Category Archive for Fims + Videos
Koenji Tokyo Yokai Parade: Japanese spirits folk masks festival! Rick Owens rave, Akabane Reien haunted ghost pub.
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 26, 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. Address: 3 Chome-36-15 Koenjiminami, Suginami City, Tokyo 166-0003, Japan
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. They represent waka onna, or young 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 26 — add @lacarmina Instagram for info and announcements so you won’t miss it).
Also on Oct 26 – Maya of Midnight Mess is having a party again at Suigeikan Kamakura, and Territory (Taiki-san’s legacy) is spinning all night at Black Veil in Osaka. Check my IG for all the details.
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!)
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Gabriola Island, British Columbia travel tips! Malaspina Galleries beach, Gulf Island Seaplanes, Surf Lodge hotel.
Girls getaway time! Bindi and I wanted a relaxing overnight vacation, so we flew on Gulf Island Seaplanes to Gabriola Island, British Columbia.
Gabriola is a quiet isle in BC’s Strait of Georgia with stunning natural features, like this sandstone beach at Malaspina Galleries. Read on for our travel guide to Gabriola Island — including where we stayed and ate, and our cute encounter with farm animals!
From Vancouver, the fastest and most fabulous way to reach Gabriola Island is by floatplane (the ride is only 25 minutes long). We were excited to take our first seaplane ride ever with Gulf Island Seaplanes, which has routes from downtown Vancouver’s waterfront harbour to Gabriola and Hornby Island.
Gulf Island Seaplanes is an indigenous-owned company, and the staff feels like a family. They walked us through the safety features, and made sure we were all good throughout the flight.
The floatplane only holds 5 people and the pilot — it felt as if were boarding a private jet! Since the flight is local, we only had to arrive 30 minutes before departure to check in at Vancouver’s downtown harbour terminal (no customs or bag scanning required).
My OOTD: DMY by DMY Billy sunglasses, Realisation Par dress, Steve Madden Slinky shoes, Maison de Fleur bag.
The sea plane takes off from the water… and there we were, up in the air and grinning at these ridiculous views.
“Like an Eagle, in the city.” These are the lyrics of the disco song I used as the background music to my Instagram reel about our seaplane experience — watch the video here!
Our seaplane flew west over the Salish Sea (between the mainland and the Pacific Ocean). Still not over these window views of BC’s tiny islands, blue mountains and waves.
All of the passengers wore earplugs or earphones (provided) to minimize the noise.
A gentle landing on the water — in less than 30 minutes, we had arrived at Gabriola Island! We can’t thank Gulf Island Seaplanes enough for the smooth floatplane journey. The company also offers private charters throughout coastal BC, as well as short scenic tours from downtown Vancouver.
The seaplane landed at Silva Bay dock. We then called Gabriola Island Taxi for a pickup (there’s only one service with several drivers, so plan ahead and be prepared to wait for taxi rides!)
Ravenous as usual, we asked to be dropped off at Ground Up Cafe and Catering. I saw that this was one of the highest-rated restaurants on Gabriola Island — and we loved it so much that we came twice.
Ground Up has a laid-back, community vibe with a tree-shaded patio. Locals and their dogs love to stop by for fresh and healthy meals, such as a burrito bowl and peanut noodles with lots of vegetables.
The home-baked goodies at the counter are a must. We devoured the apple cinnamon muffin, and ginger cookies.
But first, coffee! Perfectly brewed, with oat milk, by the friendly staff.
Ground Up Cafe serves breakfast and lunch — we’re still thinking of this turkey avocado egg hash bowl, and gluten free pancakes with hand-whipped cream. Be sure to visit Ground Up for a delicious meal on the deck — and you can see more of our meals in our Gabriola Island travel tips video!
Time to check in at The Surf Lodge, a waterfront hotel dating back to the 1920s. While the interiors have been revamped, the hotel retains a quaint wood cabin vibe.
The Surf Lodge is also a popular spot to enjoy dinner with a view, either from the large patio or in the Sunset Lounge.
We started at The Surf Pub, a chill bar with a homey menu and weekly specials. Quite a few locals were gathered on the balcony overlooking the water.
Our room had two comfortable queen beds, and a large private balcony. The Surf Lodge was the perfect spot for our overnight stay on Gabriola Island. (Try to reserve well in advance, especially during the busy summer season).
A must-see on the island: Malaspina Galleries, a beach with remarkable geologic formations.
BC’s Gulf Coast is known for its rocky sandstone beaches, which bring the drama.
I think you can see why Malaspina Galleries is the most photogenic / Instagrammable location on Gabriola Island.
The Malaspina Caves are a wave-like rock formation, which looks like a rip curl hugging the ocean. This natural sandstone curve formed over centuries through erosion by the wind and waves.
Aren’t the Malaspina Galleries magnificent? This is where we shot the promo video for my game show appearance.
Then, we wandered the shores and said hello to the tiny crabs and barnacles in the shallows.
Love the dark energy of the Pacific Northwest: one of the best places to visit in the summertime, especially in this era of The Collapse (it’s now way too hot to be in Japan and Europe in the summer months).
Goth on the beach, always. My top is part of a surf swim bikini from Towers Swimwear, and the skirt is vintage.
Later, we caught the sunset at the rocky beach in front of The Surf Lodge hotel.
This duck (or geese?) family joined us to watch the glowing skyfall.
Magic hour. Gabriola Island is small, and it isn’t a tourist destination (unlike say Tofino) — so its natural attractions are easily accessible and uncluttered with people.
Travelers come here to hike, camp, get out in nature, or simply relax like we did.
Gabriola also turned out to be a fab place for fashion photography.
Here’s a shot simply taken on my iPhone. Love the cinematic feel.
There’s more to do on a getaway — like shop for jewelry and crafts by local artisans, at Free Sprit and other shops.
And head to Paradise Alpaca Farm to pet and feed animals, including goats!
These wooly alpacas are smaller and gentler than…
… llamas, which are larger and more “aggro,” and might even spit! Their faces are also more elongated with banana-shaped ears, which differentiates them from alpacas.
Bindi gave some love to the miniature horses (they’re bred to look like smaller horses, as opposed to ponies that are stockier with shorter legs).
Hail, Paradise Farm on Gabriola Island! Like everyone we met here, the owners are warm and welcoming.
Stop by their gift shop to pick up items made from llama and alpaca wool, and to make a donation.
So glad we took our first seaplane ride ever to Gabriola Island! Gulf Island Seaplanes lets you fly here in style in half a hour, from downtown Vancouver. Please take a minute to watch our seaplane ride video for footage of the flight!
And enjoy our Gabriola Island travel guide video, which includes Surf Lodge, Ground Up cafe, and the alpaca farm. Of course, it’s set to a Fun Fun disco song.
Have you ever gone on a girls getaway? If so, where?
LA CARMINA
