I planned to do all my souvenir shopping on my last day in Japan. Harajuku is a street filled with endless things to do and I decided to spend my last day in the major fashion district of Tokyo. The top things on my to-do list in Harajuku street were: trying Harajuku's famed crepe, explore Japan's drugstores, shop at the world's biggest Daiso, and buy snacks from Calbee Plus and Croquant Chou ZakuZaku.

Harajuku Shopping Street (Takeshita Street)

Address
1-19-5 Jingumae, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo

Neaarest Tokyo Subway Station
Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku' Station
Chiyoda Line (green) and Fukutoshin Line (brown)

Opening Hours
Shops typically open from 11am to 9pm


I stopped at the first crepe store I saw in Harajuku, Cafe Crepe 1977, because my stomach was rumbling. Little did I know that crepe stores were a dime a dozen in Harajuku and the one that I bought from wasn't the famous crepe store travellers usually queue up to buy from T_T



I got the Strawberry and Cookie & Cream Cheesecake Crepe, consisiting of cookies and cream cheesecake, strawberry, oreo, whipped cream, and one scoop of either vanilla or strawberry ice cream. Cafe Crepe 1977 is supposedly the oldest specialty crepe shop in Harajuku.

Cafe Crepe 1977

Address

Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 10:30am to 9:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am to 9:30pm

Price Range
On average, ¥450 to ¥590 (SGD $5.60 to $7.40)

Telephone Number
03-3497-0030

Side note: the famous Harajuku crepe stores are Angels Heart (Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 1 Chome−２０−６) and SANTA MONICA Crepes (1 Chome-168 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan). They're located right opposite each other.

Harajuku in Chinese / Kenji

You know you're in Japan when you see a whole stretch of shops selling these cutesy items.

Travellers often stop at Calbee Plus to buy fresh potato chips that's made on the spot. You can also choose your own toppings to go with your fresh cup of chips.

Calbee Plus

Address
Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, 渋谷区Jingumae, 1 Chome−１６−８

Opening Hours
9:30am to 8:30pm daily
Fresh chips are available from 10am to 8pm daily


Other than their signature fresh potato chips, Calbee Plus sells a variety of unique flavoured potato chips as well, ranging from sasame oil to Japan exclusive boxes. The Japan exclusive Calbee Plus boxes make good souvenirs, especially if you travelled to different parts of Japan, because it includes a pack of local specialty from each region around Japan.

If I had known I'll be heading back to school, I would have bought these adorable backpacks!

Dropped by the world's biggest Daiso because no budget travel is complete without a trip to Daiso, right? The items in Japan's Daiso are also affectionately known as the 100 yen store as all their items are priced at ¥100 (SGD $1.25). There are many other shops in Japan modelled after the same concept, selling everyting at ¥100.

Daiso 100 Yen 

Address
1 Chome-19-24 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan

Opening Hours
10am to 9pm daily

Contact Number
+81 3-5775-9641



With three levels and a basement, Harajuku's Daiso, expectedly, provided an endless variety of things I never knew I needed. They even sold magnets as souvenirs, hair dye and earrings! Needless to say, I spent a bulk of my afternoon stuck in Daiso.

Akushon Kamen bag

Characters from Crayon Shin-chan

I couldn't resist and bought two keychains since they were reasonably priced for authentic keychains. My brother and I grew up watching Crayon Shin-chan so the keychains were sentimental, on top of being cute.




There were three drugstores around the streets of Harajuku and they all offer different promotions. If you have the time, you might want to seperate your purchases, going for the promotions offered in the drugstores. But because I was travelling alone, I chose the easier way out and settled for the drugstore offering the cheapest average price. However, because the drugstore doesn't offer tax rebate, I only saved a few dollars at the end of the day.


Spotted a queue forming at Croquant Chou ZakuZaku and, although I didn't know what the hype was initially, I joined the queue because #Singaporean.

Croquant Chou ZakuZaku (Harajuku Cute Cube Outlet)

Address
Shibuya-Ku Meijijingu Mae 1-7-1 150-0001 東京都渋谷区神宮前 1-7-1

Opening Hours
11:00am – 10:00pm on weekdays
10:30am – 10:00pm on weekends

Telephone Number
03-6804-6340



Verdict? I love it!!! The cream wasn't too sweet and the outer layer was kept crunchy despite its creamy filling. Would totally die for another one right now. If I were to travel to Japan during summer, I'd love to try its ice cream variant too.

As I strolled down the streets of Harajuku, I kept getting approached by African Americans who were aggressive in getting me to visit their shops located on the second storeys. I noticed the shops were a little dark and politely rejected them. Thankfully, I followed my guts because I read on article upon arriving back in Singapore about how these salespeople will force you to purchase something from their store should you visit.

I also exchanged more SGD for yen here and surprisingly, it fetched me the best rates! I would have taught that Harajuku, being a tourist spot, would offer a terrible rate.

Although famous for the wild and quirky fashionistas occasionally donning the streets of Harajuku, I didn't spot any when I was there. Still, Harajuku is an amazing place for a day of shopping because they offer a myriad of shops, from specialty food to creative knickknack shops. I also finished all my yen in Japan's drugstores. Japan, take all my money!

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Japan Solo Travel (January 2017)

Tokyo Summary and Getting Around Tokyo | Tokyo Imano Hostel Review | Tokyo Pokemon Centre & Shibuya Crossing | Tokyo Lockers and Shinjuku Gyoen Garden | Tokyo Harajuku (Shopping, Food, Daiso) | Tokyo bills Omotesando (Tokyu Plaza)

Hakone One Day Itinerary | Hakone Tozan Railway and Cable Car | Seeing Mt Fuji at Owakudani | Hakone Ropeway and Sightseeing Cruise | Trekking to see Hakone Shrine and Mt Fuji

9 Hours Narita Capsule Hotel Review | Tokyo Narita Airport