Looks like I got some plastic surgery when I was last in Japan… thanks to the extreme filters of purikura, or sticker-picture-booth machines!

Such is the weird, cute, underground and nonsensical vibe of Harajuku — which remains the center of Japanese subculture fashion and youth culture. As requested, here’s my updated guide to shopping for alt / Goth / kawaii clothing in Harajuku, Tokyo. 

Harajuku isn’t as vibrant as it used to be… Many of the indie clothing stores closed down (due to changing trends, such as less interest in Lolita), or were pushed out due to high rents.

Nonetheless, you’ll still see young fashionistas walking around in alt styles such as Decora and Gothic (read on for many more photos).

To get here, take the JR train to Harajuku (or Omotesando Station). Exit Harajuku Station, and you’ll be right at the entrance of Takeshita Doori, which still holds most of the alt and rock shops.

Photographer Joey Wong and I made our way down Takeshita Doori, and wandered through the small side streets. You’ll encounter lots of punk and subculture stores along the way, as well as run into people dressed in wild styles.

If you want to take someone’s portrait, ask for permission first. We loved this teen’s neon decora outfit, which included rainbow hair clips, accessories all over, and colorful eyeshadow.

Contrast her colorful layers with her friend’s all-black J-rock look.

You’ll see every style tribe represented in Harajuku. Here’s a Goth schoolgirl meets jirai kei look with a bat backpack and plaid skirt.

Harajuku has plenty of hard rock / metal / Goth / punk shops, especially along Takeshita Doori. Many of the clothes here a cute twist to them, such as at the affordably-priced AC DC Rag.

You can’t miss the rows of platform sneakers and boots in Harajuku. Yosuke remains the go-to Japanese brand for alternative shoes.

Drag queens make a bee-line to Takenoko, which has been serving up fierce looks for decades.

The interior is a drag queen / clubbing paradise… booty shorts, pentagram harnesses, and glitter everything!

Love how many of the handmade styles have Japanese kimono influences. And those headdresses are to die for.

Yukiro has found quite a few fabulous garments at Takenoko for his drag shows with his Haus von Schwarz (check their Instagram page to see upcoming performances in Tokyo).

A devilish masked look with a gargantuan feathered ruff… yass.

Takenoko is neighbored by a variety of rock shops.

Yellow House is next door, down the steep stairs. It’s a classic J-rock indie shop run by an older lady that designs all the fashion.

She’ll show you her walls of signed photos from famous heavy metal rockers that visited. Quite a few Jrock / Visual Kei icons wear her Yellow House creations.

Another classic “Tokyo Punker” is JimSinn. Lots of punk dandy looks for men.

Fantasy gowns, Lolita boots, Victorian dresses… Harajuku has it all.

And be sure to hit up Closet Child, the secondhand store on Takeshita Doori. Go inside and find these looks for less. (There are Closet Child locations in Ikebukuro and Shinjuku as well.)

Next to the “No Sexual Services” boutique… there’s a bear that wants you to come in! He marks the entrance to 6% Doki Doki, the iconic Harajuku kawaii / experimental boutique founded by Sebastian Masuda.

Go up the pink staircase, which is a great spot for photos.

(I was wearing platform heels by Rojita, and a puff sleeved dress from Shibuya 109.)

When you enter 6%DokiDoki, you won’t know where to look first. It’s a bug-eyed cute sparkly wonderland.

Everything is on the funky, kawaii and eccentric side — like Hello Kitty shoes.

The staff’s personal style lives up to the vibe of 6% Doki Doki.

Lots of nostalgia here: My Little Pony hair extensions, Lisa Frank style plush toys.

Looks like 6% DokiDoki is dealing with a mouse infestation?

Many of Tokyo’s indie boutiques are gone now, but 6% Doki Doki lives on — and keeps the flame of Harajuku culture alive. 

Same goes for Harajuku’s LaForet Department Store, which I’ll show you in an upcoming post. For now, I’ll take you to a few more must-see shops in the hood, such as Hypercore.

Take a peek into Dog, the high-end punk/designer boutique loved by Lady Gaga. Also venture into dollar stores like Daiso, and Kinji vintage store. Be sure to stop for cute snacks along the way.

A heavy metal Hello Kitty urges you to Stay Real.

The ultimate destination for kawaii mascot goods is Kiddyland Harajuku. 

Kiddyland has three floors of merchandise for every cute character you can think of.

Kirby, the Nintendo cutie, encourages you to shop til you drop.

Of course, you can find Sanrio items like Pompompurin keychains, plushes, and wallets. You can also find Totoro, Peanuts, Moomin…

… and my personal favorite, Miffy the bunny.

Kiddyland has an entire section for all things Miffy Style.

There are also stores dedicated to Doraemon and other mascots at Tokyo Station Character Street, which I’ll share soon.

Finally, swing by the Line Friends store in Harajuku to hug the cute-faced Korean character statues.

The Line store also has BT21 characters (representing the South Korean K-pop boy group BTS).

I’ll end with some Japanese purikura photos, which are rather extreme-looking these days. Harajuku has plenty of arcades or shops filled with booths for you to take sticker photo booth pictures.

After choosing a machine, you snap about 8 photos and then have a limited amount of time to decorate them with drawings and stickers. You can also change your facial features (but the machine does that already, to the extent that you look like a creepy alien…)

Here are our finished purikura pics, which you can print out and get sent to your email. There aren’t as many sticker customization options as before, and the “beauty” face filters are too much. As always, things were better in the 90s and 2000s!

Joey and I did purikura another time… The results weren’t any better. (If my nose really looked like that, I wouldn’t be able to pick it!)

At least there were Halloween background and sticker options, which added ghosts and bats.

While the subculture fashion scene has gotten smaller, Harajuku remains one of the best places on Earth to shop for alt styles and get inspired by the out-of-this-world street fashion.

I hope you found this shopping guide useful for planning a trip. Stay tuned for a look inside La Foret — as well as tours of Shibuya, Yokohama, Koenji, and more. Hail Japan, and hail Harajuku!