Tokyo

While the forest of neon-tinged skyscrapers makes Tokyo’s cityscape unforgettable, let’s face it—Japan’s capital of cool is really all about the people-watching. To best observe the many faces of the city, hit the neighborhoods of Harajuku and Omotesando. Start in the zen-like calm of the forested Meiji Shrine, then cross the pedestrian bridge over Harajuku Station and admire both the Yoyogi National Stadium (built in 1964 by Kenzo Tange) and the perpetual crowds of kids dressed as manga characters. Head down the stairs to Takeshita Street, where Japan’s youthquake, and all its attendant avant garde fashions, really reaches its zenith. Follow the tree-lined boulevard to Omotesando Hills, the high-end shopping mall designed by starchitect Tadao Ando, where the facades of marquee fashion names like Christian Dior, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Tod’s battle to out-fabulous one another.