Street · Tokyo
Takeshita-dōri竹下通り
Walk it once, on a weekday morning if you can, for crepes and teen fashion; skip weekend afternoons unless you like shuffling shoulder to shoulder. Twenty minutes is enough, then escape to Omotesandō or Meiji Jingū next door.
More
Map to the start
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Length
400 m (0.2 mi)0.2 mi (400 m)
approximate
Walk end to end
5 min
without stops
Traffic
Car-free
Best time
Weekdays 10:00–12:00; weekends before 11:00Weekdays 10:00 AM–12:00 PM; weekends before 11:00 AM
At a glance
- Length
- 400 m (0.2 mi)0.2 mi (400 m)
- Start
- Takeshita Exit of JR Harajuku Station
- End
- Meiji-dōri end
- Traffic
- Car-free
- Currency
- JPY
Decide
What the street is for, and when to be there
At a glance
Tokyo's teen-fashion alley: a narrow, downhill pedestrian lane from JR Harajuku Station packed with crepe stands, candy shops, cheap accessories and street-style clothing.
Getting there
JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku, Takeshita Exit: the lane starts across the road. From the other end, Meiji-jingumae (Harajuku) Station on the Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines is a 3-minute walk.
Traffic and walking hours
Car-free. Pedestrian lane in practice; delivery vehicles are allowed in the early morning (check). Bicycles should be walked.
Hours change for events and holidays: check locally.
Morning, afternoon, night
Best time: Weekdays 10:00–12:00; weekends before 11:00
05:00–11:005:00 AM–11:00 AM local time
Shops open around 10:00–11:00 (check); before that the lane is mostly shutters and delivery vans. The quietest time to see it.
Best time: Weekdays 10:00–12:00; weekends before 11:00
See & do
The stops in walking order, then where to shop and what to eat
Show 4 sectionsHideWalk this street, Where to shop and what it costs, Eat on or near it, Sights on the street
Walk this street
↓ about 2 min · 140 m (460 ft)460 ft (140 m)
↓ about 1 min · 110 m (360 ft)360 ft (110 m)
↓ about 2 min · 160 m (520 ft)520 ft (160 m)
Minutes are walking time at an easy 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h) with a margin for crowds; add time for shops. The GPX opens in Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google My Maps.
Your walking clock
Choose when you start and how long you will spend at each stop to see when you reach each one.
About 35 min from the first stop to the last, at this pace.
- 1Takeshita Exit gate10:0010:00 AM
- 2Crepe stand cluster10:1210:12 AM
- 3Tōgō Shrine side street10:2310:23 AM
- 4Meiji-dōri end10:3510:35 AM
Walking pace only, so allow more on busy days. The page's best time: Weekdays 10:00–12:00; weekends before 11:00.
Where to shop and what it costs
- Crepe standsHarajuku-style crepes rolled into a cone with cream, fruit, ice cream or cheesecake¥600–1,500 (≈ US$5–11) / crepePrice check →
- 100-yen and 300-yen storesCheap stationery, kitchen gadgets, snacks and souvenirsPrices include tax¥110–1,100 (≈ US$1–8) / itemPrice check →
- Accessory and street-fashion boutiquesKawaii, gothic, punk and secondhand clothing; small shops over several floors¥1,000–15,000 (≈ US$7–110) / itemPrice check →
- Candy and snack shopsOversized cotton candy, character sweets and imported snacks¥300–1,500 (≈ US$3–11) / itemPrice check →
Typical buys
- Crepe with cream and fruitPremium toppings push it higher¥600–1,500 (≈ US$5–11) / crepePrice check →
- Rainbow cotton candy or novelty sweets¥500–1,500 (≈ US$4–11) / itemPrice check →
- Hair accessories and costume jewelry¥300–2,000 (≈ US$3–14) / itemPrice check →
- T-shirts and street-style clothing¥1,500–8,000 (≈ US$11–55) / itemPrice check →
Ranges, not quotes: prices move with season and exchange rates; the equivalent in your currency is approximate. Checked Sep 2026.
Eat on or near it
- Crepes on the walkEat by the stand; walking and eating in the crush is frowned upon and messy.
- Harajuku Gyoza-rōCheap pan-fried gyoza on a lane off Omotesandō, about 8 minutes' walk; expect a short line.
Sights on the street
- Takeshita-dōriThe full place page for the lane.
- Meiji JingūThe forested shrine is across the tracks from the station exit; go before or after for a quiet contrast.
- Tōgō ShrineSmall shrine with a pond, a few steps north of the lane's midpoint; a calm break.
Practical
Getting a ride there, what goes wrong, and access
Show 8 sectionsHideShow the driver, Safety, traffic and scams, Accessibility, Photo tips, A line of history, Combine with, Questions people ask, Related
Show the driver
Show the driver
竹下通りの入口（JR原宿駅の竹下口側）までお願いします。
Please take me to the entrance of Takeshita-dōri (the Takeshita Exit side of JR Harajuku Station).
Cars cannot enter the lane; the driver will stop on the road by the station.
Safety, traffic and scams
Crowd crush at weekends and holidays medium
Pickpocketing in the densest stretch low
Scams and traps
- Street recruiters for 'model' or talent agencies may approach young visitors; decline and keep walking, and never pay upfront fees.
- Some shops add a separate charge for photos or for seating; read the signs before you sit.
Accessibility
- Paved and step-free but slopes downhill from the station; weekend crowds make wheelchairs and strollers very slow.
- JR Harajuku Station has elevators since its 2020 rebuild; the Takeshita Exit is small and busy (check).
Photo tips
- The entrance arch from the station side, early morning before the crowds.
- Ask before photographing people in costume or street fashion; many are fine with it, some are not.
A line of history
Takeshita-dōri grew into a youth shopping street in the 1970s and 1980s as boutiques catering to teenagers opened near Harajuku Station, and it became a center of Tokyo street fashion in the 1990s.
Combine with
- OmotesandōWalk 3 minutes south along Meiji-dōri for the grown-up, architect-designed avenue.
- Cat StreetQuieter side street of independent fashion running south from Omotesandō toward Shibuya.
More streets in Tokyo: Nakamise-dōri
Questions people ask
Is Takeshita-dōri worth it for adults?
Briefly, as a spectacle. Most shops target teenagers; adults usually enjoy nearby Omotesandō and Cat Street more.
When is it least crowded?
Weekday mornings just after shops open. Avoid weekend and holiday afternoons.
Deep dive
Sources; hours, rules and prices change, so check before you go
Show the detailsHide
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage: Tokyo/Shibuya
- officialGO TOKYO official travel guide