Omotesando Dori

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Omote-sandō

Top choice in Harajuku & Aoyama


This broad, tree-lined boulevard is lined with boutiques from the top European fashion houses. More interesting are the buildings themselves, designed by some of the biggest names in Japanese architecture. There's no better (or more convenient) place to gain an overview of Japan's current sense of design. Highlights include the Dior boutique by SANAA (Nishizawa Ryue and Sejima Kazuyo) and the Tod's boutique by Itō Toyō.

Perhaps surprisingly, Omote-sandō was originally designed as the official approach to Meiji-jingū; that's why it's unusually straight and wide (as far as Tokyo streets go).

Transportation

  • subway: Ginza line to Omote-sandō, exits A3 & B4
  • train: JR Yamanote line to Harajuku, Omote-sandō exit

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Harajuku & Aoyama attractions

1. Tod's Omote-sandō

0.06 MILES

Pritzker Prize–winner Itō Toyō designed the Tod's boutique (2004). The criss-crossing strips of concrete take their inspiration from the zelkova trees…

2. Louis Vuitton Omote-sandō

0.11 MILES

Aoki Jun’s design for Louis Vuitton (2002) features offset panels of tinted glass behind sheets of metal mesh of varying patterns and is, fittingly, meant…

3. Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo

0.11 MILES

On the top floor of Aoki Jun's Louis Vuitton boutique, this light-filled gallery hosts contemporary exhibitions backed by the luxury brand's well-endowed…

4. Spiral Building

0.14 MILES

The asymmetrical, geometric shape of architect Maki Fumihiko's Spiral Building (1985) may not look very sinuous on the outside, but the name will make…

5. Omotesandō Hills

0.2 MILES

This deceptively deep concrete mall (2003), designed by Tadao Ando, spirals around a sunken atrium. Andō’s architecture utilises materials such as…

6. Prada Aoyama

0.24 MILES

Of course you could shop here, but pretty much everyone comes just to ogle the curvaceous glass bubbles of the boutique's exterior, designed by Herzog &…

7. Dior Omote-sandō

0.24 MILES

This five-storey glass building (2003) uses clever lighting and acrylic screens to pull off the effortlessly chic look of a breezy tiered skirt. Pritzker…

8. Cat Street

0.28 MILES

Had enough of the Harajuku crowds? Exit, stage right, for Cat Street, a meandering car-free road with a mishmash of boutiques and a little more breathing…

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