Harajuku street art: Tokyo

Check out these awesome pictures of street art in Tokyo, Japan. If you want to see more from Angela Black, you can visit her blog, Angela Sensei.

I wandered along the tangled laneways of Harajuku, Tokyo. Getting lost had never had so many perks.

My roaming started, as all roaming here should, at the top of Takeshita Dori. This is a street known for fashion and individuality. If there’s one place in the world that really makes you rethink what you’re wearing, this is it. Yet, there is more than hats and frilly skirts to be discovered here. Street art is on the rise!

Next, Harajuku Street. Don’t be fooled by the at times seedy atmosphere, this is Japan, one of the safest countries in the world and this area is full of inspiration if you explore enough to find it.

There is no shortage of color and playful, charismatic images. From cute anime characters to strange but cuddly creatures... and yes, Hello Kitty.

Street art actually isn’t very popular in Japan since it’s still seen as an often-shunned subculture, however, there are people pushing to keep it alive.

One place fostering freethinking art is Design Festa. This gallery has created space, in an awesomely decorated old apartment building, for undiscovered artist to flaunt their creations. The idea is that artist can hire an empty white room, for a low price, and create it however they want.

Artists at Design Festa believe that people are exchanging the security of money for freedom and individuality. As a result, they believe more street art is going to start appearing in Tokyo in the future. 

After exploring the gallary, the café out the back is the perfect place to relax amongst art, and have a drink while cooling your feet in a baby’s pool.

When the sun leaves for the day and the shops start dumping their garbage bags on the street, a new gallery is revealed. A shutter art contest held in 1998 means that graffiti murals cover most storefront shutters. So when everything else goes home you will find yourself in raw open-air museum. 

Scroll down to see more of Angela's images.

Where do you think the best street art in the world is? Tell us about it in the comments section below, then head to Twitter and Facebook to upload images for other Gecko's travellers.

Browse a list of our trips to Japan to go and see some cool art for yourself. Request a brochure or sign up to our monthly eNews for other inspirational images, competitions and more.

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