OSAKA OCCULT TAROT CARD & FORTUNE TELLING PARLOR, BLEEDING MARIA. RETRO 1980S TOY SHOP IN AMERIKAMURA, SHINSAIBASHI JAPAN.
Do you remember our adventure at the ridiculous Ridiculous clothing boutique in Osaka? It’s not the only wonky place in the building. As we were leaving, we found a door marked with pentagrams. The signs read “Bleeding Maria” and “Protected by Witchcraft.”
Gingerly, we pulled back the beaded curtains — and stepped into a witch’s parlor or haunted apothecary. Shelves cluttered with scary dolls and animal skulls. Potent potions, gems, and spells for sale.
This Goth Punk lady is the proprietor. She offered to give us a tarot card reading or tell our fortune. We were weirded out not by the macabre atmosphere or her styling… but because she spoke perfect English. What’s going on in this ridiculous shop?
She welcomed us to take photos. Virgin Mary statues, scattered rose petals, arachnophobia.
Next to voodoo dolls, a cute bunny and a Nightmare Before Christmas pillow, several of her friends were eating junk food and drinking Coca-Cola. We tentatively said hi and high-tailed it out of there. I think the Bleeding Maria occult shop should be renamed… Ridiculous!
And that’s not all. On yet another floor, we found a rainbow toy shop packed to the brim with 1980s toys such as My Little Ponies and Troll dolls… If you want to check out this ridiculous cluster of shops in Amerikamura (Shinsabashi), the building address and directions are in this post.
PS: Thanks to Jenna for the colorful interview in My Life As A Magazine. I’ve fallen behind on Gothloli of the Week… if you’d like to be featured on this site, please read the submission details here.
PPS: Anyone remember this cartoon theme song? “Sometimes, some crimes, go slipping through the cracks but these two, gumshoes, are picking up the slack there’s no CASE too big no CASE too small, if you need help just call: Ch-ch-ch-Chip ‘N Dale! Rescue Rangers!” I watched Rescue Rangers and Garfield and Friends obsessively in the late 1980s. That’s probably the reason I have an Adventure Team and funny fat cat today.
PPPS: Got any Steampunk literature recommendations? Joe R. Lansdale’s steampunk pulp short, “The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down,” is the most tilt-a-whirl tale I’ve read in ages. Dark humor, spike torture, spaghetti western heroes, time traveling vampires and a giant steam man. Very well written and action-packed. It’s in the Steampunk anthology of short stories.
Japanese Word of the Day: Gaikotsu = Skeleton
Song of the Day: Abney Park – Dear Ophelia (Now it’s time to dress up a la Steampunk!)
SHARE & COMMENT
LA CARMINA
65 Comments
I want to go to that store in Osaka <3 Sounds like something right up my alley <3'
Also..I do know a wonderful Alice In Wonderland / Steampunkish novel/comic
http://www.lookingglasswars.com
Just go to that site :3
Enjoy it.
I enjoyed that site, very much!
Hahaha, Rescue Rangers was really cute. I watched that along with DuckTales…
As for steampunk books: I really enjoyed “The Alchemy of Stone” by Ekaterina Sedia. It’s about a girl automata talented in alchemy. The great thing about this book is that it has gothic and lolita elements to it as well in addition to steampunk (to my interpretation, at least). Oh and I’d also recommend “The Difference Engine” by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.
I found an old videotape from the 90s with Duck Takes, Rescue Rangers and Tale Spin in it. The Duck Tales episode featured the Goth witch Magica who tries to steal Scrooge’s lucky dime…
Thanks for the recommednation.
Rescue Rangers!! I really really miss 80s and 90s morning cartoons! Those were the best.
I am going to Osaka next weekend^-^ I am going to have to troll all of these places you have mentioned. Especially Bar Midian. I will have a “ridiculous” weekend Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
you MUST! Let me know if you find Bar Midian – say hi to Fu-ki for us! You’ve seen my Osaka Gothic Lolita shopping map?
