Category Archive for Nightcrawling
Kobe Satanic Gothic bar Idea, Japanese Satanism, Rocky Horror. Tokyo Goth shops, jirai kei & acubi fashion.
Welcome to the dark underworld of Gothic & Fetish bar IDEA in Kobe, Japan! Strap yourself in for an evening of drinks and entertainment with Mistress Midori and her corset-bound staff.
In this post, I’ll take you inside another favorite hangout for Japanese Satanists: Gothic and Fetish Bar Idea in Kobe (here’s my video about the experience). If you’re keen to explore Japanese Satanism and demonic attractions — and see the latest in cute / Gothic Lolita / Jirai Kei fashion — then this is the Goth travel guide for you!
Also, for the new year — here are some new pics featuring my oversized white earmuffs by Skandinavik Fur! Check out this family-run company for all things warm and fuzzy (they also made my infamous hot pink Mongolian sheep coat).
Anyone else wish we were entering 1997 again, and not 2025? I’ll just keep on dressing like it was the Y2K era (loving the Korean acubi street style aesthetic recently).
My red chunky highlights are by Katya at Kore Salon Vancouver. This Y2K inspired hairstyle contrasts nicely with the Skandinavik earmuffs.
And I somehow managed to find the only cute puffer jacket out there: this one here by Desigual. It’s a cropped metallic purple puffer coat that makes me want to vibe with Mase.
Now, let’s descend into a little-known Goth bar in Kobe, which is filled with witchy / Satanic / occult books and oddities! For footage from inside, see my video on @LaCarmina IG.
It’s always a good idea to visit IDEA bar… tell Mistress Midori that La Carmina sent you. Location / address: 2-17-8 Nakayamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
Midori is the cousin of the late Taiki-san (both are pillars of Satanism in Japan – Taiki ran the legendary Satanic Shop Territory Osaka). At Idea, Midori showed me some new books featuring pentagrams and other dark symbology.
IDEA is filled with Goth taxidermy and creepy collections, much like Osaka’s Territory. There’s a pentagram sigil and spiky nail bed on the counter, and regular shibari / bondage / domination demos set to industrial gothic music.
Ready for a ritual with a demonic baby doll? If you’re intrigued about Satanism in Japan, read my article with Dr. John Skutlin on this subject.
Dr. John Skutlin explains: “Midori opened her own “Mystic, Fetish & Gothic Bar” called IDEA [pronounced as the original Greek, which refers to “form” in the Platonic sense]. She really pulled out all the stops with the design of the place as well, with a lot of help from her cousin, Taiki.” Case in point: these pentagram coasters and the long bar filled with sharp nails. (You can remove the glass top and lay your victim onto the spikes!)
“Lining the shelves behind the bar are three sets of six bars each—666—and the number of iron bars lining the walls of the restroom number 72—one for each demon of the Ars Goetia grimoire. Demonic tomes and art abound, of course, and the soundtrack is mostly dark electro mixes courtesy of Taiki, who also designed Midori’s unique pentacle sigil for the bar.”
In our Idea video here, you can see my friend Mistress Maya and the Idea staff playing with these handcrafted whips!
“That’s all looks though—the best part of IDEA is the people. Midori is one of the warmest and kindest people you’d ever hope to meet, and she has a talent for finding interesting young ladies (sometimes men) to work at the bar who are fantastic conversationalists and, of course, knowledgeable about the fetish and occult world. The parties she holds, which fall on the holidays marking the Pagan Wheel of the Year, involve everything from your standard rope tying and dripping candle wax to suspension performances and scarification.”
Read more of my conversation with Dr. John Skutlin about Satanism in Japan here, and I hope you’ll get the chance to experience Gothic & Fetish Bar Idea in Kobe.
Before our visit, Mistress Maya took me to get a taste of the famous beef. You don’t need to order the branded “Kobe beef” itself in order to have a delectable meal at Miyabi Steak, a laid-back teppenyaki restaurant run by a skilled chef. His perfectly seared chateaubriand wagyu, garlic rice, and vegetables were melt-in-your-mouth magic. If you visit Kobe, I hope you’ll get a chance to dine on the juicy meat at Miyabi Steak.
