Here are my fave hangout spots in Tokyo:
Shibuya
I.Love.Shibuya! It`s where the freaks and the cool people hang
out all at once! The Hachiko Dog Statue next to the train station is
THE place to meet up with friends. In Shibuya, you`ll see all kinds
of people from GALS, to hip-hop lovers to punks...any and everyone!
Shibuya has a lot of overly trendy clothing stores, and tons of music
stores. Shibuya also has it`s "party" side. There are quite
a few dance clubs and love hotels here too. And you`ll see the nanpa
and adult video recruiters here as well.
The world`s busiest intersection is located here in Shibuya. Unfortunately, it`s so busy, you can`t even see it. As soon as the light turns green, you have to go into "football player" mode to get through the crowds of people.
This is Shibuya 109, the place where the "gyaru" or GAL trend originated. GALS are young Japanese girls who dressed in outrageous fashions, tan, wear heavy makeup, and dye their hair white, or blonde. The word "GAL" has pretty much died out and these girls are now referred to as "manba" girls. There are many different levels of manba girls. Gon-GAL is a great website with info on the GAL/mamba trend.
Shibuya 109 isn`t all manba fashion though. They also have hip-hop stores, pink stuff stores, punk stores, and cute stuff stores. I go here to get accessories like necklaces and earrings. LOL the sizes are REALLY small, so that`s basically the only thing I can wear.
Shinjuku
Shinjuku is another hangout of mine. They have a huge Kinokuniya
bookstore that has tons of English books, so I go there often. They
also have a nice collection of department stores like Mitsukoshi. LOL
and of course they have an HMV I like to roam through.
This is the entrance to Kabukicho. In the daytime it looks pretty normal...
...but at night it`s turns into a different world. It`s filled with yakuza (Japanese mafia), host and hostess, adult video recruiters, nanpa, and all around nuts. There are tons of love hotels here as well. But Shinjuku isn`t all sex and crazyiness. There are a lot of nice bars, pubs and restuarants as well as movie theaters and game centers. My friends and I like to play pool, go bowling, and eat here.
Harajuku
Harajuku is where the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park are. Harajuku
is another place where young folks congregate. But many of the folks
here follow the "Gothic/Lolita" look. Harajuku also has some
upscale stores like Burberry and Donna Karan. LOL like to go to the
GAP here because it`s pretty big and they usually have my size. There`s
also a Book Off here; it`s actually the largest Book Off in Tokyo. The
location in the above picture is Takashita Street. It`s a pretty narrow
street filled with Gothic, punk, and hip-hop fashions. They also seem
to sell a lot of "Idol" pictures in this area, so if you`re
looking for pictures of Gackt or any of Johnny`s Jrs. you can find them
here.
This is the entrance gate to the Meiji Shrine. As I mentioned before, the shrine is located in Yoyogi Park which is just to the right of the Harajuku train station. It`s also the place where bboys and the Gothic/Lolita folks hang out at. Sorry I don`t have any pics of them. I seem to come on the days they`re at the park. ^_^;
That`s me at the Meiji Shrine for hatsumode. :D
Ikebukuro
I just started going to Ikeburkuro. LOL it`s funny because I usually take the Tobu Tojo Train to get to Tokyo, and the train line ends at Ikebukuro, but I never really explored the area. Ikeburkuro has Sunshine City which is packed with trendy little shops and a Toys R Us, but also has a museum and an aquarium. Ikebukuro also has the Seibu department store, which is one of Tokyo`s largest department stores.
Ropppongi
If you`re a foreigner and you live in or near Tokyo, you`ve been to
Roppongi. For the most part, Roppongi is like the Red Light District
for foreigners. It`s full of pimps, night clubs, people selling stuff,
and drunken folks (foreign and Japanese alike) trying to get laid. But
Roppongi isn`t a total wasteland. Roppongi Hills boasts some extravagant
department stores, a The Mori Art Musuem, TV Asahi, and the radio station
J-Wave. I`ve been to the Mori Art Musem to check out a fashion exhibit.
And there are some pretty cool clubs in Roppongi. Sorry. I don`t have
any pics of Roppongi.