Laforet Harajuku

What we love…

• This isn't a typical department store. Laforet Harajuku is THE location to find trendy, before they're trendy looks. Several floors contain small boutiques from mostly Japanese fashion designers .
• A blend of well known labels and new-comers to the ever changing face of Tokyo streetwear.
• This department store list is always evolving but you'll always find a few stores that cater to each of Tokyo's current street trends.
• Walk to the lower levels for stores that represent a few of the themed looks like gothic lolita.
• Check the window to the right of the entrance door for the rotating shop called "Entrance Booth" which features  products and new brands that changes every few days.
• Twice a year a sale event known as the Grand Bazaar is held, where prices are slashed 80-90% at most stores. People line up overnight for first dibs on the discounts, and it's quite possibly the busiest shopping days in Harajuku. Not a fan of waiting overnight for a sale? Timed booths happen in a massive (and glamous!) tent infront of the department store, where a new sale starts every couple of hours. 
• The Laforet Museum on the sixth floor is a rotating gallery space that exhibits everything from fashion, films, and concerts, to Alice and Wonderland themed tea parties.

TIP

• This department store is open every day of the year—including one of the biggest sales days of the year in Tokyo, January 1st. During this New Years day sale all the stores feature ‘Fukubukuro’ which are mystery bags full of surprise product that you can purchase by size. It's a lot like loot bags you use to get a birthday parties when you were a kid, and probably the most fun you'll have with a hangover in your whole life.