Harajuku 原宿 | |
|---|---|
Urban area | |
| Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme | |
 Harajuku Station (left), withMeiji Shrine forest as background | |
  Harajuku Location of Harajuku in Tokyo Show map of Special wards of Tokyo Harajuku Harajuku (Tokyo) Show map of Tokyo Harajuku Harajuku (Japan) Show map of Japan | |
| Coordinates:35°40′07″N139°42′19″E / 35.6685°N 139.7054°E /35.6685; 139.7054 | |
| Country |  Japan |
| City |  Tokyo |
| Ward | Shibuya |
Harajuku (原宿,[haɾa(d)ʑɯkɯ]ⓘ) is a district inShibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading fromHarajuku Station toOmotesando, corresponding on official maps ofShibuya ward asJingūmae 1chōme to 4chōme. In popular reference, Harajuku also encompasses many smaller backstreets such as Takeshita Street andCat Street spreading fromSendagaya in the north toShibuya in the south.[1]
Harajuku is known internationally as a center of Japaneseyouth culture and fashion.[2] Shopping and dining options include many small, youth-oriented, independentboutiques and cafés, but the neighborhood also attracts many larger international chain stores with high-end luxury merchandisers extensively represented along Omotesando.
Harajuku Station on theEast Japan Railway (JR East)Yamanote Line andMeiji-jingumae 'Harajuku' Station served by theTokyo Metro Chiyoda Line andTokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line also act as gateways to local attractions such as theMeiji Shrine,Yoyogi Park andYoyogi National Gymnasium, making Harajuku and its environs one of the most popular destinations in Tokyo for both domestic and international tourists.
In the pre-Edo period, the area that came to be known as Harajuku was a small post town on the Kamakura Highway. It was said that in theGosannen War,Minamoto no Yoshiie mustered his soldiers in this area and the hill here is called Seizoroi-saka (current Jingūmae 2chōme). It is said that as theIgagoe reward for delivering Ieyasu Tokugawa safely from Sakai to Mikawa in the 1582 Honno-ji Incident, Onden-mura (隠田村) together with Harajuku-mura (原宿村) were given to the Iga ninja in 1590.
In theEdo period, an Iga clan residence was put in Harajuku to defend Edo, due to its strategic location south of the Koshu Road. Other than the mansion of the Hiroshima Domain feudal lord Asano (current Jingūmae 4 and 5chōme), there were many mansions of shogunate retainers.
The livelihood of the farmers consisted mainly of rice cleaning and flour milling with the watermill at theShibuya River. However, due to the poor quality of the land, production never succeeded and the villages never prospered. It is said that local farmers often performed rain-making invocations at local shrines in an attempt to improve their fortunes. There are also the talesOyama-Afuri Shrine of Tanzawa andWorship on the day trip toMt Haruna remaining.
At the start of theMeiji period in 1868, the land around Harajuku Village was owned by the shogunate. In November of the same year, the towns and villages ofShibuya Ward, including Harajuku Village, were placed under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Prefecture.
In 1906,Harajuku Station was opened as a part of the expansion of theYamanote Line. In 1919, with the establishment ofMeiji Shrine, Omotesando was widened and reordered as a formal approach route.
In 1943, theTōgō Shrine was built and consecrated in honor ofImperial Japanese NavyMarshal-AdmiralMarquisTōgō Heihachirō.
In the final period of thePacific War in 1945, much of the area was burned to the ground during theGreat Tokyo Air Raid.
During the postwar occupation, military housing in the area namedWashington Heights was constructed on land now occupied byYoyogi Park and theYoyogi National Gymnasium. Shops that appealed to the US soldiers and their families, such as Kiddyland, Oriental Bazaar, and the Fuji Tori, opened along Omotesando during this period.
In 1964, swimming, diving, and basketball events for theTokyo Olympics were held at nearbyYoyogi National Gymnasium.
In 1965, the name of the area in theJapanese address system was officially changed from Harajuku to Jingumae. The name Harajuku has persisted due to the earlier naming of the nearbyJR EastHarajuku Station. Prior to 1965, Onden, referred to the low-lying area close to Meiji Street and theShibuya River while "Harajuku" referred to the northern end of Omotesando, the plateau around Aoyama, currently known as Jingu-mae block 2, a large area of Jingu-mae block 3, and the plateau extending behind Togo Shrine in Jingu-mae block 1. The area from Harajuku station to the area surrounding Takeshita Street was called "Takeshita-cho".
Coming into the 1970s, fashion-obsessed youth culture experienced a transition, fromShinjuku to Harajuku, then toShibuya. Palais France, a building that sold fashion clothing and accessories, furniture, and other goods, was constructed on Meiji Street near the exit of Takeshita Street. In 1978, the fashion building Laforet Harajuku was opened; thus, Harajuku came to be widely known as a fashion and retail centre.
In the 1980s, Takeshita Street became known for teenage street dancing groups calledtakenoko-zoku.
From 1977, a Sundays-only pedestrian precinct was established by closing local roads. This produced a surge in people gathering close to entrances ofYoyogi Park to watch rock 'n' rollers and other new bands performing impromptu open-air gigs. In the peak period, crowds of up to 10,000 people would gather. In 1998,[3] the Sundays-only pedestrian zone was abolished.
In the 1990s and 2000s, with the rise offast fashion, there was an influx of international fashion brand flagship store openings includingGap Inc.,Forever 21,Uniqlo,Topshop andH&M. At the same time, new independent fashion trend shops spread into the previously residential areas of Jingumae 3 and 4 chome, with this area becoming known asUra-Harajuku (the "Harajuku Backstreets").
In 2006,Omotesando Hills opened, replacing theDōjunkai apartments onOmotesando.
In 2008, theTokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line opened, providing alternative metro access linking Harajuku toShibuya andIkebukuro.
During the early morning of January 1, 2019, a 21-year-old man named Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove hisKei car into the crowd of pedestrians celebrating New Year's Day on Takeshita Street. The man claimed his actions were a terrorist attack, and later stated that his intention was to retaliate against the usage of thedeath penalty. The man attempted to flee from the scene but was soon apprehended by authorities in a nearby park.[4][5]
Harajuku is a retail fashion and dining destination in its own right, but still earns much of its wider reputation as a gathering place for fans and aficionados ofJapanese street fashion and associated subcultures.Jingu Bashi, the pedestrian bridge betweenHarajuku Station and the entrance to theMeiji Shrine, used to act as a gathering place on Sundays to showcase some of the more theatrical styles.[6] Another gathering place was the lower part of Omotesandō avenue, which used to be pedestrian-only ("Hokosha Tengoku") on Sundays.[7]
Other local landmarks include:
Tokyo/Harajuku travel guide from Wikivoyage| Districts |
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