Puroland Halloween: Tokyo’s Sanrio Hello Kitty theme park! Yayoi Kusama Museum, Takashi Murakami cafe Zingaro.
We met Kuromi! Welcome to the best day ever at Sanrio Puroland, Tokyo’s Hello Kitty theme park.
Read on for our fever dream-like visit to Puroland, along with other adorable pop culture and art attractions in Tokyo — including the Yayoi Kusama Museum, and Takashi Murakami’s Nakano cafe (Coffee Zingaro!). And I’ll show you inside my boutique hotels, The Royal Park Canvas Ginza Corridor and Ginza 8 (#PR).
Did you know Tokyo has a Hello Kitty amusement park? Located at Tama Station, Sanrio Puroland is a kawaii dreamland filled with your favourite mascots.
As you can see in my Insta video, the park had special events, food and merch for “Puro Halloween” throughout October. (They have various seasonal celebrations year-round.)
It’s easy to get to Puroland – from Shinjuku, it’s about 30 minutes to Keio Tama Center Station on the Keio Line, or Odakyu Tama Center on the Odakyu Line. Take a short walk and you can’t miss the bridge to the rainbow entrance.
For Halloween, the theme park released special edition spooky goods starring Kuromi, the impish skull-wearing rival of My Melody.
Kuromi is a favorite among Goths, of course… although all the Sanrio characters look fab dressed in witch hats and Gothic Lolita dresses!
Sanrio Puroland opened in 1990, and has been popular with fans ever since. Many dress up as their favorite characters to visit the indoor park.
Puroland only has a few rides, and lines can be long — so we opted to simply walk around and enjoy the cute shops and photo-locations, like this Cinnamonroll fuzzy bus.
Of course, you can’t miss the gift stores, which are decorated to the nines (like this balcony with a Hello Kitty royal wedding).
The food area serves dishes themed after the mascots, of course.
For Halloween, Puroland had these Kuromi and My Melody curry dishes, with ham and cheese cut-outs… Let’s just say this looks cuter than it tasted!
If you’re a fan of the Hello Kitty universe, you can’t miss Sanrio Puroland when you’re in Tokyo. Check out their site for opening tours, tickets, and more.
Thank you to Puroland for the press passes — it was a dream come true to hug Kuromi!
Tokyo is currently packed with tourists; in fact, visitor numbers now exceed pre-pandemic levels. Photographer Joey and I were glad to get away from the crowds — while also getting an artistic experience — by staying at The Royal Park Canvas – Ginza Corridor.
The boutique hotel’s sophisticated design is inspired by the flow of alcohol at Ginza Corridor, a lively street of small bars and restaurants that can be viewed from the balcony. The party continues in the hotel lobby, which often hosts live DJ performances until the early hours.
The Royal Park Canvas – Ginza Corridor cotains three bars, including one that specializes in Prosecco, and one with an impressive selection of Japanese liquor. I enjoyed the shiso umeshu (plum wine), and using this mallet to crack open this mini sake barrel.
The spacious, modern rooms also have design elements that pay homage to drinking culture, like metallic champagne bubble motifs over the windows.
Loved the chic decor and convenient location of The Royal Park Canvas – Ginza Corridor. The hotel is only a short walk from Ginza and Shimbashi stations, as well as high end fashion boutiques, art attractions, and fine restaurants.
We also stayed at The Royal Park Canvas – Ginza 8, which featured cozy, hip spaces that encourage you to mingle. The music lounge contained an extensive vinyl collection for guests to listen to.
We had a Japanese breakfast to remember at Opuses restaurant, on the top floor. I tasted small, artistic dishes (grilled fish, rolled egg, stewed vegetables) while looking out at the terrace.
Here’s the long lobby bar / cafe at The Royal Park Canvas – Ginza 8. You can sip on cocktails or mocktails, and a variety of tea — but of course, I went straight to the bottles of yuzu (Japanese citrus juice, my fav). Thank you to both hotels for the sublime stays. #PR
If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you’ll know that I will take any opportunity to see artwork by Japanese avantgarde legend, Yayoi Kusama (famous for her polka dot pumpkins and Infinity Mirror Rooms). And so, I made a pilgrimage to the Yayoi Kusama Museum, a permanent space dedicated to her work (located near Waseda and Takadanobaba stations, in Shinjuku Ward).
Founded in 2017 by the artist herself, the Yayoi Kusama Museum presents rotating exhibitions that lets visitors get a glimpse of her visionary world.
Yayoi Kusama has been making waves in the art world from the hippie-era 1960s to the present. The Tokyo museum’s sleek architecture beautifully frames her brightly colored, pop-meets-surreal paintings and sculptures.