One last stop in Kobe: Vampire Squid, a bar dedicated to The Rocky Horror Picture Show! I spy Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
Vampire Squid is decked out in Rocky Horror memorabilia, and plays the 1975 cult musical-film on repeat. Guests can say hi to the resident creature of the night, Fuku-chan the barn owl! (An owl is “fukuro” in Japanese, hence the name.)
Vampire Squid is the dream-space of Saki, who often performs at Idea’s anniversary events.
Address / location of the Rocky Horror bar: 3 Chome-11-18 Shimoyamatedori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0011, Japan
If you’re a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, then you’ll be mad for this glam Goth bar. Aren’t Kobe and Kyoto a hoot?
For video footage of Kyoto’s Seimei pentagram shrine, Satanic Idea bar and other spots featured in my blog, check out my reels on Insta @LaCarmina – thanks for the follow.
Here are a few more outfit pics for you — wearing Charli Cohen pants, Dear Cloud Miffy makeup bag, white earmuffs by Skandinavik Fur.
These are my first earmuffs ever, and I’m a convert. They do a remarkable job at keeping your head and ears warm.
Wearing this cropped puffer by Desigual, a short and padded metallic coat that fits with the acubi / y2k aesthetic.
Where will 2025 take us in The Collapse? Only time will tell… but I’ll definitely spend more time in Japan this year.
I’ll leave you with some dark Japanese fashion roundups, and suggestions for where to shop for Gothic Lolita Punk clothes in Tokyo, Japan. Japanese Gothic street style has evolved over the years — Gothloli (with frilly dresses, bonnets, etc) used to be more prominent, while now there’s a lot of “jirai kei” (landmine-style, or dark/edgy/naughty meets feminine cute).
Kuromi (the devilish Sanrio character) is the perfect poster girl for jirai kei. Here’s a Kuromi clothing collab that perfectly encapsulates the dark girly aesthetic.
I’ve written many Goth punk alternative Tokyo shopping guides over the years, but things keep changing — so here’s the latest look at where you can find Japanese Gothic fashion.
Studio Alta in Sunshine City Ikebukuro has a basement level filled with Gothic and Sweet Lolita and other subculture street styles.
I will forever be drawn to Japan’s spooky meets kawaii styles.
Corset lacing, ancient aesthetics, witchy hats… obsessed with the creativity of Japanese underground fashion.
Sunshine City mall in Ikebukuro is a great place to explore; it also has a Pikachu Sweets Cafe, Flower Miffy, Kiddyland, Thank You Mart, Hello Kitty store and other pop culture attractions.
See more photos from Sunshine City in this older blog post.
Shibuya 109, the tall department store near Shibuya Scramble crossing, remains one of the best spots to shop for trendy youth styles.
Mars, Liz Lisa, Rojita and other larme kei (soft, romantic girly) styles are omnipresent. I like to mix and match: I found a futuristic silver skirt and Gothic / jirai kei heels in Shibuya 109.
Onward to Harajuku, the youth culture and avantgarde fashion center of Japan. It’s also home to Sebastian Masuda’s 6%DokiDoki, one of the last bastions of independent fashion in this neighborhood.
6% Doki Doki still delivers on all things kawaii cute meets ghoulish technicolor.
Laforet Harajuku is still the #1 destination for Gothic Lolita punk and subculture clothing. If you can only go to one shopping center, make it this one.
Although Lolita dresses aren’t as popular as back in the day, you can still find the designer boutiques at Laforet like Alice and the Pirates, Angelic Pretty, and Baby the Stars Shine Bright.
However, there are dozens of floors contain all types of edgy styles. See my Laforet Harajuku post for a comprehensive walk-through of the department store, with plenty of photos.
Right now at Laforet Harajuku, you’ll find pentagrams, stomper boots, rave, and Y2K aesthetics.
There’s a great deal of handmade and funky vintage-coded fashion as well at Laforet.
Shinjuku Annex is also a fantastic spot to find kawaii meets alt Goth clothes, accessories, makeup and more. See my Shinjuku Annex blog post for the details (the top floor has Kera Shop, Moi-Meme-Moitie etc).
