| From the Tokyo's Best Stuff series. Takeshita-dori
Probably my favourite Tokyo place (aside from the geek Valhalla ofAkihabara). Leave the station on the downhill side, turn left, and follow the teenagers! A series of narrow alleys that are stuffed with the funkiest junk a gaijin ever saw -- imagine the chaos of a Cairo bazaar crossed with the World Atom Boy Convention, platform shoes essential. Tokyo on really weird drugs. Just go. Hysteric Glamour
One designer that was born of this creative chaos is Hysteric Glamour, who now have quite a few boutiques in Tokyo and whose threads can be bought all over the world. The original store is at 6-23-2 Jingumae. Café de Ropé
A fabulous vantage point to try to take in the madness and joy of Harajuku. Have a slice of gateaux and an ais kohii, get a table just inside the open front windows. -1-8 Jingumae, open 'till 2300. Kiddyland
Probably Tokyo's best (or at least most entertaining) toy store. Two or three doors down from Café de Ropé, Kiddyland is six floors of Japan's finest toys for kids young through fully-grown. Includes loads of collectables for pop culture enthusiasts, and always features the latest and greatest. | 
