Cat Street, Tokyo Audio Guide

Cat Street: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Cat Street, Tokyo

   Welcome to Cat Street, a winding, pedestrian-friendly lane that meanders between the districts of Harajuku and Shibuya in Tokyo. It is roughly a kilometer long, which makes it short enough for an easy afternoon stroll but dense enough to fill the whole afternoon. This guide tells the story of the street itself and its surrounding neighborhoods. Here is the first surprise. Despite the name, you will not find cats on the street. Its official name is far less catchy: Kyu-Shibuya-gawa Yuhodoro, which means Old Shibuya River Pedestrian Lane. That name holds the key to the whole place, because the path you walk on was once a river. Over the next few stops we will follow that river underground, look at how a quiet back route became known as the spiritual home of Tokyo street fashion, and talk about the street's puzzling nickname. Take your time. Cat Street rewards slow walking and a habit of looking up, down and sideways.

2. 02

   The River Beneath Your Feet

   Everything about Cat Street starts with water. This lane was built on the bed of the Shibuya River, a stream that runs through the center of the capital. In 1964, as Tokyo prepared to host the Summer Olympics, the city trenched most of that river and turned it into a groundwater channel. The part that passes through here was covered over, and the strip on top of it became a promenade, which it has remained ever since. That explains the street's shape. Rivers do not run in straight lines, and neither does Cat Street. The gentle curves that make the walk so pleasant are the old meanders of the stream, now hidden under the pavement. As one local historian puts it, there really is a river running beneath Cat Street. The river has not been forgotten entirely. Look for the monuments along the way that mark the former existence of the Shibuya River. They make a quiet history lesson in the middle of a shopping street, and they are a good reminder that Tokyo's modern surface often sits on top of older landscapes.

3. 03

   From Back Route to Fashion Catwalk

   Once the river was covered, the new path took on a life of its own. Today Cat Street is described as the spiritual home of Tokyo's vibrant street fashion culture, and it is still the main route for stylishly dressed teenagers on shopping trips across the city. Along the lane you will find fashion boutiques, stylish cafes and art galleries, from vintage finds to high-end designer labels. The street has been heading steadily upmarket over the past few years. Some travel writers point to it as the place to taste the more sophisticated side of Tokyo's celebrated urban look. That is part of its charm: it manages to feel both youthful and grown up at once, and it stays calmer than its famous neighbors. That contrast is worth noticing. Harajuku and Shibuya on either side are loud, crowded and fast. Cat Street is narrower, more relaxed and made for wandering. It also crosses the grand tree-lined avenue of Omotesando, yet the two could hardly be more different in character.

4. 04

   A Name Without Cats and a Neighborhood With Layers

   So why is it called Cat Street? Nobody has settled the question. Several theories circulate, and none of them is definitive. That leaves you free to enjoy the mystery, and to remember that the English nickname is a modern invention sitting on top of the official name about an old river. The neighborhood around the street has layers of history too. From around the end of World War Two, the area that is now Yoyogi Park, Jinnan and neighboring parts of Harajuku were the site of Washington Heights, a housing complex for American military personnel. It worked like a small American town in the middle of Tokyo. Some people think this chapter helped shape the area's long attraction to foreign styles, although that is an interpretation rather than a documented rule. If you are taking photographs, there are a few favorite spots. The stairs that lead in from the Meiji-dori side are an icon of the street, and the view looking down the lane from the top of the steps is especially popular. Another is a building known for its L-shaped concrete branches, which makes a striking backdrop.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   As you wander on, keep a few questions in mind. Can you feel the street gently curving the way a river once did? Can you spot a marker for the vanished Shibuya River? And does the pace of the street change as you move between the Harajuku end and the Shibuya end? Cat Street is a place that keeps changing, with shops coming and going, yet its bones were set more than half a century ago when a stream was tucked underground and a path was laid on top. Walk it in one direction, then turn around and walk it back, because the view really does look different from the other end. There is always another corner, another window and another side lane waiting to be noticed.