun time.
I took a photo of the 3-coloured dango I bought at a stall with the cherry blossoms and sky in the background. A combo of Japaneseness – dango and cherry blossoms.
If you take a photo with the cherry blossoms in the background – which are characteristic of Japan’s seasons – then it doesn’t matter what kind of photo you have taken because it automatically becomes photogenic. If you’re stuck on where to go for good cherry blossom photos, then please be sure to use this article as your reference point. Enjoy your hanami at Meguro River this year and make some great memories!
Photo & Writer：Haruka Yamamoto
Model： Hikari Shibata @_sbthkr−−−
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The Harajuku city where fashionable people come from all over the world is known as the source of fashion in Tokyo. It is the best spot for visiting that you can enjoy shopping around this area, and visit the famous sightseeing spot called Meiji-Jingu which is close to Harajuku train station.
Since this town is known as a source of fashion, there are many kinds of “Kawaii” photo taking spots. If you have chance to visit Harajuku, you should visit following 7 places and take pictures.
1 Entrance of Takeshita Street
After you go through the Takeshita gate in Harajuku station, you can get to the entrance of Takeshita Street. When you look up the gate of the entrance, you can see the LED screen sign said “TAKESHITA STREET” decorated with cute balloons. These balloons changes depending on the season, and this LED screen sometimes shows videos of people walking on this street. You definitely want to take a picture of this entrance to commemorate this occasion.
If you walk about 360 meters, there are a lot of cheap cloth stores for teenagers. Other than that, there are the stores that you can take purikura (photo booth that prints out cards and stickers of the resulting photographs), colorful cotton candy store, shopping malls such as ALTA and CUTECUBE. This street is filled with the all kinds of Harajuku pop cultures.
2 CUTECUBE
If you walk about 5 minutes from the entrance of Takeshita Street, you can get to the commercial facility called “CUTECUBE.” There are fashion store called “SPINNS” which is very popular among young kids in Japan and cafés that is collaborated with some popular cartoon characters inside this facility. The thing that is standing in the central of this facility is the monument of Sebastian Masuda. This object which piles up colorful blocks and cubes is very outstanding and unique. There is also similar octopus object that has a lot of colorful blocks on the third floor.
3 MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist information center
When you go through the Takeshita Street and cross the Meiji Street, you can see the vivid blue building in front of you. This is Harajuku tourist information center as known as MOSHI MOSHI BOX. Other than giving information for tourist, there are an exchange counter, free karaoke machines, the stores that sells Japanese souvenir stuff. The building itself is good for taking pictures with, but the art work called “Colorful Rebellion -WORLD TIME CLOCK-” which was made by Sebastian Masuda standing outside of this building is also good photo taking spot. This world clock which decorated with colorful toys and ribbons are representing Japanese Kawaii cultures to the world.
4 MOSHI MOSHI KIMONO Salons
At the “MOSHI MOSHI Kimono salon” on the second floor of MOSHI MOSHI BOX building, you can not only experience wearing kimono, but also you can go out with wearing kimono. There are Harajuku style unique kimonos which have laces and frills, and they have Japanese traditional kimonos too.
If you are interested in Japanese Kawaii cultures, you should visit this MOSHI MOSHI kimono salon and find your favorite styles of kimono coordinate.
5 KAWAII MONSTER Café
You go straight after you left the MOSHI MOSHI BOX, there is building called “YM Square.” The new café called “KAWAII MONSTER Café” on the fourth floor of this building is much talked about.
When the elevator’s door opens, it looks like you are in theme park. The waitress wearing cute and fashionable dress welcomes you, and after you go inside, you can see each pieces of furniture’s that are decorated with cute stuffs. There is merry-go-round in the center of this café, and you can take pictures with that. This café makes you feel like you are in the world of picture books.
Don’t miss the worth photo takings foods that they change every month.
6 Harajuku
When you go opposite way after leaving KAWAII MONSTER Café, there you can see the monument says “Harajuku” in Chinese characters. This is putting up in front of cloths store called “GALLARIE.” It is good for showing people that you came to Harajuku. This popular store among young people has clothes that have been selected from outside of the country.
7 Illuminations in Omotesando
When you go straight with the GALLARIE to your back, you could see the Zelkova tree-lined in the street. They put up light-ups in every winter on this street.
This place is one of the most popular illumination spot that attaches about fifty millions LED light bulb on these trees.
The light-up starts Thursday December 1st to ends December 25th from sunset to 10:00PM. The light-up on the bushes ends on Wednesday January 4th.
Even though Harajuku is known as the place for young people, there are a lot of place that older people can enjoy visiting. Harajuku is a good place that you can enjoy in any occasion such as traveling with your family, dating, or shopping with your friends.
