Tokyo Japan Miffy store & cafe! Kawagoe storehouse bakery, Jpop kawaii culture & cute character mascot shops.
A quick housekeeping post, and some bits and bobs from Japan and my worldwide travels…
I’ve been busy preparing some new projects this year, which I am excited to share with you soon! To start, I’ll be in Mexico in April on a food journalism trip — Puerto Vallarta, Puebla, and Mexico City. Get ready for coverage of Mexican witchcraft (brujeria) and sugar skulls… Add me on Instagram @lacarmina to see these upcoming witchy adventures!
I’ve also been busy with travel writing assignments, mostly about Japan. This photo by Said Karlsson illustrates the feeling when National Geographic magazine publishes you — and the royalties from your last book are in!
My latest Nat Geo writing highlights 10 spectacular experiences you can have in Japan, from shopping for Harajuku fashion to sleeping in a Buddhist temple, and soaking under the stars at an onsen. Read my National Geographic Japan travel article here. I also did a primer on 11 things to know before traveling to Japan for Fodor’s Travel.
If you’re here for my Japan content, I’ve got you. Read on for a peek inside the Miffy Storehouse Bakery Cafe in Kawagoe, which is only about 40 minutes by express train from Ikebukuro, and well worth a day trip.
On that front — I’ll be back in Japan for Halloween! I confirmed a work trip and will be hitting up my favorite spots in Tokyo and other cities… once again, stay tuned for more details.
You can keep up with my travel/work updates (as well as throwbacks, such as to my red haired modeling days at Luisaviaroma in Italy) on Instagram @lacarmina.
And now, for an overload of cute Japanese pop culture… On my last trip, I had to make a pilgrimage to the Miffy Storehouse Bakery and Cafe in Kawagoe, Tokyo. (Watch my IG reel about my visit.)
Kawagoe is a quiet, old-school neighborhood about 30-45 min by train from Tokyo. Amidst the artisan kimono and craft stores, you’ll find a cafe and boutique dedicated to the cute, minimalist Dutch bunny.
Miffy is from the Netherlands, but she’s big in Japan for obvious reasons. How wonderful is this giant Miffy statue at the entrance?
At Miffy Storehouse Bakery, you can have coffee drinks and fresh baked goods shaped like the cute bunny, and shop for her kawaii merch. Everything is bakery-themed, like this plush toy of Boris the Bear as a chef.
The baked goods are fresh and scrumptious. I particularly liked the savory ones, such as a square curry-filled bread. (Watch my Instagram video to see what I had here!)
Is it cannibalism if Miffy drinks a Miffy latte?
Miffy Storehouse in Kawagoe is a terrific spot for picking up omiyage or souvenirs / gifts for friends back home.
Next door, you can browse Miffy themed merchandise of all kinds. I had to drop some yen here, as she’s my favorite character.
The bunny was created by Utrecht’s Dick Bruna in the 1950s. (Remember when I visited his Netherlands studio and the Miffy Dutch museum?)
If you can’t make it to Kawagoe, there’s also a Miffy store in Tokyo Station’s “Character Street” (see info and photos here).
For footage of the Miffy Kawagoe bakery and shop, see my IG reel @lacarmina. You can also see me rocking the Baggu x Miffy new bag collection in this video.
Try to visit Kawagoe on the 8th, 18th or 28th of every month — as these are the dates for “Kimono Day.” You’ll see people wearing gorgeous kimonos, strolling in the historic streets and visiting shrines.
I had the best time wandering around Kawagoe’s many Shinto shrines, and appreciating the kimono fashions everywhere.
These days, Miffy / Mercis has many Japanese collaborations — like this accessories line I spotted in Sunshine City Ikebukuro.
I’ll leave you with some final Jpop culture snaps. When I arrived at Narita Airport, I was greeted by Nintendo characters holding signs! (Helloooo, Luigi…)
Super Mario and friends are as popular as ever. No wonder they serve as tourism ambassadors, welcoming visitors to NRT airport.
As I rode down the escalators to customs and baggage claim, I got to enjoy these murals of Nintendo princesses and Boo shy ghosts. (Or Teresa, as she’s called in the Land of the Rising Sun.)
Hatsune Miku is another symbol of Japan — here she is in an airport promo video about things to do in different regions of the country.
Of course, you’ll find big-eyed, round and funky mascots all over Tokyo (even at Espace pachinko parlor).
Kirby is another fan favorite. I spotted these character goods and foods at a convenience store.
I stopped by the Diver City Hello Kitty Store (in Odaiba). In addition to selling cute goods, it has a dessert, donuts and ice cream parlor themed after the Sanrio character and friends. Couldn’t resist getting a cute cone with a Kitty waffle.
For an edgier and more eccentric take on kawaii, look for Sebastian Masuda’s 6% Doki Doki in Harajuku. Yukiro and I stopped by the temporary Kawaii Monster Cafe popup, which featured psychedelic pastel fashion and a monstrous cake.
Mandarake is the go-to shop for collectors of anime, manga, and collectibles. It has various locations, including this one in Nakano Broadway with a torii gate entrance.
I’m especially drawn to vintage Japanese characters like these (you can find rare and offbeat anything at Mandarake).
I leave you with the Floating Buddha of Ikebukuro. No matter how many times I return to Japan, there’s always something new and eccentric to enjoy.
Can’t wait to be back in fall 2025 to capture more Tokyo travel tales for you — including Halloween Goth and drag queen events! If you have any suggestions for weird / alternative places in Japan to check out, please let me know in the comments.
