The area known as Jingumae, literally "shrine front," hugs central Tokyo's Meiji Shrine and is bifurcated by chic Omotesando street, the shrine's main approach. Roiling with well-heeled fashionistas, foreigners and photo hounds chasing the hottest new looks, Omotesando's stores showcase global mega-brands — think Gap, Zara, Benneton, etc.
Southern Jingumae extends this outdoor mall with international restaurants and designer stores down toward the youth Mecca of Shibuya Station. The northern portion of Jingumae, however, hidden behind the aloof aqua exterior of the Omotesando Hills shopping complex, preserves a low-profile boho vibe where slightly off-the-wall creativity is the order of the day.
The first artist's palette I spot is a tray of eye shadow colors at makeup salon Hello! Watosa. Optimism and outlandish wordplay are hallmarks of the makeup industry, but few do it as well as Watosa. Gazing at their products, I find a Fairy Cookie Compact of face powder, bottles of Harvest Moon Captive Drips foundation in a shade called Skating Pear, and a lip gloss named Prehistoric Traces. It's poetry, really.
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