Eccentric Tokyo: Harajuku and Other Peculiarities

Japan is a country of extreme contrasts! A country where futuristic skyscrapers coexist with ancient feudal parks and temples, where a culture of honor and respect coexists with the craziest TV shows known to man, and where a polite and friendly people can also be eccentric and quirky!

Here are some of my favorite shots of these peculiarities.

* Animals playing musical instruments with no tone, rhythm and tune.. perfectly normal here in Harajuku!

* Known as the center of Japanese youth culture and fashion, Harajuku is an explosion of self-expression.

* Feel like dressing up like a Cabbage or Pumpkin? No one will question you if you do it here!

* Girly giggling, pretend giggling, men-pretending-to-be-girls giggling

* I loved how I had never heard of any of these brands before!

* The marriage of my two go-to international cuisines: Japanese and Middle Eastern!

* For all your odd and curious needs, the pedestrianized Takeshita Street is your place to be!

* Did not have a single bad meal the whole time I was in Japan. Not bad especially since all ordering was done via point-and-pick!

* Ice cream vending machines here can be a hilarious adventure all in itself. Ketchup ice cream anyone?

* Restaurant advertisements are a whole different artform!

* Thank you for this greeting, young girl with two smiley chickens!

* I think this is a bus stop.. with a fedora-wearing gentleman manning it!

* A reverse centaur standing motionless on Shibuya Crossing.

* As close as the wife wanted to get as I really wanted to take their picture!

* Am not 100% sure but I hypothesize this to be a "Be careful when you're drunk and in the train station" poster.

* Wanted posters in Japan.. extra creepy and eerie!

* Awesome vending machines all over the place! My favorite of which was Suntory Boss Coffee, "Boss is the Boss of Them All."

Enough said!