Four Points Bulletin

Tokyo has countless animal and pet cafes, concentrated in an area known as Harajuku. We made an appointment days ago at Mipig, a micropig cafe. (It does book out.) Your appointment includes a 30 minute time slot and unlimited fountain drinks. The micro pigs happily wag their tails as they come to sit on your lap for a pet, and sometimes nip and squeal at each other if they want a turn.

Takeshita Street is a car-free shopping street with everything from specialty shops to boutiques to food to used clothing stores. It is the focal point Harajuku’s teenage culture. It is great for people watching.

Right across the street and next to Harajuku Station is a 170 acre forest with one of Tokyo’s most important Shinto shrines, Meiji Jingu. It was established in 1920 and is one of the many respites from Japan’s metropolis. There are 365 different species of trees which were donated by people from all over Japan. The construction costs is estimated at ¥5,219,00 at the time, equivalent to about $26 million dollars today. The sake and wine barrels at the entrance are the offerings to the shrine. We don’t understand all of the customs but there are directions in English for important ones, like how to purify yourself before praying.