Tour Report: Meiji Shrine & Harajuku on February 4th, 2024

Thank you to those who participated in the Tokyo Free Walking Tour (TFWT) at Meiji Shrine & Harajuku today.  On a cold, rainy first Sunday of February, we welcomed 10 guests from Germany, Canada, Taiwan, USA, China, Singapore and the Philippines.  We hope you all enjoyed and shared interesting and joyful conversations with each other during the tour.

The guests are curiously watching the wedding procession.

You can be shown on the screen at the gate of Takeshita Street!

Takeshita Street, included in this tour, is a source of pop culture and fashion especially among teenagers.  Speaking of the most popular sweets around the street, it’s been crepe since the 1970s.  Now, what are the most popular sweets in February?  The answer is “chocolates” for St. Valentine’s Day!

Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is becoming one of the biggest events out of the Japanese annual events.  

However, the Japanese custom of Valentine’s Day might be a little bit different from other countries’ and has been changing from its old custom.  

In Japan, women usually give men chocolates on that day.  Women used to give chocolates to whom they really love or to whom they secretly fall in love.  On the other hand, these days, not only husbands, fiancés and boyfriends but also co-workers, just friends and whoever takes care of them can become the ones receiving these chocolates.  These chocolates are called “obligatory chocolates.”

Also, women exchange chocolates among each other.  These chocolates are called “friendly chocolates.”

Of course, the original custom is still alive, and such chocolates are called “true-love chocolates.”

In this season, a fierce sales battle emerges over chocolates every year.  Every chocolate shop prepares various kinds of chocolates for Valentine’s Day.  Some shops invite famous chocolatiers from Europe so that they can demonstrate chocolate making at the store.  Some people buy such chocolates as a treat for themselves. It is fun to take a look at those shops while wandering around Harajuku town. 

Your feedback or comments are always important and helpful to us all. If you enjoyed our tour, please consider posting a review on our Facebook, homepage, Instagram etc.  Once again, thank you very much for joining the Tokyo Free Walking Tour during your precious time in Tokyo.  Please don’t forget to share your experiences with your families and friends!

For more information about our tours, please visit our web site at https://tfwt.jp/top, https://www.facebook.com/TokyoFWT or Tokyo Free Walking Tour at https://www.tripadvisor.jp/.

(posted by KAZ)