Aoyama/Omotesando area, which was once a quiet residential neighborhood, is now a high-end retail and restaurant area referred to as a trendier version of Ginza. It is a great place for window shopping, but also ‘the place’ to see cutting-edge architectural design by worldly renowned architects.

We will meet in front of GAP Store at JR Harajuku Station. From there, we will walk along the promenade from Yoyogi Olympic Gymnasium and Meiji Shrine on one end to Nezu Museum on the other end.

The focus of the walk will be to view architectural gems along the way. The tour will begin with a visit to the Yoyogi Olympic Gymnasium (designed by Kenzo Tange for 1964 Olympics and now under renovation works) from the streets and a short introduction of its architect Kenzo Tange. Some of the state-of-the-art architecture on the promnade are; i.e., Prada (Herzog & de Meuron), Tods (Toyoo Ito), Omotesando Hills (Tadao Ando) etc. The tour will conclude at Nezu Museum with the main building designed by Kengo Kuma with the Japanese and Asian artifacts, and the traditional Japanese garden that you can stroll in.

There are options that you may choose; if a more historical building in a serene environment interests you, we can take an optional walk to the Meiji Shrine and its Gardens; and/or if Ukiyoe prints from Edo period interest you, we can also visit Ota Memorial Museum of Art to see their Kokusai and Hiroshige prints.