What we call "value meals", they call "sets" or "セット" (setto). I got to admit that I was pretty disappointed by the burger. It had a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, white cheese, a tangy BBQ sauce on a wholewheat bun. For all that, it was pretty bland. Apparently, there's also a Texas burger and according to a poster inside the restaurant, it's "coming back soon!!". The fries were on par with what we have here, though.
Though the food wasn't that great, the people watching made up for it. I've never seen so many giggling and chatty teenage Japanese girls in one spot. And here and there in this crowded dining space were middle aged business men in their pinstriped suits totally not blending in.
For all of Harajuku's uniqueness, there's also some familiar stores to be found like Claire's. I couldn't believe it. There it was, jammed in with all the other shops. That and the GAP I could do without, but I suppose to the locals these are charming snippets of American fashion.
I checked out LaForet and it turned out to be pretty pricey and upscale for being in Harajuku. I didn't spend a lot of time inside as the price tags were not very welcoming.
Having bought all I could carry, I went back to rest my sore feet at the hotel for a few. It was getting late, so I decided to head over to the origami kaikan in Ochanomizu before it closed.
The Ochanomizu JR Station is right on the Kanda river. The origami kaikan is a short walk from the station by cutting through the
Tokyo Medical and Dental University's campus.
I simply adore this place. The staff here are so friendly and if you have ever done origami, they are so pleased to hear that. Every month, they feature a project and have it on display in the 1st floor gallery and the projects from the previous month are on the 2nd floor gallery. This month was samurai helmets.
I told the lady that I enjoy origami as a hobby and told her I like to make kusudama. She smiled from ear to ear and told me to check out the 2nd floor. So I headed up to find that kusudama were the previous month's feature!
The exhibits, staff and merchandise here never disappoint me. The 3rd floor has a very impressive shop. They must have miles of paper. There's 2 rooms full of handmade washi, kits they they've made up for different projects, glue, display boards, etc.
As I was browsing, a dozen or so older ladies came down from the 5th floor classroom after just taking some lessons. They were so lively and fun to watch - kind of like the loquacious girls in Makku earlier.
The 4th floor is a workshop where you are free to check out and watch the artisans make paper.
This gentlemen was taking the black hanging pieces of washi made earlier and brushing a design on them and then hanging them to dry on the other side of the workshop. So, even if origami really isn't your thing, you can go check out this interesting process for free!
Next post: my last full day in Japan!
Harajuku: Part 2. Again, my arms were laden with shopping bags, but I managed to snap a few pictures. For being a Monday, Takeshita-dori was packed!
Having bought all I could carry, I went back to rest my sore feet at the hotel for a few. It was getting late, so I decided to head over to the origami kaikan in Ochanomizu before it closed.
I told the lady that I enjoy origami as a hobby and told her I like to make kusudama. She smiled from ear to ear and told me to check out the 2nd floor. So I headed up to find that kusudama were the previous month's feature!
This gentlemen was taking the black hanging pieces of washi made earlier and brushing a design on them and then hanging them to dry on the other side of the workshop. So, even if origami really isn't your thing, you can go check out this interesting process for free!
What can I say about Harajuku? It exceeded expectations - so much more in fact that I plan on returning tomorrow since I didn't get to hit all the shops I wanted to. (But in all fairness, I did spend that entire morning in the Tokyu Hands massive Shibuya store. And I had to leave early in the afternoon to meet up with some friends in Shinagawa.)
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