Cat Street is a winding pedestrian lane built over a culverted river, running from the middle of Omotesando south to Miyashita Park in Shibuya. It is where the small labels that defined Ura-Harajuku streetwear in the 1990s set up, and today it mixes those with vintage shops, Scandinavian-style coffee stands, a Patagonia, the Ragtag secondhand designer store and the kind of concept store that sells one brand of socks.
Take it slowly from the Omotesando end, in the afternoon, with stops at the benches along the old riverbank. The Harajuku half is busy and polished; the stretch past the Shibuya ward line goes quiet, with more vintage and more cafes, before it delivers you onto the roof of Miyashita Park.
Tips
- The street has no official name; look for the Shibuya River promenade sign, the river now runs underneath
- Vintage hunters should look at Ragtag, Kinji and the small stores on the Shibuya half; the Harajuku half has sneaker flagships
- It is almost car-free, which makes it the best walk between Harajuku and Shibuya, about 25 minutes