Can’t wait to be back in Tokyo / Japan in 2025… Currently confirming the dates and details, and will keep you informed.
Thank you always for being part of my Japan Gothic chronicles. If you find these travel and shopping guides helpful, please consider sharing them on socials and with friends. ありがとう!
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Kyoto pentagram temple, Seimei Shrine! Japanese occult destinations, pentacle Onmyodo diviner Abe no Seimei.
(Goth travel journalist / content creator La Carmina in Shinjuku, Tokyo.)
2025 is shaping up to be one of my wildest years yet… I’ll definitely be in Japan, so please stay tuned for announcements! And I have more dream projects in the works (can’t reveal them yet, but these are going to rock your socks). Thank you all for supporting; you make this spooky travel life possible.
To celebrate this good fortune, let’s hail Seimei Jinja, Kyoto’s pentagram shrine! Watch the IG reel about our visit to this occult shrine here on @LaCarmina.
This may look like a Satanic temple, but it’s actually a Shinto shrine dedicated to Japan’s most famous occult master turned pop culture icon. Read on for our visit to 晴明神社, which honors Abe no Seimei — a 10th-century practitioner of Onmyōdō (Japanese astronomy and divination) who invented the five-pointed star symbol in Japan (which happens to also be associated with Satanism in the West).
Instead of the typical tranquil vibes, Seimei is a Kyoto Shinto site with Goth and heavy metal aesthetic — peep the paper lanterns with black stars, and scowling lion-dog spirit statues! As you walk in, you’ll see Gothic black and red pentagrams marking everything from the hand washing station to the torii gate.
Seimei Shrine’s address: 806 Seimeicho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-8222, Japan. It’s north and a little out of the way of the main tourist areas, in a quiet neighborhood.
Since Seimei Shrine isn’t on the radar of most travelers, it wasn’t overrun with crowds (especially on this rainy day, which felt appropriate for the dark and demonic shrine). In ancient times, Abe no Seimei was said to have mystical powers of divination. Today, he’s a cult figure who appears in manga and anime — which is why many otaku and Goths come to bow and ring the bell at his pentagram-covered shrine.
Seimei Jinja is located near Ichijo Modori Bridge in Kyoto. Inside the main hall, you can cross a miniature version of Ichijo Modori-bashi. It’s guarded by a ghoulish shikigami (ghost-like kami) and supposedly a gate between the human and spirit worlds. (See us crossing over in our video here.)
Seimei Shrine was founded in the year 1007 by Emperor Ichijō to honor Abe no Seimei, who died two years earlier. The shrine was built on the site of his house, and incorporates symbols and stories associated with the diviner. To modern eyes, this looks quite heavy metal Gothic!
Two large torii gates frame the entrance of Seimei’s shrine. Rather appropriately, they’re an ominous grey and lit by red and black pentagram lanterns.
Several panels tell the story of Abe no Seimei, who was the best-known practitioner of Onmyodo, or geomancy (a system of Japanese divination and magic, which involves concepts of the five elements of nature and yin/yang). Although the master was a real person, his feats are mixed with fantastical legends involving strange beasts and exorcisms.
As I wrote in my my book, the pentagram is an ancient symbol found in cultures worldwide including Japan and Greece. In Japan, it represents the balance of the 5 elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Metal and Wood).
In the contemporary West, the pentagram is most closely associated with Wicca and Satanism (particularly the inverted or downward-pointing star).
The pentacle symbol, supposedly invented by Abe no Seimei in the 10th century, is also known as the Seimei-star here.
Seimei Shrine’s architecture also incorporates motifs of the Japanese bellflower because it has five petal tips reminiscent of the pentagram.
Don’t miss out on the stone well / fountain, Seimei-i. Water drawn from the pentagram-marked stone is supposed to have magical properties.
And you must exit through the gift store… We wanted to buy all the pentagram souvenirs! (I got a wood wishing board or ema marked with a red star).
You can also purchase omikuji or fortune telling paper strips. If you receive a bad prediction, tie it to a branch to leave it behind.
