Category Archive for Nightcrawling
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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MOLECULAR COCKTAILS AT HUSH HONG KONG. LAN KWAI FONG, COOL NEW BARS & CLUBS IN CENTRAL, COOLHUNTER BOOK.
Back to Hong Kong for a quick science lesson… involving hard liquor! I subjected myself to cocktail experiments at Hush, a mod bar in Lan Kwai Fong / Central, Hong Kong. Mixologist Gibson Chan specializes in molecular cocktails, using ingredients and techniques typically found only in labs.
In this new video, Gibson shows La Carmina how to make a deconstructed margharita, with a salty foam created with a fish tank pump. Then, he mixes a cocktail made with what looks like caviar — but what is it really? Watch the video to find out!
I was happy to learn that the strange-looking powders were actually made from natural ingredients. Each drink was a topsy-turvy experience — the flavors and textures turn the expected on its head. Sip a glow-in-the-dark cocktail at Hush, 2 Glenealy in Central, Hong Kong.
I also went to Ozone, the rooftop bar of the new Ritz Carlton Kowloon. My ears popped as the elevator shot up to the 118th floor. But it was worth it for the killer view of Hong Kong at night, with nothing overhead but the sky.
I know my life is confusing lately… so many travels and projects! I re-designed part of my website to reflect the changes. Here’s a breakdown of my current work:
† BLOGGING: I post near-daily about my underground fashion and travel adventures.
† TV HOSTING & COOLHUNTING: My Pirates business is currently in overdrive. We have our hands full with Tokyo TV jobs and subculture consulting (such as introducing Western buyers to Gothic Lolita Punk brands.)
† WRITING: In addition to my current columns, I’m writing for AOL Travel. My three J-pop books are also available here.
† FASHION DESIGNING: We just released the HOPE t-shirts to benefit Japan. You can see my previous clothing collections here and below.
These pages may also be helpful…
† BIO: A summary of my work, along with my TV show clips.
† PHOTOS: A gallery of my Goth-cute outfits and makeup.
† PRESS: Media mentions.
† CONTACT: Email me if you’re interested in sponsorships, advertorials, collaborations — or simply want to say hi! I try to reply to all messages, especially on my social networks.
Funny how I’ve become Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. There’s more international travel in the works, and major projects involving TV and fashion. Soon, all shall be revealed!
PS: I’m featured in a new Spanish book called Coolhunting Digital: A la caza de las ultimas tendencias. In the “Colaboradores” section, I’m photographed and interviewed about my work as a subculture/underground coolhunter.
I invite you to browse the new website pages; I hope they present a clearer picture of my work. And please enjoy my new video, where the Hush bartender walks us through molecular cocktail-making. There’s more fun food and bizarre theme restaurants on my YouTube channel (please subscribe).
Have you heard of molecular gastronomy before, or tried it? Do you consider it a mind-opening experience, or an overrated trend?
Song of the Day: Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science
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LA CARMINA