■Related article：7 city illuminations to visit in Japan this Christmas
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The Prince Park Tower Tokyo has been illuminating objet, the letters of "TOKYO" at south entrance. The lighting up started on Tuesday, 29, November and it will last till the end of February.
The hotel is located in Shibakoen area. This area is central part of Tokyo, so you can access easily by useful public transportation. There is the special photo spot that you can see both of the "TOKYO" and "the Tokyo tower". It must be a hot spot!
■Information
The Prince Park Tower Tokyo illumination
Illumination period：November 29th（Tue）～February 28th（Tue）
Illumination hour：Every day sunset～12:00MID.
inquiry： TEL：The Prince Park Tower Tokyo +81 3-5400-1111
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■Related article：Feel the magic this season with the BLUE CAVE SHIBUYA illumination event!
■Related article：【MOSHI MOSHI Pick-up spot】Enjoy the light-up of the flower garden「Ashikaga Flower Park “Flower Fantasy –the light of the flower garden-”」
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Hello, everybody! My name is Shiota and I am the curator of MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Information Center.
For this report, I visited the limited-time-offer photogenic art exhibition which opened behind Harajuku’s Cat Street called “VINYL MUSEUM.”
To get to the venue, enter Cat Street from Omotesando and take a left turn at the first corner. The exhibition venue is located in a building close to Starbucks (take a right turn at Starbucks).
This exhibition is an experience-based exhibition where you can enter the world of the exhibited art works.
When I visited many fashionable young girls were visiting the exhibition to enjoy the “Insta Bae Kukan” (a space for taking photos for your Instagram” which won the grand prize in the buzzwords contest.
This exhibition consists of two floors. The first floor has six booths with different themes. A corner featuring the popular game, Pocket Monster is also set up.The most popular spot is the pastel-colored pool. There was a long waiting line in front of the entrance to this space.
Each ball inside the bathtub is heart-shaped.
Here is a beautiful aqua-colored booth. Many flowers are hanging from the ceiling.
The combination of the flowers and girls is superb! Why not take a gorgeous photo here!!
The walls are very cute too.
The visitors to this exhibition were all taking selfies.
A colorful booth can be found when you get to the second floor. The space looks like a supermarket in a foreign country.
You can take cute photos at this booth which is like a photo studio for a magazine. The best photo here is to appear as if you are pushing a shopping cart.A collaborative product created with Red Bull (pack cocktail) is sold at this venue.
The drink shown above is red currant-flavored “EVERGIZING BAG RED.”
The sourness of berries is superb. The vivid red color is very photogenic.
This is coconut×mango flavored “ENERGIZING BAG ORANGE.”
It is a tropical drink recommended for those of you who love sweet cocktail.
Other than that, they also sell original postcards using the motifs of the artworks exhibited at the venue. Each of them are so
cute that I cannot decide which one to buy.
How did you like my report on “VINYL MUSEUM?” This exhibit will be held until the 25th of December 2017.
Feel free to contact us (MOSHI MOSHI BOX) if you get lost.
photo：Fumiko Nakazima (@o_f_u_m_i)
◼Information
VINYL MUSEUMAddress: BA-TSU ART GALLERY, 5-11-5, Jingumae, Shibuyaku, Tokyo
Date: 2017,12,13 (Wed.) to 12,25 (Mon.)
Business hours: 11:00 to 21:00
Access: 5 minutes on foot from Harajuku Station - Omotesando Exit
Entrance fee: 1,500 yen / 45 minutes
URL：http://vinyl-museum.com/
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My Neighbor Totoro is one of Studio Ghibi's most celebrated animated feature films, adored by people around the world. If you've visited Japan, you're bound to have run into something Totoro-related, but did you know there's actually several locations in Kyushu which takes it to the next level, bringing the world of the film to life? Today, we are joined by Rie who posts her Kyushu travels on her Instagram page. She has provided us with photos of these amazing spots, which are must-visits for Totoro fans, along with her thoughts.
