The History of Harajuku

Harajuku (原宿?) Is a popular designation for the area around the JR Harajuku, Shibuya District, Tokyo. This area is famous as the place of young people congregate. The location covers about the Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, shopping centers Takeshita Street (Takeshita-dori), department store Laforet, and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Harajuku is not an official designation for the name of the place, and are not included when writing the address.
Around the 1980's, Harajuku is a subculture Takenoko-zoku. To this day, a group of strangely dressed young man could be found in the area of ​​Harajuku. In addition, school children from various corners of Harajuku in Japan often put as an objective study tour during a visit to Tokyo.

Actually called "Harajuku" is only used for the area north of Omotesando. Onden is the name of the region in the south Omotesando, but the name was not popular and part-called Harajuku.
HISTORY
Prior to the Edo period, Harajuku is one of the city inn (juku) for people who travel through the Main Street route Kamakura. Tokugawa Ieyasu presented the mastery of Harajuku to the ninja of Iga Province who helped him escape after the incident Honnoji Sakai.
In the Edo period, ninja of the Iga groups set up headquarters in Harajuku to protect the city of Edo because of its strategic location in the southern part of Main Street Koshu. Besides ninja, samurai class Bakushin also choose to reside in Harajuku. Farmers planting rice in the Shibuya River area, and using the water wheel to grind rice or make flour.
In the Meiji era, Harajuku was built as an important area that connects the city of Tokyo with the surrounding area. In 1906, JR Harajuku Station opened as part of the expansion of Yamanote railway line. After that, Omotesando (the main road to the temple) was built in 1919 after the Meiji Shrine was founded.

After the opening of department stores in the 1970s, became the center of Harajuku fashion. This area became famous throughout Japan after a fashion magazine like Anan covered and non-no. At that time, a group of girls called Annon-zoku often found walking in the Harajuku district. They imitate the style of clothing worn clothing magazine model Anan and non-no.
Sometime in the 1980s, Takeshita Street became crowded because people want to see Takenoko-zoku who dress weird and dancing in the streets. Once designated as pedestrian only, Harajuku became a favorite hangout for young children. After Harajuku increasingly crowded, boutiques that sell goods of famous brands began to appear in Omotesando sometime in the 1990s.