When you visit the place, there is always a story to tell about the area. Just like the terroir of wine, various factors, including climate, soil, geography, and the people who live there, mix to shape the present.

Omotesando today is a trend-setting area, lined with high-brand stores, fashionable shops, and cafes.

Omotesando is a sacred street leading to Meiji Shrine. It was completed in 1919 for visitors to the Meiji Shrine, and the zelkova trees lining the street were planted to welcome them to the sacred forest.

Omotesando was a rural village and the site of samural residence

Before Omotesando was built in 1919 as the main approach to Meiji Shrine, this area was a rural village called Onden and the site of a large samurai residence belonging to the Asano family. The land was covered with small hills, forests, and a natural spring-fed pond. The modern boulevard we see today was created by cutting through these hills and filling the ponds to form a straight ceremonial avenue.

The landscape of this area was made of small hills and a river valley. To create a straight ceremonial avenue for Meiji Jingu, the hills were cut down, and the valley was filled in. The perfectly flat boulevard we see today is the result of this major reshaping of the land.

After WWII, the US was stationed to bring Western culture

In the neighboring Yoyogi Park, the US Army built a housing complex called Washington Heights to bring a Western way of life and culture to the area. After that, in 1964, the housing site was used for the Olympic village where athletes stayed during the Games. Young creators, designers, photographers, and editors gathered in Central Apartment in Harajuku.

“Dojunkai Aoyama Apartment” had been a typical modern housing before it was rebuilt as “Omotesando Hills” designed by Tadao Ando.

After 1990, Luxury Brand Stores in World Famous Architectures

You will see a number of luxury brand shops, but they are not just brand shops; the buildings were designed by world-famous architects.

Prada Aoyama

Dior

Louis Vuitton

Vottega Venetta

On the back alley, “URAHARAJUKU” is a center of Street Culture

After the 1990s, when the bubble economy collapsed, young creators gathered in a low-rent apartment in the back alley to create a unique street culture.

“NOWHERE” was opened by NIGO & Jun Takahashi, known for “UNDERCOVER”. They sparked a major fashion trend by blending high and street fashion. Symbolically, these designers born in this area are leading a maison in Paris.