Boo! Ready for more spooky Tokyo, Japan stories? Yukiro and I are delighted to fright you all year round!

My Koenji yokai parade video went viral on @LaCarmina Instagram, and many of you asked for details like — when and where the Tokyo yokai parade takes place next, for Halloween 2024.

Read on for the scoop on Tokyo’s otherworldly Koenji Yokai Parade, featuring handmade costumes of Japanese folklore spirits like kappa and oni. I’ll also take you inside Akabane Reien haunted horror ghost izakaya (here’s video of the spooky pub), and the Rick Owens Tokyo fashion rave!

And don’t forget that I’m selling almost everything I own… so if you dig my Gothic fashion / accessories, come see my clearout @LaCarmina Depop and reach out if I can send you anything. (I’m offering free shipping within Canada in Oct!)

And watch out… Tokyo’s most terrifying drag queens are back for Halloween! My friends Haus von Schwarz are vogueing through The Collapse at “Apocalypstick,” their next Casket of Horrors drag show (10/12 at Shinjuku Heist). Japan’s most elite drag performers are strutting the stage, along with Seileen and DJs.

Tickets and more info here! You may recall I went to this Japan drag queen fiesta last year and had a blast — here’s a video of what went down.

Many of you were enthralled by my Insta reel of the Tokyo Yokai Parade, which takes place during the daytime just before Halloween each year in Koenji. In 2024, the Koenji yokai festival will take place the afternoon of Saturday, Oct 12, 2024. The event is free to attend, so no tickets required — you can just show up to see spirits strolling down Shinkoenji-dori shopping street.

Last year, the Koenji Yokai Parade was everything! The participants put such detail and effort into their handmade costumes and masks, which represent ghostly and magic creatures from Japanese folk legends, like the kitsune fox.

The procession included Kōenji Awa Odori dancers or ren, wearing yukata and straw hats. They performed choreographed hand and dance movements down Shin-koenji Doori street (just show up there in the afternoon and you’ll catch them.)

Musicians played traditional matsuri instrumental songs (using the shamisen stringed instrument, drums, flutes and cymbals). I spot an oni, or demonic ogre / troll.

Love the creativity of traditional folk yokai, or tricksters, monsters, demons, and other supernatural spirits.

The basket-headed flute player is komuso, or Buddhist warriors (a non-monk) that wore straw basket hats that covered their faces. They play the shakuhachi bamboo flute or suizen, and were deadly characters in the Lone Wolf and Cub series!

Here are women in hannya masks (used in Noh theater) to depict jealous ladies.

Some of the yokai parade characters are from the folk tradition, while some are newly created characters.

Anyone can join the procession if they pay a small fee at the start. Or just watch from the sidelines, and cheer them on while taking photos and videos.

The paraders truly embodied their characters, moving and acting as if they were possessed.

The Koenji Yokai Parade had everything from horned cyber demons to mecha-samurai.

I was wowed by the imagination and artistry that went into the masks, props and costumes.

This devilish cat got a lot of attention from onlookers!

Please watch my viral Koenji yokai parade video to see the festivities in action. Catch the procession again this year (on Shinkoenji shopping street, afternoon of Sat October 12 — add @lacarmina Instagram for info and announcements so you won’t miss it).

My favorite time of year to be in Tokyo is October-November because of the great weather and all the Halloween / Goth parties. Last season, Yukiro and I started our all-night rager at a queer horror film event in Shimokitazawa.

We found an eerily lit hall near the station, which was perfect for our cybergoth outfits.

Then, we took the train to Shin-Kiba station for a private fashion party held by edgy fashion designer Rick Owens, to celebrate the launch of his photo book with Danielle Levitt.

Please watch my reel of the Rick Owens rave to see loads of Japanese Goth avantgarde fashion!

The “who’s who” of the Tokyo Goth underworld was at the Rick Owens rave, dressed to the nines…

… and look who played a DJ set — Fecal Matter, or Matieres Fecales! The design duo from Montreal is known for their avantgarde dark styling.

We ran into friends from all Japanese subcultures at the Rick Owens all night party — from alternative designers to latex-wearing fetish folk.

You know it’s a good club night when half-naked Japanese boys are giving out free bottles of yuzu.

Much like the Koenji yokai parade, the partygoers went all out with handcrafted outerspace couture. Only in Japan do you see such creative nightlife dressing.

Pink Harajuku alien style, yesss.

Of course, Yukiro stood out with his height and neon locks.

Watch my Instagram reel of the Rick Owens warehouse rave to see these sumo dancers and Fecal Matter in motion.

Some hater commented “This is absolutely disgusting, barf” on the video… so I pinned it as the top comment! (They’re not wrong…)

Last but not least, Yukiro organized a gathering of his drag Haus of Schwarz at Akabane Reien — a haunted / ghost / horror themed izakaya, which none of us had been to before! As you can tell from the decor and our funny voguing video, it was a frightful delight. (Photos by Alejandro Morales Rama.)

Akabane Reien is an izakaya (small homestyle Japanese pub) with one guy running the show.

We crammed into the seats to share homey food, and sing karaoke (the random group in the back got quite rowdy!)

Akabane Reien is one of Tokyo’s many strange theme restaurants. It celebrates all things creepy and spooky like skulls, cobwebs, horror icons…

And when you least expect it… Someone (like the disembodied hand) falls towards you with a bang! I screamed as if I were in a haunted house.

We sang our favorite 80s songs surrounded by corpse limbs and Japanese lanterns (only in Tokyo)…

I spy Jason, the Scream masks, and more. Watch our video on @LaCarmina IG to see footage of Akabane Reien.

We had to order this disgusting meat dish… the seaweed and cream make it extra horrific! Hot tip: don’t order the sausage and ham flaps here.

Enjoy our video about visiting Akabane Reien Halloween-themed restaurant. Be sure to catch Haus von Schwarz – Tokyo’s Goth drag house – at their next Casket of Horrors performance: Sat Oct 12 at Shinjuku Heist! Info and advance tickets are here.

And thanks to the 1.5 million people that enjoyed my Koenji yokai parade vid! You can add me @lacarmina Instagram for more offbeat and Gothic Tokyo adventures like these.

PS: don’t forget, I’m unloading pretty much all my worldly possessions. Reach out of you want anything from my sale — I’m offering free shipping for Canadians in Oct. I have loads of Goth Harajuku alt punk clothes, jewelry, kawaii toys and much more… come see my listings @LaCarmina Depop. (But no need to use the app, just email me gothiccarmina @ gmail. dotcom and let me know what you’d like!)