No! I have not seen that yet >.< I should print that out before I leave and also the directions to Bar Midian. I will def say hi to Fu-ki for you^-^ I need a h.Naoto fix and new shoes! lol. And I must go to Territory. Too bad there is not a Black Veil event this month. I emailed DJ Taiki and he said that August will be the next one but I will be in Tokyo by then I think. Oh well, Osaka is only a 2 hour Shinkansen ride away form where I live.. I will have to see what he does for Halloween.
http://lacarmina.com/2009/10/osaka-harajuku-lolita-shopping-maps-where-to-buy-gothic-lolita-harajuku-fruits-clothes-in-tokyo-japan-shop-list-addresses-for-cool-japanese-clothing-stores/
Here’s the Osaka map! It’s a bit “off” – some new stores and some closed down – but the general area (Shinsaibashi) is full of great things. Look out for the Trick Monster cyber shop!! XD
OMG!! Where is Trick Monster? lol If I see anything that is closed or new on the map, I will let you know. Thank you^-^
Ahh I wish I had all my Osaka store photos up and the updated map ahah. It’ll take a while but I’ll get there eventually! XD
Address and map:
日本
〒542-0086 大阪府大阪市中央区西心斎橋１丁目１６−７
06-6245-2040trick-monster.com
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=trick+monster+osaka&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=trick+monster&hnear=%C5%8Csaka+City,+%C5%8Csaka+Prefecture,+Japan&ll=34.67332,135.498655&spn=0.002325,0.004823&z=18&iwloc=A
Awesome^-^ Thank you!! Photos are always fun to go through. I always forget to take photos outside of stores..lol.
Outside of stores?? Muahaha I take sneaky photos inside! :P You’re not supposed to but… if it’s for a good educational purpose, and the store owners don’t notice, then it’s ok right? ;)
I want to go to that store in Osaka <3 Sounds like something right up my alley <3'
Also..I do know a wonderful Alice In Wonderland / Steampunkish novel/comic
http://www.lookingglasswars.com
Just go to that site :3
Enjoy it.
Hahaha, Rescue Rangers was really cute. I watched that along with DuckTales…
As for steampunk books: I really enjoyed “The Alchemy of Stone” by Ekaterina Sedia. It's about a girl automata talented in alchemy. The great thing about this book is that it has gothic and lolita elements to it as well in addition to steampunk (to my interpretation, at least). Oh and I'd also recommend “The Difference Engine” by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling.
Rescue Rangers!! I really really miss 80s and 90s morning cartoons! Those were the best.
I am going to Osaka next weekend^-^ I am going to have to troll all of these places you have mentioned. Especially Bar Midian. I will have a “ridiculous” weekend Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
Ooh! I was wondering if there were any shops like that in Japan, I couldn’t find any in Tokyo. Very cool
Osaka also has DJ Taiki’s occult store, Territory. Pics from that coming up!
The Necromancer
I spot Living Dead Dolls!
Thanks for the lovely mention Carmina! Was so special to get an interview. Ooooooo I just gotta go to this 80s shop you mentioned! I’m 80’s Nostalgia obsessed!! I have a good doll and figurine collection of my own; Punky Brewster, Moondreamers, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite etc.
This is really great – good to show us the quirky shops over there. I think I missed that weird one! I notice the guy below has a Time Bomb Records shirt on – did you go there? We spent quite a long time checking out the records and CD’s -and I bought a few as well! (Old Japanese ska and deathrock).
Ohh I think we did go there! I remember taking photos in a record store that had an EMO section ahah
Ooh! I was wondering if there were any shops like that in Japan, I couldn't find any in Tokyo. Very cool
The Necromancer
I spot Living Dead Dolls!
Osaka also has DJ Taiki's occult store, Territory. Pics from that coming up!
Thanks for the lovely mention Carmina! Was so special to get an interview. Ooooooo I just gotta go to this 80s shop you mentioned! I'm 80's Nostalgia obsessed!! I have a good doll and figurine collection of my own; Punky Brewster, Moondreamers, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite etc.
