I'm glad I have had better flights to Japan, because I would like to forget this last one. Along with some difficulty getting the right ticket for the train to Ikebukuro. But I made it and found my hotel and everything there was decent. And was all non-smoking. I am grateful for that. Something I should not have done there was pre-pay for their breakfast. Which consisted of toast, a choice of two broths and tea or coffee. I ended up not using most of their breakfast tickets, opting instead for salads and tamagoyaki hand rolls from 7-11.
Despite everything and still being very tired, I headed out. The day was too beautiful not to spend time outside.
And over to the obvious place. I decided to get this bit of shopping out of the way, because Harajuku can be overwhelming if not prepared for it. It was good to see the old station is still there, while they build the new section. It is the iconic face of Harajuku.
The other iconic part of Harajuku is opposite of the station. Takeshita Street, with it's hundreds of tourists. My plan was to get in there, get to where I wanted to shop, and then I would be done with this for the rest of my trip.
I'd always seen the Yellow House on my past visits to Harajuku, but this time I stopped in. The small space has walls covered with flyers from days long gone. The shop owner was there and she asked me in a bit of English why I was there. I explained and of course she responded with what she says to anyone who mentions certain bands. That she made clothing for MALICE MIZER back in the day.
I will say the fashion at Yellow House is something that I might have shopped at long ago, for a top or jacket. I do think there is a bit more quality than some of the other shops along Takeshita Dori. If anyone is looking for a punk or visual kei look, I recommend stopping in.
But my destination was some place else. The place known for years as the place to find that long sought after item. The destination for lolitas from all over the world. And for some of the rest of us, looking for elegant gothic aristocrat, punk or Vivienne Westwood clothing. Closet Child.
Shopping completed, I escaped from the maddening crowd that filled Takeshita Dori. The back streets of Harajuku are interesting. And also, a little artistic. Each time I return to Tokyo, I see more graffiti. Sometimes it approaches art.
Contrasting this is the fountain at picturesque Fontaine Street.
Along with the bit of Japanese garden that now inhabits the back of Laforet department store. To think when I was here back in 2010 there was a restaurant in this space.
The Vivienne Westwood shop is still at the front of Laforet. I did stop at Atelier Pierrot inside Laforet. I tried on the new Moi-même-Moitié top hat. It is cute and nicely made, but not what I was looking for.
I made it to Omotesando Dori where I hoped to find some place to eat. The Apartment Cafe was no longer there so I decided to head back to Ikebukuro. But then something grabbed my attention.
I had seen reports online about the new LUSH store in Harajuku, and even marked it on my map as a place to check out. But since I was there, I had to go in.
Imagine a place with wall to wall bath bombs, stretching out in rainbow colors.
And not just one floor of multi-hued bath bombs, but two.
LUSH LABS in Harajuku is a testing ground for LUSH with their many special Japan only bath bombs. Besides wall to wall scented bathing temptation, there is a kaiten conveyor belt that runs through the first floor.
And yes, I could not resist the temptation. A couple of the ones I tried out included this Black Rose. It smells very nice, but I discovered it was a bit messy. The inky black water was intriguing, but having to clean the tub wasn't. It's nice that toothpaste works for that when one doesn't have anything else to use. If I had known, I would not have purchased this.
One that was less work and very relaxing was the Lavender Bag Flower bath bomb, also known as Deep Sleep. It's nice that they wrapped it in cheese cloth to catch all the little lavender blossoms inside. I would definitely buy this one again.
There were a few more bath bombs, but the one that was more photographic was the Sushi bath bomb. It's a combination bath bomb with LUSH's FUN soap in the middle. Which means you get a bit of bubble bath with this one. The scent was mikan orange which was nice. But once again there was a bit of black from the outside. Other than that, this giant bath bomb was fun.
It was nice to mark off two places I wanted to visit during my trip. Given my situation at that time, I hadn't been able to make a list beforehand so this was extra nice. And in case anyone is checking this post and wondering where LUSH LABS Harajuku is, they are on Ometesando Street next to Nike, not far from Harajuku Station. It is a fun place to visit. Their address is Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 1 Chome−13−１１ 大西ビル1階.
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