If you’ve got a Gothic disposition and are interested in Japanese occult / Satanic history, then skip the best-known Kyoto temples and hail Seimei Shrine instead! For more details, watch our Instagram reel about visiting Seimei Jinja.
Speaking of the devil… We went to see the yokai statues lurking throughout Kyoto’s Taishogun Shopping Street. These apparitions are so popular here that there are yokai parades in Kyoto and Tokyo (see video of the yokai parade I attended in Koenji, which happens every year around Halloween).
Also known as Ichijo Yokai Street, this is a small stretch of shops guarded by nifty handmade statues of yokai (strange, supernatural apparitions from Japanese folklore).
It was fun to walk down Taishogun Street and hunt for yokai. Here’s Hitotsume-kozō, a bald child with one eye in the center.
(Japan folk monsters are so creative.. there’s also Shirime, a yokai with an eye for a butthole!)
The juxtaposition of spooky yokai and toilet paper is somehow perfect.
Love the creativity of the artists. Japan has a rich yokai (folk spirits/entities) culture that continues to inspire people today — as you’ve seen in my Koenji Yokai Parade coverage.
You can also find Shigeru Mizuki’s iconic yokai characters in anime/manga stores like Mandarake. (Kyoto is a wonderful place to shop for one of a kind artisan goods.)
And now, for some Kyoto Decadance… I enjoyed “me time” at The Hiramatsu Hotel Kyoto. This luxury boutique hotel was once a machiya (traditional wooden townhouse) storehouse and kimono shop, which preserves the original beams while adding in modern lattices and amenities (like a deep soak bathtub).
This was my happy place: longing in a pajama set provided by The Hiramatsu Kyoto, drinking matcha, and lying in bed.
The Zen aesthetics at the hotel were exquisite. Hiramatsu Kyoto is centrally located (close to the Gion geisha district) and therefore surrounded by buildings — but the clever design makes you feel as if you’re in a ryokan in the forest.
My favorite moments included enjoying this Japanese breakfast with views of the Zen stone and moss garden. There’s nothing like starting your day with miso soup, pickled veg, tamagoyaki and grilled fish.
We enjoyed a seasonal Italian dinner at La Luce, Hiramatsu’s restaurant. As you can see, everything was beautifully presented and incorporated the freshest ingredients of the season, such as this mushroom ravioli.
Pentagrams are everywhere in Kyoto… even on the flower vase at our table!
Thank you to The Hiramatsu Hotel Kyoto for the 5-star experience — the interior design, concierge service and attention to detail were impeccable.
And look who we found in Kyoto… Miffy! She’s literally big here — there’s a giant bunny statue at Kiddyland. You can also visit her Arashiyama Miffy Sakura Kitchen theme cafe, and Miffy’s Oyatsu-do by Miffy’s Kitchen (a bakery and souvenir shop) in Gion.
Super Mario is another Japanese pop culture icon. He was popping out of a warp pipe at Takashimaya on Shijo Dori, the main Kyoto shopping street.
These were promos for the new Mario Wonder video game — have you played it? I’m all about old-school platform games.
Tourists tend to crowd around Arashiyama and the most famous Kyoto temples. To escape the crowds, we went to Kodaiji, a quieter temple that also had a bamboo forest walkway. We saw people dressed in kimonos, taking photos next to the classic architecture.
Kodaiji is part of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, hence the peaceful feel of the temple halls and teahouses designed by the legendary tea master, Sen-no-Rikyu.
For video footage of Seimei pentagram shrine and other Goth travel spots featured in this article, check out my reels on Insta @LaCarmina – thanks for the follow!
PS – Domo Arigato Travel for interviewing me about my favourite Japan attractions and foods, working in travel writing / TV, and more! Check out their interview with me here.
You can also read my latest Japan travel writing for Fodor’s: I reviewed Japanese luxury hotels for Fodor’s Finest, and did a destination guide to Nikko for The Go List. I also did a feature on Michelin starred chef Ryan Ratino’s new Florida restaurants, for Observer. Much more travel and food writing to come, promise!
LA CARMINA
