Sunday 20 March 2011

A Pinoy in Tokyo: Omote-Sando!


This street, for a moment, reminded me of the main Hannam-dong street (in Seoul) where I live. Hannam-dong is lined with Gingko trees. Omote-sando is lined with Zelkova trees.
And that's where the similarity ends.
Unlike Hannam-dong, where garbage decorates the side of a Chinese restaurant, and cars are parked on the sidewalk competing with pedestrians and puke (eeew!)  for space, Omote-sando Dori is alluring, charming and very classy!
 Having the same name of a subway station, Omote-sando Dori (dori means street) is full of recognizable shops, restaurants, cars and lots of shoppers!
Stretching from the Harajuku Station up to Aoyama Dori, Omote-Sando Dori is full of cars, buses and bikes!

And as my friends Arlene and Glen, and I walked up and down this street, we passed by flagship shops of some international brands whose buildings were designed by some famous architects. And basing from the incredible prices of the goodies displayed at their shops, those architects must have also been very expensive!

The atmosphere along Omote-sando is different from the that at Harajuku, which is the younger generation's kind of street. Here, it's more of mature-ish crowd. 

Omote-sando, which means 'front approach', was built as the front area for the Meiji Shrine situated behind the Harajuku Station.

But seeing lots of worshippers, shoppers and tourists that day, competing for space alongside 100,000 cars and Zelkova trees, Omote-Sando Dori has now become a shrine of its own.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Pinoy in Korea!

    So you live in Hannam-dong. I love that place! My husband stayed there for about 9 years and our church was there before transferring to Mapo-gu. Hannam-dong is #1 on my list of best places to live in South Korea. I know the place doesn't look that much clean, but transportation wise, it's really comfortable for someone living in there to go to popular places in Seoul like Kangnam, Dongdaemun, Itaewon, Jong-no, Apgujeong etc. I also feel the place as really residential, no factories I think. I'm planning to make a blog about this place coz I really love Hannam-dong!

    Where exactly in Hannam-dong do you live?

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  2. Hi Banhee!

    I live on the same side of the UN Village. Yes, Hannam-dong is very convenient and the access to the most interesting places in Seoul is just right around the corner. The neighborhood is quiet and not that crowded....for now.

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  3. Hi again!

    For me, that is the best place in Hannam-dong. I once visited the UN Village, it feels so much different looking at the houses there as compared to other places in Korea with many towering apartments. Of course, I prefer the UN Village. They have the entire village monitored by a CCTV. Across the UN Village, there is an ongoing construction of luxury apartment complex, I think the name is "The Hills". I wish to live there! But I know that can only happen in dreams kkk.

    By the way, do you know that the owner of Samsung Electronics lives in Hannam-dong? That makes you on a par with the richest man in Korea! kkk

    Anyway, it's nice meeting you online.^^

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  4. Yes, Banhee. There's a huge rows of new apartments on what used to be Dankook University grounds. They look very pricey! Who knows, you may get to live there soon!

    And I think I saw Mr. Lee's huge house next to Leeum here in Hannam-dong. It looks like a fortress. I hope he would invite me into his house someday. Ha-ha-ha! I hope!

    But I'm not rich as he is. And I'd rather enjoy walking the streets (without bodyguards!), and ride the buses and subways with everyone else.

    Have a fun week ahead!

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