Yamanote Line Series EP.1 A day in Harajuku, Tokyo Vlog

The Yamanote line is the green train going around in circles covering the most popular places in Tokyo from 4 30 a.m to 1 20 a.m the next day. It inspires songs and affects real estate prices and is a line all Tokyoites would have used before. But despite using this line at least once a week, I have not been able to visit every one of their 30 stations around Tokyo. So here we go. The Yamanote line series. A series where we visit and spend a day at each and every one of the Yamanote line stations. First up we have Harajuku station. Harajuku is home to the Meiji shrine, Yoyogi park, Takeshita street, and many fashion, beauty, and trendy food stores and cafes. It may be known from terms such as Harajuku fashion whereas the area closely associated with the fashion magazine called Fruits. There is so much going on here that exploring everything in one day is virtually impossible. But let the day in Harajuku begin. You can't go to Harajuku without visiting one of their many cafes. Today I decided to try out a place called Baggage Coffee. There were clothes for sale around the tables and they also had free wi-fi which was perfect as I needed to get some work done. The owner's dog, Hede, was also there to greet all the guests as well. I ordered the spam egg sandwich and latte as I hadn't had breakfast yet and it came with home-cooked chips which are so crunchy and tasty. After doing some work at Baggage Coffee I was ready for lunch so I headed back towards the station over to a store called Senbikiya. Senbikiya is known for their sweet fruits and has a history of being the purveyor to the ruling Tokugawa clan during the Edo period. They have 14 stores around Tokyo of which 10 are branches you can eat inside. I ordered the shrimp gratin and fruit sandwich set with another latte. The sweetness from the fruits complemented the cheesy gratin so well that I finished it all in an instant. At this point I was so full and had to walk around so I decided to walk through Takeshita Street, a place I would usually try to avoid because of how crowded it gets. Although it actually wasn't as packed as I expected since it was a cloudy weekend and I ended up enjoying the walk. I got a kebab and a drink to eat somewhere as a snack as well. I didn't have much luck in finding a nice place to sit in Takeshita Street so I decided to bring the food and drink to Yoyogi Park and eat it there instead. Second to cafes, Yoyogi Park is one of my favorite places to people watch. A bench here offers a stream of strangers to observe from groups of friends and couples to animals and airplanes. With enough people watching for the day I headed out and walked past Chicago, one of my favorite thrift stores in Harajuku, so I quickly checked it out and tried on one of their shirts. It was $35 for a used shirt so I ended up not getting it but the color and print made it really tempting. After a stroll around Harajuku I came across this little udon shop called Esoragoto Udon so I decided to try it out. It was a standing udon store with no chairs and I got the special wagyu udon and the rice cake tempura. The udon was on the tougher side which I personally really like and the exterior of the rice cake tempura was soaked in something sweet that made it so juicy and delicious. Satiated, I walked over to another cafe to do some more work, this time to a cafe called Double Tall Cafe. They're known for their ground cup and machine coffees and pride themselves in continuously experimenting with their roasting techniques. I got their latte and baked cheesecake and although I'm no coffee expert and have no right to be making comments on coffee, I did think the latte tasted much stronger and deeper than many of the lattes around here. After finishing my work for the day, I decided to explore some of the shops in the area. I went to Ag Cosme to stock up on my cleansers and then checked out the stores lined up along it including Ikea, Uniqlo, and H&M. Both Uniqlo and Ikea are part of the new mall right in front of Harajuku station called Big Harajuku which was built in 2020 amidst the so I can only imagine the surprise many people had when they visited this area as the city reopened. As I was heading out of H&M, I found a new area of the building that had a deck with a skyline view of Harajuku as well as an eatery looking right over the station. I decided to get a gelato from Italy and eat it while I gaze at the station from above. As the sun sets and the night sky expands over us, Harajuku switches from its vibrant colorful scenes to its calm and relaxing nature. Workers and tourists head back leaving this area to the few that either live or dine in this area. The evening breeze passed between the buildings giving us some fresh air to breathe making this time of day the best time to be here if you don't plan to shop. I still remember the days of the old Harajuku station with the big gap right in front of it. It was where me and my friends would meet up when we had plans in the area and it's crazy to think back and realize how much the area around the station has changed now. There always seemed to be some kind of construction happening somewhere in Tokyo and it's not until I look back at old pictures and videos that I realize how much has changed and I think that's why I enjoy vlogging so much. I can capture places along with my thoughts knowing that one day I can look back at them and be touched by how much things have changed since me and my little camera made the trip and I hope they serve as a memory for you too so when you ever come visit these places you'll experience the differences in each station just like all the people that once lived here and on that note I hope you have a wonderful night