is a pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

-only street lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants in Harajuku

Harajuku

Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....

 in Tokyo, Japan. Stores on Takeshita Street include major chains such as The Body Shop

The Body Shop

The Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...

, McDonald's and 7-Eleven, but most of the businesses are small independent shops that carry an array of styles. The shops on this street are often a bellwether

Bellwether

A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings.The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram leading his flock of sheep.The movements of...

 for broader fads, and some are known as "antenna shops," which manufacturers seed with prototypes for test-marketing.

Takeshita Street was a reliable place to go and purchase fake Japanese and American street brand goods from the early 1990s to 2004. Since 2004, a stronger metropolitan government stance on counterfeit merchandise has led to a decrease of such items being available to the public.

Located directly across from the exit of JR

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 Harajuku Station

Harajuku Station

is a railway station in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . The station takes its name from the area on its eastern side, Harajuku.-Lines:This station is served by the Yamanote Line...

, Takeshita Street is very popular with young teenagers, particularly those visiting Tokyo on school trips, or local young people shopping for small "cute" goods at weekends.

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