Note that to visit the museum, you must purchase a timed 90-minute ticket in advance from their website. Photos are only allowed on several floors.
I especially loved the open-air rooftop, which encourages you to engage with her large-scale art. Under the blue sky, Yayoi Kusama’s flower appears to bloom towards the camera! On another floor, I admired “Visionary Colors” – a selection of her colorful paintings that meditate on peace and love, inner struggles, and oneness/liberation through “self-obliteration.”
Kusama has experienced hallucinations throughout her life, which have inspired installations like “I’m Here, but Nothing.” I spent a few minutes inside this trippy bedroom illuminated with glowing UV polka dots – it made me want to have a disco party!
Get immersed in her art at Tokyo’s Yayoi Kusama Museum. Check their site for ticket info, as well as special events such as lectures.
Finally, let’s pop into artist Takashi Murakami’s cafe, Coffee Zingaro in Nakano! Go to the second floor of Nakano Broadway, and you can’t miss his smiling rainbow flowers lit up in neon lights. (Here’s a video I took of the interior.)
The coffee shop is the brainchild of renowned Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami. The café is a wonderland of his poppy, colorful artwork inspired by manga, anime, and kawaii culture.
At Coffee Zingaro, everything on the menu looks like a Murakami painting. I tried the ham sandwich, latte, and pumpkin muffin — all of the food was stamped with his smiley flower mascot. and came with an Arigato sticker.
I felt as if I was inside one of his whimsical, colorful paintings. The tables at Coffee Zingaro double as gaming consoles, so you can play retro video games like Mario Bros and Donkey Kong while you eat.
The moist pumpkin muffin was one of the best I’ve had — and was certainly the cutest! Check out my reel on @lacarmina Insta about my Murakami cafe visit.
Bite into one at Coffee Zingaro inside Tokyo’s Nakano Broadway (2F). Also pop into artist Takashi Murakami’s nearby Hidari and Tonari no Zingaro art galleries.
No matter how many times I visit Japan, I never tire of the whimsical art and slightly bizarre attractions. Would you visit the Hello Kitty theme park, Puroland?
To see these cute mascots in action, I hope you enjoy the reels and more photos on @LaCarmina Instagram. Thanks for the add, and more soon!
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Shinjuku, Tokyo Gothic Lolita kawaii shopping guide! Marui Annex 0101, Sanrio Hello Kitty stores, Don Quixote.
Hello, it’s been a minute! I was MIA because I flew somewhere for a major TV appearance… I can’t talk about it yet, but I’m thrilled to be back to the land of television, and will share the details with you once I can.
Thank you again for the love for “The Little Book of Satanism!” Pleased to share that my book is now available from The Satanic Temple’s web shop, as well as in the physical store at The Satanic Temple’s Salem headquarters.
Featured in Forbes | Publisher’s Weekly | Dazed – The Little Book of Satanism is an accessible guide to Satanic culture, history and ideas. Little Baphomet seems to like it…
See more details about my latest book here, as well as links to many retailers (it’s available worldwide in paperback and digital, and published by Simon and Schuster). Thanks to everyone who read it and reached out — it’s amazing to see my book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, Powells, and other bookstores!
And more good news… a Spanish version of “The Little Book of Satanism” will be out soon! Some of you asked about translations of my book, and Ulysses Press made it happen.
“A thoughtful, concise examination of the history of the devil [that] cuts through the Satanic Panic myths that are still prevalent today.” – Forbes Magazine. See more info about my book here.
I’m also happy to see that many of you are traveling to Japan once again, now that the country is open to tourism. I was in Tokyo and other areas last August/September, and still have tons to share.
I’ll begin with a cute / Goth / alt shopping guide to Shinjuku, as I hope this might be useful to you when you travel to Tokyo! Read on for a tour of Marui Annex, Studio Alta, Don Quixote, Sanrio stores, and more.
Everyone knows Harajuku is the center of youth / alternative fashion, but Shinjuku has tons of pop culture boutiques as well. Whenever I’m in Shinjuku, I stop by 0101 Marui Annex department store to peruse the latest funky shops — like the Godzilla boutique!
The ground floor pop-up is dedicated to all things “Gojira” and his fellow dai kaiju. Find Mothra t-shirts, Godzilla head statues and other monstrous delights.
The bottom floor of Marui Annex also holds the Cinnamonroll Cafe. It’s a theme cafe dedicated to the cute bunny Sanrio character with long floppy ears.
You can dine on ice cream parfaits and curries shaped like Cinnamonroll’s face, and sit at a table with one of the large plush toys.