Tataragi Bus Stop | Hita, Oita Prefecture
When you roll up to Tataragi Bus Stop (多々良木バス停) in Oita's city of Hita, you are welcomed by a giant piece of wall art made into the moss that grows on the wall. This bus stop is actually a stop used exclusively by school buses, so ordinary people can't actually catch a bus here. And unfortunately, you won't see any cat buses running down the street if you wait long enough in the rain, but it's still a must-visit for fans. Address: Amagasemachi Gota, Hita, Oita, Japan (In Japanese: 大分県日田市天瀬町合田) Totoro's Forest | Saiki, Oita Prefecture
This area is visited by many tourists and sightseers throughout the year because of how similar it looks to something from My Neighbor Totoro. There is a small park near the bus stop which is known as Totoro no Mori (Totoro's Forest). Being surrounded by nature, enveloped by the green trees and foliage, makes you feel like Mei and Satsuki from the movie. It's like being transported back to my childhood. It's a strange place that makes you feel nostalgic even if it's your first time visiting. Address: 1368 Ume Oaza Minamitabaru, Saiki-shi, Oita Prefecture (In Japanese: 大分県佐伯市宇目大字南田原轟1368) Takahara, Miyazaki Prefecture
The next spot I want to show you is where an ordinary person made their very own Totoro statue. If you hold up an umbrella in the rain you can take a photo that recreates that one scene from te movie. There is a sign nearby the statue with a caution written on it as the Totoro is actually inside a family garden. When visiting to take a photo, please make sure to follow the caution and not cause any trouble for people in the neighbouring area. Address: 7538-6 Kamamuta, Takaharu, Nishimorokata-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture (In Japanese: 宮崎県西諸島県群高原町大字蒲牟田7538-6) Rie posts photos of all her visits around Kyushu on Instagram, so if you're thinking of ever visiting there, be sure to follow her for ideas on where to go. Photos by Rie*The information listed in this article is correct at the time of publishing -
The MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center, which was established by the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Project under management support from the Shibuya City Tourism Association, officially closed its doors in January 2019. Since opening 4 years ago, the MOSHI MOSHI BOX (MMB) has always striven to provide tourist information and aid to sightseers in Harajuku, especially foreign visitors to Japan, by offering official multilingual maps from the Shibuya Tourism Association, guidance in multiple languages, foreign money exchange, baggage storage and more. This enabled the MMB to become recognised as a landmark of Harajuku overseas that is used by countless tourists.
What has attracted remarkable attention at the MMB is the huge World Clock that decorates the outside of the building. Created by Sebastian Masuda, the clock became a popular photo spot amongst tourists in Harajuku. Many people have posted photos of themselves next to the clock on social media, making it become a monument that symbolises Harajuku culture. We have received a lot of wishes from people to preserve the clock. The date on which the clock will be taken down has yet to be decided but it will be disassembled at some point. With only a year left until the Tokyo 2020 Olympics there is much construction work going on at the event's main site which is located in a neighbouring area. Harajuku and its station, which will be the doorstep to Harajuku, is also undergoing reconstruction. The MOSHI MOSHI BOX too biding its time and is waiting for the opportunity to move and undergo renovations in the brand new Harajuku. It is expected that many more overseas visitors and tourists will be coming to Japan. We will take advantage of the valuable experience we have earned by running the MMB by continuing to promote and deliver Japanese pop culture to the people of the world both on our website and at events and see what kind of information and services people will be demanding in the future. Thank you to everyone that has used the MOSHI MOSHI BOX. We ask for your continued support of the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Project. -
Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI is setting up photo spots based on the INFOBAR mobile phone at "au" branches across Japan, beginning in Tokyo before moving to Nagoya, Osaka and Sendai. People are free to snap pictures at these spots and post them to social media.
The exhibition is being held to commemorate the release of the INFOBAR xv which hit the market on November 29, 2018. The photo op spots are inspired by the colourful buttons on the phone, an iconic part of its design. The set was designed by Japanese balloon artist Emi Jinguu who has competed and won in US competitions. Head to one of the au branches below and snap some stylish pictures! Information
INFOBAR Photogenic Spots
①au SHINJUKU
Running: December 17, 2018 – December 24, 2018Time: 10:00-20:00
Access: https://au-shinjuku.kddi.com/about/access.html②au ABENO
Running: January 8, 2019 – January 14, 2019Time: 11:00-21:00
Access: https://au-abeno.kddi.com/about/access.html③au NAGOYA
Running: January 16, 2019 – January 21, 2019Time: 10:00-19:00
Access: https://au-nagoya.kddi.com/about/access.html④au SENDAI
Running: January 30, 2019 – February 4, 2019Time: 10:00-19:00
Access: https://au-sendai.kddi.com/about/access.htmlInspired by INFOBAR Website: https://adp.au.com/inspired-by/
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Hi, everyone. Midori here, editor at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON. Have you heard about 'cheese tea'? It's a drink that's getting a lot of attention right now. It's tea topped with cheese foam which results in a perfect match of sweetness from the tea and sourness from the cream cheese. Related Article:Drink Tea in Style With FORTUNER tea-box’s Cheese Tea Tapioca in Harajuku I heard that The Alley, a well-known bubble tea cafe recognised by its deer logo, released its own cheese tea so I took a trip there straight away! I went to the branch in Omotesando. There are lots of other branches too so head to the closest one to you. The one in Omotesando sits right next to Gong Cha, another bubble tea store.
