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Harajuku Youth Culture

If it's Harajuku's youth culture you want to see, don't even bother unless it's a Sunday. Each group stakes out its territory around Yoyogi Park (代々木公園 Yoyogi-kōen).

* The bridge across the train tracks is full of teenagers dressed up as Gothic Lolita and other extreme Japanese youth fashions. Besides just hanging out with friends, many come here to be snapped by one of the many magazine photographers who mingle.

* Over by the entrance to the park, people with greasy hair listen to rockabilly music and dance in their vintage jeans. This subculture has been around for twenty years now.

* The sidewalks along the south side are usually occupied by junk vendors and loud rock bands. Both of these groups periodically get swept away by police crack-downs, though.

* The tree-lined area leading from the south end of the park to Shibuya is filled with all sorts of street performers, mostly folk-pop singers, but also including hip-hop dancing and street theater.

(Wikitravel)

See more Harajuku pictures here.