Entrance to Takeshita Dori
My friend once told me about competition in Japan. She and her husband were from England and he was posted to Tokyo by his pharmaceutical company. He said that in Japan when competing business bring out a similar product, they get together to set the price for this product with everyone in agreement as to the price. In Australia, that’s considered price fixing but in Japan, it seems more a quaint gesture probably borne from the exceeding politeness of the people (although I’m sure, it’s not as polite to be in the room when this happens now). So on our visit to Harajuku (favoured area for the youth of Tokyo) and Takeshita dori, the market style street that sells this season’s styles at a teenager friendly price tag, we count 4 crepe places, two directly opposite each other with barely enough room between them to drive a car.
Both crepe stands, right opposite each other
But what we’re mainly interested in is the Crepes. When I lived here, I didn’t have an interest in the gigantic crepes here. They always seemed a bit “too much” but of course now that I have a food blog, it seems only logical to abandon my prejudice at them and try one from each. The lines for both are similar so I first try the #47 crepe from Marion crepes.
Marion Crepes selection
It has a little bit of everything: strawberries, strawberry sauce, chocolate cake, cheesecake, whipped cream and ice cream (see I really did mean it has a bit of everything!) and was Y450. The man selling it is not feeling the excitement that I am but I do get to watch him make the crepe and fold it up.
Marion crepes #47 strawberries, strawberry sauce, chocolate cake, cheesecake, whipped cream and ice cream Y450
It’s filled quite high and is a meal in itself. Taking a spoon to help scoop up the inside, the flavours go well together and whilst I don’t eat much of the crepe itself, I do enjoy the variety of flavours of the filling.
Angels Hearts crepe selection
Next I try Angels Hearts crepes, I don’t know what to choose and my husband is signalling signs of eating fatigue as he polished off most of the first crepe and is practically begging me not to get another one. But I must so I settle on a smaller crepe: caramel, cheese and nuts Y360. The women here are friendlier and my crepe is given to me but it looks very thin and boring by comparison.
Angels Hearts Caramel, cheesecake and nuts crepe Y360
The crepe itself is better, much crispier at the edge but the thin smear of filling lets it down, there’s no comparison as the first one was so loaded with cream, ice cream, cakes and fruit that I realise my disappointment is due to my choice of crepe rather than the stand. It’s so empty and dry we end up throwing this out (also my husband is full).
Next time, I would have to try an Angels Hearts crepe with more filling as I did prefer the crepe itself. But for now, we leave to take a walk to the beautiful Meiji Jingu shrine and walk off some of that crepe, cake, fruit, nuts and cream…
Meiji Jingu Shrine
A kid’s wishes-pretty much the same all around the world! 
Hah! It looks like mums around the world are the same too… 
Unfortunately we aren’t in Tokyo on a Sunday afternoon so we miss out on the parade of goths, punks and rockabillys although there are still the occasional camera worthy person walking by. Everyone there seems to want some sort of attention for their looks and pile the hair high and the makeup thick. I spy several Joel Madden and Nicole Richie lookalikes among the crowd. The Free Hugs campaign has even made it to Harajuku and my husband gets a free hug from the girl (although everyone else walks past). I also see an Alice in Wonderland looking shop!
Angels Hearts and Marion Crepes Harajuku
When exiting JR Harajuku station, turn left and walk until you see a Family Mart (and a lot of people!). Cross the road and enter Takeshita Dori. Both stores are 1/3 of the way down Takeshita Dori.
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Yeah, we hugged a free hug guy in Harajuku and ate crepes at Marion Crepes and did all these things. Ooooh I’m so jealous I want to be there right now (although you must be sweating heaps, it would be so hot and sticky).
I loved this post! I went to Tokyo in 2005 and Takeshita Dori’s Angel Crepe photos made me gasp, sheer food nostalgia!