Cross the intersection at Laforet towards ICE MONSTER and turn the corner at the flamingo (pictured above). You'll come to a road with Cafe Ron Ron on the left and Gong Cha on the right. Turn right at the FamilyMart at the end of the street and you'll find The Alley! The photo above was taken on a weekday before opening hours so there was no line, but it was a different story in the afternoon on the weekend! Ta-da! The line is so long it's hard to know where the end even is! It sure is popular. According to the staff working there, the line is constant on weekends from opening hours to when they close, so if you don't want to line up they recommend visiting during the week. There's also a stylish indoor section where you can enjoy your drink. Other menu items include the following: Bonsai bubble tea and aurora drinks are really popular on Instagram in Japan right now! When talking about The Alley you've got to mention the deer! There was a big one drawn on the wall inside. I went with the brown sugar tea from the cheese foam series. I recommend drinking cheese tea without the lid. If you drink it with the lid on it's hard to get the cheese foam and tea at the same time. The Alley is best known for its tapioca bubble teas, but they have other ranges too like this one. Now, onto tasting! Mixed in with The Alley's famous fragrant tea is brown sugar. It has a smell that is sure to make you happy. The cheese doesn't have that super sour taste, it's a mellow flavour. The drink isn't served hot but "mild hot" so you can get to drinking right away without burning yourself. It's safe for those with sensitive tongues too. I have to let hot drinks cool down first before drinking them too so I was glad with my choice. Head to The Alley to try out their new cheese tea yourself! Information
The Alley
Address: 6-6-6 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
Opening Hours: 10:00-22:00
No Fixed Holidays.
TEL: 03-6712-5185
Website: http://www.the-alley.jp/ -
Yuna Yabe and MIOCHIN bring the second entry to their featured article series. In the first article, they visited 6 different second hand clothing stores in Harajuku. This time, they head to various photogenic places around Harajuku. The locations they visited were submitted by their followers on social media who were asked to recommend Instagram-worthy locations in Harajuku. They took plenty of photos, so let’s see how their trip went! Instagram Worthy Spots in Harajuku Recommended by People
Yuna Yabe and MIOCHIN go through Harajuku almost every day. But just because they’re always there, they may still be unaware or not know about some spots. So here’s some spots recommended by their followers! Yuna: “This is from @killer_princess2. Doesn’t it look amazing?! It’s completely black! You’ll be able to take a super cool picture if you wear a monotone outfit! Personally, I definitely want to go and see this.” Yuna: “This is from @misa.s.world. Is it a shop display? What an extremely cool place! It made me think that although I’m in Harajuku almost every day there’s still place I don’t know ahout.” MIOCHIN: “This is from @kanon_thx. This is the World Clock monument at the MOSHI MOSHI BOX Harajuku Tourist Information Center managed by the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Project. It’s a famous spot for photos in Harajuku. It’s easy to find and colourful so I definitely recommend it!” MIOCHIN: “This is from @twintail.g__. The colourful graffiti is cute! It looks like a place where you could take an Instagram photo if you match outfits with a friend♪” Thank you to everyone who submitted recommendations. Yuna and MIOCHIN will now set off into Harajuku to take some pictures! Visiting the Recommended Places! The first place they went to is the “Now Is Forever” graffiti located just a short walk from Family Mart on Shibuya Cat Street. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this place the most popular with people visiting Harajuku for taking Instagram photos. It’s a bit of a walk form the station, but its colours make it stand out so it’s very easy to find and an easy location for snapping shots for your page. Next, they headed in the direction of Takeshita Street with the “Now Is Forever” to the back of them. They went through Cat Street and took the first left to find the black concrete wall. Yuna: “When I looked at the photo of this that a follower sent, I really wanted to come here! It’s simple but you don’t really see walls like this, so I recommend it to people!” ★TIP When taking a photo of something black, you can make the black colour more compact and take a better photo by lowering exposure. Depending on what app or device your using the interface will be different, but most use a sun icon for exposure. Cat Street is a graffiti gold mine. You’ll run into many great photo opportunities just by walking. ↓ ★TIP Harajuku’s streets are narrow and there’s a lot of obstructions, but if you take advantage of that you can take some very different looking photos from other people. This photo is made gorgeous with the flower bed in a blurry foreground. Yuna: I put on the VSCO C1 filter on my app. Normally I’m the type to not add flashy things, but the VSCO filters