Why do you think this street is called “Cat Street?” Is it:

1. There are tons of cats.
2. It’s narrow like the forehead of a cat.
or
3. It’s where the legendary band “Black Cats” was founded.

No one knows the correct answer, but these are a few of the existing theories. Cat Street, which connects Shibuya to Harajuku and runs parallel to Meiji-Dori, is also called Ura-Harajuku and is home to rows of trendy boutique shops.

There was once a fashion school in the area, and many of the graduates would go on to create their own shops. Wedged between these shops is a bright pink building called the “Pink Dragon.” This building, which looks like a motel straight out of Miami, has connections with the legendary Rockabilly band the “Black Cats.”

Another cultural phenomenon, the street culture movement, also found its roots here in Ura-Harajuku in 1990. From brands like Hiroshi Fujiwara’s “Fragment Design” to NIGO’s “A BATHING APE,” and Jun Takahashi’s “UNDERCOVER," these so-called “Ura-Hara Fashion'' brands quickly took over. These shops are usually underground with no recognizable signs, and once you are in the shop you can’t tell the staff from the customers.

Can you tell the difference? Why don’t you practice your catwalk as you walk up and down Cat Street?