Category Archive for Fashion
WEIRDEST FETISHES AT JAPANESE CLUB NIGHT: TOKYO KINK ALTERNATIVE PARTY, DEPARTMENT H. BODY MODIFICATIONS.
Muahaha! Very soon, I’ll be reunited with Evil Queen Yukiro Dravarious. (If you forgot, I’m in Tokyo for a Fuel / Discovery / National Geographic travel TV show; details in this post.)
Yukiro and my First Mate Naomi recently nightcrawled at Department H, Japan’s kinkiest club night. Here’s his vivid report of what went down.
My fashion inspiration for the party was the 80s cartoon Rainbow Brite. So I did my own crazed costume version of it, with rainbow eyeshadow, leg warmers and nail art (of course). I also designed my rainbow lashes myself.
Naomi and I started the night with a bang, at the crazy puppet restaurant Kagaya. Which you can read all about in La Carmina’s fabulous book of Tokyo’s craziest theme restaurants. After, we met up with other friends to go to a secret fetish birthday party in Ebisu.
Around midnight, we turned our backs to the dark and gloomy, and entered a more erotic, glamorous and extravagant world: Department H. It’s by far the most outrageous club I know of. And where else would I go in this ridiculous rainbow witch outfit?
The entrance fee is rather high, especially if you don’t dress up (about 5000 yen). But if you’re in fierce Queen fashion or have a high quality coordinate, you’ll get in for 3000 yen.
The event starts with a Killer Drag Queen fashion show, which always blows me away. You are allowed to bring your own booze to the club; since they have no alcohol license, they’re not allowed to sell it. Therefore you should stock up before you go in.
There’s always a weird variety of people there. Everything from gigantic monsters, fierce drag queens, naked bitches and Tokyo Decadance staff. Not to mention the creepy full-body sized doll-persons. This time, they showed some amazing anime in between the performances.
The queue outside was enormous, I never saw so many people waiting to get in. I’m happy the fetish party is doing so well. Kinema Club has other events on the first Saturday of each month, which draw a lot of the same alt crowd.
One negative point is the “shokai,” where people get up on stage to introduce a club, event or activity… this process takes forever. Two drag queen MCs say bitchy comments to everyone who dares enter the stage.
One crazy new body modification that they introduced was… getting a hole drilled in the cranium! I’m not sure why you’d like that. But why not?
Deparment H’s motto is “Don’t ask, just come” — and I think that sums up this party pretty well.
Arigato Yukiro for your colorful narration. He and I will be all over Tokyo in July-August, so you can expect more Evil Queen-ness on the blog soon.
For previous coverage of Department H, and Tokyo’s best alternative/Goth/fetish parties, glance at my Japan club guide. There are maps, contact info and more. (Here’s Porta Porco, bartender and performer at Decadance Bar, on the train home.)
PS: I’m dipping my toes into Google+, the new social network… are any of you on it? Will you kindly allow me into your circles? Click to add my Google Plus profile.
Do you find Japan’s underground kink culture disturbing, fascinating, invigorating? What other strange body modifications have you heard of? Did you find Waldo in the photos?
Song of the Day: Rainbow Brite intro
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VENICE, ITALY ROMANTIC TOURISM: VISIT CANALS, GONDOLAS, VENICE BIENNALE ART ATTRACTIONS. SOURPUSS RED DRESS.
Venice, Italy can be frustrating. You build up a mental picture of suave gondoliers — and get pudgy tourists and Disneyland lineups instead.
But then you duck under a stone arch, and there’s a crumbling Gothic church. Wander off on a side path, and you find a trattoria glowing with candles. The light shimmers from the water, the docked boats creak, and sigh — Venice still has its magic.
Having Casanova as your companion also helps.
La Carmina is wearing a “black heart” dress gifted from Sourpuss, and a wide-brimmed sunhat from Hong Kong.
Sebastiano is wearing a silk shirt stolen from Kira DNR’s closet.
We’re grateful to Hostelbookers for sponsoring our stay all over Italy. The hotel booking website put us in a large room full of character — we could hear the water outside our window. And the secluded location allowed us to avoid tourists the entire time. (More photos from our Hostelbookers rooms coming up.)
Our typical healthy meal: grilled fish, salad, rose wine.
Followed by an indulgence of Italian desserts. Tiramisu is a diet necessity!
The best way to know Venice is by walking wherever intuition takes you. We found an “interesting” clothing store.
Art galleries abound. Seba can’t seem to process Marge Simpson as an odalisque. (It’s too bad we couldn’t attend the Venice Biennale, an impressive gathering of modern artists.
Travel tip: wear a big-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and bring along a can of mosquito spray. And dress up for Venice. The soft, flowing light is ideal for photos, and you’ve got to play along with the city’s romantic mood.
Nothing in the world compares to Venice’s canals.
When the sun sets… indescribable.
Seba felt stuffed, but still, we shared mint gelato.
Our wanderings took us to San Sebastiano church! (The “O” must be for Sebastian-ooo.)
Someone please give his butt a push.
I didn’t realize I was making the “small” hand gesture. Appropriate, for this naked statue.
Thank you, everyone, for your comments — I read and appreciate them all. Next, there’ll be coverage of Milan, Rome, Modena, and more from Florence.
Have you been to Venice, or yearn to visit? Did you feel it was a commercial trap, or did you feel the magic?
Song of the Day: Nana Kitade – Kibou no Kakera (Powerpuff Girls theme song. Pandas are involved.)
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LA CARMINA