I enjoyed that site, very much!
you MUST! Let me know if you find Bar Midian – say hi to Fu-ki for us! You've seen my Osaka Gothic Lolita shopping map?
This is really great – good to show us the quirky shops over there. I think I missed that weird one! I notice the guy below has a Time Bomb Records shirt on – did you go there? We spent quite a long time checking out the records and CD's -and I bought a few as well! (Old Japanese ska and deathrock).
No! I have not seen that yet >.< I should print that out before I leave and also the directions to Bar Midian. I will def say hi to Fu-ki for you^-^ I need a h.Naoto fix and new shoes! lol. And I must go to Territory. Too bad there is not a Black Veil event this month. I emailed DJ Taiki and he said that August will be the next one but I will be in Tokyo by then I think. Oh well, Osaka is only a 2 hour Shinkansen ride away form where I live.. I will have to see what he does for Halloween.
80’s Dolls and shows <3<3
Ridiculous!
80's Dolls and shows <3<3
ooahh I’d go nuts in a place like that!
“Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld is supposed to be awesome steampunk lit. I’m still waiting for it to pop up in the library, but I have heard great things.
I heard great things about this novel too! I’ll look for it..
Dude, that store looks sooo cool! I just got back from Salem Massachusetts where I spent July 4th. There is a store there called Hex that looks a lot like that, though most of the stores in Salem are some kind of occoult. I got some really neat jewlery there. I highly recomend it for anyone into Wicca or the Occult.
Oh WOW… I really want to visit Salem and New Orleans. Those are two of the top places in the US on my list…
I wanna go to Japan dammit !!! X3
ooahh I'd go nuts in a place like that!
Ohh I think we did go there! I remember taking photos in a record store that had an EMO section ahah
http://lacarmina.com/2009/10/osaka-har…
Here's the Osaka map! It's a bit “off” – some new stores and some closed down – but the general area (Shinsaibashi) is full of great things. Look out for the Trick Monster cyber shop!! XD
Ridiculous!
“Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld is supposed to be awesome steampunk lit. I'm still waiting for it to pop up in the library, but I have heard great things.
OMG!! Where is Trick Monster? lol If I see anything that is closed or new on the map, I will let you know. Thank you^-^
Dude, that store looks sooo cool! I just got back from Salem Massachusetts where I spent July 4th. There is a store there called Hex that looks a lot like that, though most of the stores in Salem are some kind of occoult. I got some really neat jewlery there. I highly recomend it for anyone into Wicca or the Occult.
I heard great things about this novel too! I'll look for it..
…seeing all those trolls & my little ponies in that pic reminds me of my collection of them when I was little! lol
I never had any trolls… only stuffed toys! XD
Ahh I wish I had all my Osaka store photos up and the updated map ahah. It'll take a while but I'll get there eventually! XD
Address and map:
日本
〒542-0086 大阪府大阪市中央区西心斎橋１丁目１６−７
06-6245-2040trick-monster.com
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=trick+monster+osa…
Oh WOW… I really want to visit Salem and New Orleans. Those are two of the top places in the US on my list…
I wanna go to Japan dammit !!! X3
…seeing all those trolls & my little ponies in that pic reminds me of my collection of them when I was little! lol
I never had any trolls… only stuffed toys! XD
Awesome^-^ Thank you!! Photos are always fun to go through. I always forget to take photos outside of stores..lol.
I love witches!
I love witches!
Outside of stores?? Muahaha I take sneaky photos inside! :P You're not supposed to but… if it's for a good educational purpose, and the store owners don't notice, then it's ok right? ;)
The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart
I recently bought this, and fell in love with it :3
excellent book :)
The name intrigues me!
The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart
I recently bought this, and fell in love with it :3
excellent book :)
The name intrigues me!
What a cool place to find. Its so colorful and I love it. Thank you for sharing this and someday somehow I have to visit that place.
Absolutely. :)