Harajuku became famous in the 1980's due to the large numbers of street performers and widly dressed teens who gathered there on Sunday when Omotesando was close to traffic.
Harajuku style is a Japanese Street Fashion adopted by the teenagers and young adults in the area and its side streets which have many boutiques, trendy stores and used clothes shops.
Japanese Harajuku and Harajuku Style has been used to describe teens dressed in many fashion style ranging from Gothic (also gothic loli), Visual Kei, Ganguro, Kogal, to "cute" Kawaii style clothing. Harajuku lovers may also be dressed as anime or manga characters or the movies (known as Cosplay - Costume play).
Harajuku is a popular iconic location in the entertainment world, both inside and outside of Japan. The girls of Harajuku have been said to be the "Star beauty of Japan".
The American singer Gwen Stefani references Harajuku in several of her songs and incorporates four female dancers dressed like Americanised Harajuku Girls into her background act. A song is even dedicated on her album, Love.Angel.Music.Baby, titled 'Harajuku Girls' is depicted on the stage surface during her music video for Hollaback girl.
Her use - what critics call her appropriation - of Harajuku girls and Harajuku fashion has been criticized by many Asian-Americans for perpetuating stereotypes of submissive Asian women. In 2006, Stefani launched a second clothing line called "Harajuku Lovers," said to be inspired directly by Japan's Harajuku district. Harajuku is also used as an avatar style for new registrants to the popular online world Second Life.
The focal point of Harajuku's teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens.
However, Harajuku is not only about teenage culture and shopping. Meiji Shrine, one of Tokyo's major shrines, is located just west of the railway tracks in a large green oasis shared with Yoyogi Park, a spacious public park. Beautiful ukiyo-e paintings are exhibited in the small Ota Memorial Museum of Art.