The old Marui One Shinjuku was a treasure trove of Gothic and Lolita fashion. Today, this style is less popular and many labels dissolved — but Marui Annex still has a good number of kawaii and Loli boutiques in a single location, such as Milk.
I found a pentagram, Satan silhouette and “Vampires” shirt at Milk Boy. Equally scary is the rack of Miffy socks from the bunny-themed boutique in Marui Annex!
Walk around the multi-floored Marui Annex, and you’ll come across lots of cute mascot goods like these.
An entire store contains merch from lesser-known kawaii characters.
Marui has art displays as well, such as these cardboard anime devil ladies.
You know you’re in Shinjuku when there’s cuteness everywhere you look.
The seventh floor of Marui 0101 Annex is home to multiple boutiques that represent Harajuku, Jpop and Kawaii culture.
These include Emily Temple Cute, which has been around for ages…
… and my personal favorite, Kera Shop. The racks carry a variety of designers, and the fashion leans towards the darker side (Goth, punk, metal).
Even if the subculture is smaller now, the alternative handmade fashion remains inspiring — case in point above.
Mana’s Moi-meme-moitie brand has a presence at Kera Shop on the 7th fl of Marui Annex.
As you can see, the old school Kera Magazine / Gothic Lolita Bible styles are still alive (or undead).
Angelic Pretty is as pink and candyland-frilly as ever.
Alice in the Pirates still brings the fierceness with black and red rock asymmetry.
Jirai Kei is currently all the rage — you’ll see a lot of young Japanese wearing dark girly styles like Amavel.
But there’s something for every type of alternative dresser at Marui, including urban and rave garments.
Speaking of undead vampires… I ran into an exhibition by Hyde, J-rock lead vocalist of L’Arc-en-Ciel in the 1990s.
“Fantasmagorie: The Ghost Show 1799” displays gentleman-meets-Jrocker outfits and videos made in collaboration with Hyde.
Marui Annex is the best one-stop shop for alt fashion in Shinjuku. However, there are many other department stores in the area worth perusing — including Lumine, Keio, and others near the station.
I ran into a Miffy × Samantha Thavasa wallet / bag collaboration…
… and a Samantha Vega x Sanrio characters collab! I was tempted to get this studded black Kuromi tote purse.
Happy to report that Kuromi is dominating Tokyo. You can find her memorabilia everywhere, including in Don Quixote.
Donki is, of course, the giant Japanese “general store” packed with everything from mascot socks to snacks and adult toys.
I always stock up on skincare and other necessities at Don Quixote. The Shinjuku location is rather packed, but has everything including Keroppy face masks. (Go to the Shibuya Donki for a more peaceful shopping experience).
Shinjuku has multiple Sanrio stores. Yukiro and I were a bit puzzled by the Sanrio x Sailor Moon collaboration… they did Sailor Jupiter dirty!
Of course, Sailor Mercury got the Kuromi Goth treatment.
From Shinjuku, you can also easily hop over to Ikebukuro to check out additional kawaii stores in/around Sunshine City. I had to stop by Flower Miffy.
The name says it all. Miffy flower bouquets and other home goods.
I always stay in Shinjuku, as there’s so much to see, eat and do here.
The Kabukicho red light district never fails to please… Who wants to see the BJ Group BJ boys?
This is the area for host clubs and silly host boys like the fellow above.
Studio Alta (across from Shinjuku station east exit) isn’t as funky as it used to be. There are only a few alt stores now, like the one above.
I’m digging this Hello Kitty skirt, beanie and sweater combo.
Oversized sailor shirt with Kuromi in purple, yes please.
And here’s a Satanic bunny with a pentagram and caduceus.
The Hello Kitty store “Gift Gate: Elegant Shinjuku” is another classic stop. Snap a photo with the big Kitty statue outside.
Inside, there are all sorts of Sanrio goods and displays like Hello Kitty in a wedding dress.
I was in Japan right before Halloween, so I got to see slightly odd spooky designs like the above. (Of course, Hello Kitty is the devil while Kuromi is a maid.)
As for food… Shinjuku has it all. The Baskin Robbins next door to Gift Gate has smiling Pikachu cakes, as well as other Pokemon characters.
I’m fond of Coco Ichiban curry, conveyer belt sushi, and takoyaki (there’s a stand near the Godzilla Hotel in Kabukicho).
And don’t forget the many dollar stores and game centers! Wander around and pop into a few arcades — I came across Miffy in this UFO gaming machine.
I hope you enjoyed this updated Shinjuku shopping guide. Let me know if you make it to Japan this year, and what else you’d like to see on my blog! And you can always reach me at @lacarmina social media.
PS – I’m honored to be featured by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government! In this interview, they highlight my work in Japan pop culture and underground journalism.
LA CARMINA