I hate to admit to it, but I used to be a rather heavy Harajuku-phile… There’s quite a cult following of the Elegant Gothic Lolita style outside of Japan. (Think Little Bo Peep cross Marie Antoinette cross Alice in Wonderland, I’m sure you’ve seen a few around.) http://www.labelism.com/BlackAlice/250308_1.jpg Hahaha. Sydney has a few stores carrying the clothes, but most of the addicts (myself included) would go to incredible lengths to import clothes from Japan. *shakes head* Ahh, the infectiousness of Japan…
The SO and I are visiting Tokyo during the summer vacation so, again, your blog is providing sound advice as to where one ought to eat! (I’ve already put my foot down and demanded a visit to the yakitori stall. Pork and miso are a match made in heaven… Combine it with charcoal grill and you have a happy customer.)
Have you tried any of the takoyaki stalls yet? The best thing about Japan is that it’s so easy to get a really wonderful, cheap meal. Then there’s the fact that Tokyo has the highest concentration of 3 Michelin star restaurants!
It’s really wonderful to see you’re enjoying yourself so much!
They have a shop in Hornsby Westfield called Japan Crepes (or something like that), and make crepes like those too (probably not as good as the ones in Japan?)!! I thought it was pretty cool since I had never had a ‘Japanese Crepe’ before
I remember in year 4 we learned how to cook pancakes and I went home so excitedly wanting to cook for my mum. However she didn’t like it. She complains to me, ‘THAT is not a pancake…. I’ll show you pancake’ - and she makes a crepe and goes ‘THIS is a pancake’. (She went to a French international school.) I had no idea what crepes were back then, and she had no idea what pancakes were back then! hehe
what unique and perfect little treats! i’ll just go ahead and add them to the list i’ve entitled “things nqn has brought to my attention that i need to find and consume before i die.”
There is this my favourite crepe shop on the other side of Harry’s Pie in Haymarket, but it is closed down so soon. Their buttermilk pancake is so yummy delicious and smell so nice. I had to satisfy myself with crepe stall inside Hurstville Mall, it is delicious Japanese crepe but it is not as nice as the one I had in Haymarket.
Forgot to say that Marion crepe does look like the Japanese crepe in Hurstville Mall. It is close to Boost stall, you will not miss it as it is green and got the candles display that look like the one Marion has above with limited filling and flavour.
Pretty-looking food crepe stalls! Did they offer any savoury fillings or were they all sweet?
Interesting looking wafer also.. the texture I mean. It almost looks like it has buttery, flakiness.. mmmm.
Carolyn - thanks for the tip. I must take the kids to Hornsby to re-experience the crepes.
Too bad you weren’t there during Sunday. The crush of people is just incredible. We saw all those crazy crepes, but not being crepe people, we steered clear of them. Great photos, by the way! I’m enjoying reading your travelogue
Hi SydneyGal-it sounds like they’ve been doing the free hugs for a while. I wonder how many they give a day? No no sweating for me, I love the heat and something you probably didn’t know about me is that I can’t actually sweat very much-odd but true!
Hi M-Oh cool!! I get nostalgic when I read books about Tokyo or see pictures too. There’s something about that strange city. I don’t get the same about any other city that I’ve visited, I don’t know why… I really wanted to get an Alice in Wonderland costume, did you ever get one of those?
How fantastic, you’ll have a great time, especially if the exchange rate continues like this
I adore takoyaki but I haven’t actually seen any stalls around. If I did, I’d be first in line, I love them!
Thankyou!
Hi Carolyn-Thanks for that! I should check it out and see if they are like Harajuku crepes
Haha your mum sounds funny although a crepe isn’t exactly a pancake 
Hi grace-hehe cool! Perhaps there is something like that if you have a Chinatown near you?
Hi Lilia-I wonder why they closed down? Thanks for letting me know where we can get them here!
Hi Maria-they did offer maybe half a dozen savoury crepe fillings but I got the feeling that sweet crepes were definitely the order of the day
You’re right, the wafer was like the bottom layer of a mille feuille!
Hi Y-Since I lived there I’ve seen a few of the Sundays and was actually quite glad that we missed it crowd wise although I would have loved to have shown my husband everyone dressed up! It took me ages to have my first crepe, they just looked too big!
Thanks!
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