I’ve also been having fun revisiting past travels/photos, which I post regularly on Instagram @lacarmina. Here’s a red carpet moment at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Niterói, the UFO-like museum designed by Oscar Niemeyer near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Another dazzling architectural delight: El Palauet hotel in Barcelona, Spain.
In this ever-Collapsing era, isn’t it tempting to run away to a remote tropical island? Here’s a happy memory from Cebu and Lapu Lapu in the Philippines.
You can find all my past country / city travel guides on my Destination page (I’ve been to over 70 countries, so there are tons of tips from around the world).
Finally — if you dig my Goth fashion (like this dress I wore in Morocco), don’t forget I’m selling pretty much everything I own on @lacarmina Depop!
Take a browse and let me know if I can send you anything. Can do discounts and exact shipping worldwide. Google “La Carmina Depop” for my listings or visit this link to see what I have available, and please reach out. Email me: gothiccarmina attt gmail dotcomm
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Tokyo Unko poop museum & teamLab Planets! Weird immersive Japanese art museums, strangest Jpop attractions.
Buckle up, it’s time for some “crappy” content… because Yukiro and I visited a poop-themed museum / interactive art space in Tokyo! Only in Japan could there be something as kawaii and weird as the Unko Museum.
Read on for our hilarious trip to the Tokyo Unko Museum, as well as another immersive art experience — teamLab Planets. (Both are located close to each other, in the Odaiba / Toyosu area).
Photographer Joey Wong took these shots of me wearing Sloe Design Studio — an indie Canadian brand that focuses on natural materials and dark, romantic designs (like this bell-sleved top). SLOE is an acronym for Simple silhouettes, Luxurious textiles, Original Design, Eco-Responsible — which is exactly my fashion focus these days. (I’m increasingly convinced that microplastics are the end of us!)
I’ve visited many of the teamLab exhibits over the years (there are multiple locations in Japan, including a new Borderless in Azabudai Hills).
Yukiro, Joey and I went to the digital art experience teamLab Planets in Toyosu. I’m standing in The Infinite Crystal Universe, a forest of hanging, blinking strands of lights that seem to go on forever due to the mirrored floors, walls and ceilings. Check out the reel of our Goth visit to teamLab!
teamLab Planets is a very popular attractions, so reserve timed tickets well in advance. When we entered, we had to take off our shoes (we put them in locker #666) and walk through shallow paths of water to various exhibitions — including a “pond” filled with darting rainbow koi fish and blossoming rainbow flowers. The “body immersive” museum encourages you to interact with various objects, like these big bouncy balls.
teamLab Planets changes up the rooms every now and then. We got to see the new Floating Flower Garden, which is filled with real suspended flowers and leaves that move up and down. (And get rather tangled in our long hair…)
You can check out my previous teamLab Mori Borderless and Planets posts here for photos and info from my last visit (including how to get tickets).
And please take a minute to watch my IG reel about what goes down with Goths visit teamLab Planets! It includes footage of us voguing through the digital art projections.
My top and skirt (with an embroidered dragon) are Sloe Design Studio. This Canadian independent label makes romantic, vintage inspired clothing from natural textiles and with zero-waste techniques. Check them out for artistic, artisan-made Gothic finery.
We also visited one of the strangest museums in Japan… the Unko Museum, dedicated to poo! (I sh*t you not).
In Japan, unko (poop) is associated with good luck because “un” sounds like the word for good fortune. That’s why there is a cute-faced swirling poop emoji, and “golden poo” lucky statues sold throughout the country.
To celebrate the pop culture of poop — and add a cute / kitschy factor — visit the Tokyo Unko Museum located in Odaiba’s DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.
The experience begins with a hilarious animated video and “genki” song that celebrates how all humans do the number two. (As the song goes, “Minna unchi suruuuuu”!)
Then, you can wander the many well-designed rooms to take photos with crap-themed objects. I wonder what Andy Warhol would have thought of this soup (or poop?) can installation.
Here’s a neon wall that illuminates the word in various languages, from cacca to poep!
There are plenty of selfie spots, and arcade games that made us choke with laughter. (Especially the one where an unko drops down, and you have to try to catch it!)
Japanese toilets are next-level, in terms of tech and design. In this interactive display, we chose our favorite color, and a souvenir unko on a stick appeared in the bowl.
If you’re into silly Jpop culture oddities like we are, this participatory poop museum is a must-visit. (Funny enough, the staff made it clear that there aren’t any washrooms inside for guests to use… they have to go outside to the mall’s public toilets to caca!)
Would you shop at “Unko Mart?” Of course, the museum gift shop was filled with cute and quirky knick-knacks.
The space is full of funny places for taking social media snaps. As Yukiro put it, “When the world is , you gotta release crappy content as a counter measure!”
Things may be getting flushed down the toilet worldwide, but we’ll be going in style and humor.
For a hilarious immersive and Instagrammable experience, get your ass to the Tokyo Unko Museum! (うんこミュージアム). Run like diarrhea to get advance tickets and make reservations on their site.
Did you enjoy these photos by Joey Wong? I think we “ate”!
Speaking of eating… I did an interview with Culinary Backstreets about my fav places to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Osaka. Check out my favorite Kansai food recommendations including octopus balls.
New destinations coming up this spring… and I’ll be in Japan later this year. As always, you can keep up with me on @LaCarmina IG, where I post stories from my daily life as well as videos and throwbacks.
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