Japan – Harajuku

Our last day in Japan! Today was much warmer than the last few days and we enjoyed most of it outside, walking through Yoyogi Park and around the busy streets of Harajuku. Interesting (not so fun) fact about Yoyogi Park: In 2014, Tokyo experienced one of its worst dengue fever outbreaks in 100 years. Using gene sequencing techniques, scientists determined that the outbreak originated in Yoyogi Park. We enjoyed exploring the gardens of the park, but quickly realized that the pollen level was much higher today than we had previously experienced. I was sneezing nonstop, so we escaped into the shops of Harajuku. At one point, we stopped at Lush, where I bought one of the exclusive Harajuku bath bombs. It really didn’t help with the sneezing, but it was cool to see the bath bombs being displayed on several kaitenzushi-like conveyor belts. We also walked through the famous Takeshita Street, a pedestrian shopping street known for its stylish fashion boutiques. There, we picked up some of their well-known crepes and took refuge from the warmth in an upstairs cafe. An interesting (not so fun) fact about Takeshita Street: Just recently, on the early morning of January 1, 2019, a 21-year-old man drove his minicar into the crowd of pedestrians celebrating New Year’s Day on Takeshita Street. Eight people were injured. We had yummy ramen for dinner at the famous, Michelin-starred ramen restaurant – Afuri. I got Yuzu Ratanmen, which had a spicy broth. Two thumbs up!