look natural and stylish so I recommend them! The brick wall at MICO Jingumae*, a commercial complex in Cat Street, is also a recommended spot. It’s easy place to take simple photos in full outfits. *Address: 4-25-4 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo ↓ ★TIP When taking a photo try to make skilled use of blank spaces. By adding stamps later on it’s easy to incorporate more of your style into it! MIOCHIN: “I used the LINE Camera app and added stamps. The colourful stamps are cute and stand out because the photo has a simple background!” ↓ There’s a sudden refreshing path when you climb the stairs at MICO Jingumae. You can get away from the hustle and bustle of Harajuku and have a breather. This street has a European vibe to it. From Cat Street it’s close to Omotesando Crossing along Meiji-dori. Walk along the little path beside Laforet Harajuku. This street goes by the names Mozart Street and Fontaine Street. The two of them discovered a water fountain in front of the building with the beauty salon. Despite being smack in the middle of Harajuku it had an exotic atmosphere. Did you enjoy this trip? Yuna and MIOCHIN went to stroll around photogenic spots in Harajuku and there were many they hadn’t been introduced to yet. Part of Harajuku’s appeal is how shops, displays and graffiti/illustrations change every day. No matter when you go, you’re sure to have a great time. Why not visit yourself this summer? This series can also be enjoyed on YouTube. Be sure to check it out below! -
Hi, everyone! I’m Midori Blackmore and I work at MOSHI MOSHI BOX, the Harajuku Tourist Information Center. Today, I went to Cafe Hohokam with fellow MOSHI MOSHI BOX colleague Ellie, so I wanted to share my experience with you all.
Hohokam is located behind MOSHI MOSHI BOX and can be found up the staircase past FABIUS Cafe. Head up these stairs to find the entrance. Hohokam is decorated to look like a motel you would see in Arizona. I’ve never been outside Japan before so I had to look up what exactly they’re like. Arizona is a state in the southwestern region of the US. It’s bordered by Mexico to the south, is very hot, and is home to the Grand Canyon. It also has the largest Native American population. *We have blurred the faces of the people inside to protect their identities.
‘I see,’ I said to myself and looked around. So that’s the atmosphere they’re going for. It’s very stylish but also feels incomparable to anything else. We both ordered an orange cream soda with a Hohokam burger and French toast that comes topped with Nutella, bananas and whipped cream.How amazing does this look? It looks like the cream soda you only see in manga. I was really surprised. It’s tall and the colour is gorgeous. Really just the best. This must be the proper way to make it in the cream soda industry. When you drink your cream soda, don’t you think to yourself, ‘Summer has arrived,’ too? It’s strange when you first take a sip because although it’s blue it has an orange flavour. The soft serve cream on top is also sweet and really delicious! There’s four cream soda flavours to choose from: melon, raspberry, lemon and orange, and they’re all supposed to be colourful and taste good. It might be a fun idea to order different coloured drinks with your friends. Next up is the Hohokam burger! The menu said it has chili beans, cheese and a jalapeno patty. Tada! The flag on top is cute, isn’t it? You can wrap the burger with the napkins provided on the table before biting into it, but we both shared it. This is how it looks cut in half. The red part is the chili beans. It’s spicy when you take a bite, but it’s not overly spicy at all! For me I thought it was a refreshing kind of spiciness like that of Mexican cuisine. I’m no good with spice and even I could eat it. The meat inside was made very well. It was just the kind of hamburger you’d expect at a hamburger shop. There’s a bunch of other burgers to choose from too, like the mozzarella burger, barbeque burger, cheeseburger and more. Last up is the French toast with Nutella & Banana & Whip cream! Something looking like this has got to be delicious. The burgers at Hohokam are of course delicious, but I personally want to give the nod to their desserts. They’re seriously something else! The fluffy French toast is topped with sweet Nutella and whipped cream, but it’s not heavy at all. We were already quite full but we were able to lap it up easily. They also have a terrace smoking area. The atmosphere there was fairly nice too! Dining outside can make eating your food taste good too, can’t it? Another great thing is that everything at Hohokam can be ordered for takeout! We recommend getting a delicious burger and having a picnic in Yoyogi Park! So, do you like the sound of Cafe Hohokam? It’s great for lunch or dinner, and we also recommend using it as a café to stop by when you’re out shopping. If you’re in Harajuku and have an empty stomach, or you’re in need of a dessert, then please try Cafe Hohokam for yourself. ■Information Café Hohokam Address: 2F, 3-22-14 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo Opening Hours: 11:30-23:00(L.O. 22:30) TEL: 03-5755-5708 Website: http://www.cafe-hohokam.com/