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On Location: Tokyo
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Take a walk on the wild side through the offbeat fashion district of Harajuku
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BY STEPHEN FORSTER
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| Denizens of Tokyo's Harajuku district show their manga-inspired style. |
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Gone Tomorrow
I should have known better, of course. I’ve lived in Tokyo long enough to realize that relentless change for change’s sake is built into the very fabric of the city. This was, after all, the home of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel—a magnificent structure that survived the 1923 earthquake and a 1945 fire-bombing, only to fall to ’60s developers. Yet as I planned my day trip to explore the Harajuku area for an Endless Vacation assignment, I didn’t bother to check whether the delightful Aux Bacchanales café was still there. This more-Parisian-than-Paris piece of the Latin Quarter transplanted into the frenetic youthscape of Harajuku was practically an institution.
Strolling down narrow, boutique-packed Takeshita-dori, I found myself torn: Should I stop by Aux Bacchanales for a leisurely quiche lunch, or wait for an even more leisurely dinner of fragrant lamb with thyme? By the end of Takeshita-dori, I’d concluded that the only wise course involved both. Thirty seconds later, however, the fond daydream came to an abrupt end. I realized with a shock that the café was no more: Aux Bacchanales had gone the same sad way as Wright’s grand hotel. Tokyo developers had claimed another victim.
Playing Dress-up—to the Max
If convivial Aux Bacchanales used to be the best spot in Harajuku for people-watching over a glass of pastis, then the best place to see some of the most extravagantly garbed people in Tokyo—some might say the planet—is surely the bridge by Harajuku Station. This is where young Japan comes every Sunday to indulge in the art of cosplay—dressing up in outlandish costumes, often based on characters from anime cartoons or manga comics. As I made my way among such exotica as “Gothic Lolita” girls (got up in lace bonnets, short net skirts, fishnet stockings, petticoats and platform boots), I felt like the drabbest of the drab in my cargo shorts and T-shirt. The general mood on the bridge was one of good humor, though not everyone appeared to be amused. A Japanese man with cropped gray hair and a grim expression walked around announcing in English, “Young people bring shame on Japan.”
Iris Oasis
That same gent would doubtless approve of a nearby site located just beyond the bridge. Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the emperor of the same name who, in the late 19th century, helped haul Japan out of feudalism and into the modern era. Surrounded by thick woods, the shrine makes a refreshing oasis in the heart of Tokyo. Also on the grounds is an iris garden, which was at its finest during the rainy-season month of June. The sight of its meandering stream lined with clusters of delicate violet, mauve, cream and lilac flowers was nothing short of sublime—and tainted only slightly by the sounds of rock music, traffic and the general urban racket that occasionally drifted in through the trees.
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Published: September 2007
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Photo: Tomas Reyes
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