Harajuku/Shibuya

Descriptively, one could easily confuse Cat Street and Takeshita-dori, but they are two worlds apart. While Takeshita-dori is livelier, narrower and more colorful with its independent shops all stuck together, Cat Street has a more relaxed, discreet, very calm atmosphere with large shops including several internationally recognized brands.

Some have embellished their stores by adding pretty symbolic exterior decorations or creative window displays. A huge crocodile at Lacoste, the terrace with the yellow retro van at Coach. Castillo de Handa had a unique style on the street and Polo by Ralph Lauren had a colorful window and a cute outdoor coffee drink cart.

If you want to buy big brands but at a discount, vintage stores may be an option for you.

We walked down Cat Street in the late morning, had lunch in this neighborhood and it was surprisingly very quiet.

Cat Street is built over a river and was previously known as the “Old Shibuya River Promenade”.

I have mixed feelings about this area and you will certainly enjoy it much more than me if you are here to get a fashionable item of clothing or if you like shopping. Otherwise, it is a pleasant walk without being extraordinary.

By the way, don’t go there hoping to see felines.  I have the impression that “cat street” is meant to refer to “cat walk” . This personal and unsupported observation is reinforced by the presence of a statue at the intersection of Cat Street and Omotesando. The statue of Yondel is a woman standing on a podium whose pace reminds me of the models who walk for designer brands’ shows. The statue is sometimes dressed up for events. The narrow street with fashion boutiques gives me a vision that Cat Street would be like a podium, but where you can buy the latest trends from local and international designers. This association is just a theory extrapolated from my observations.

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