Harajuku, on any given Saturday, is filled with shoppers. On the main streets, the shops see a steady stream of customers move freely through their doors. In the back streets, however, the clientele is made to wait. The young people queue up -- for the privilege of buying basic street clothing off near-empty shelves.
But why?
Compared with, for example, the Gap, these fashion boutiques are breaking all the rules: They are inconveniently located, small in size and not designed to draw the attention of anyone not already familiar with the brand they sell.