Category Archive for People + Pets
Tokyo Ganguro Cafe & Robot Sushi! Gyaru Black Diamond makeover & nail art in Shibuya.
Dark-skinned makeup, zebra print dresses and massive eyelashes… Yes, 1990s Japanese Ganguro fashion is back!
In this dispatch from Tokyo, my friends investigate the new Ganguro cafe and get a technicolor makeover by the Black Diamond Unit gals.
As you might remember, I was recently in Tokyo for a Travel Channel TV shoot. Although I’m not permitted to reveal anything about the filming yet, I can share photos of the latest Jpop trends in the city, taken during my days off.
Keep reading to see a “cat party” with friends, Haneda Airport’s new kawaii stores, and sushi made by Mr. Roboto!
We’ll begin with John Skeleton’s review of the new Ganguro theme bar / cafe. He writes:
If you missed your chance to see Ganguro girls in their natural habitat (Shibuya, Tokyo) during their heyday in the mid-9os and early 2000’s, now is your chance! All you have to do is take a trip to the Ganguro Café (ガングロカフェ), run by the Black Diamond musical unit that has performed at such international venues as the Japan Expo in France and Anime Expo in the U.S.
The café is equipped with a fully stocked bar, karaoke machine, and darts, and while it may be rather small, it sets off the larger-than-life Ganguro fashion even better. (Address: 2F, Crea Dogenzaka Building, 2-22-6, Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo, 150-0043)
Super-tanned skin, contrasting white makeup, bleached hair, and impossibly elaborate fingernails are the order of the day at the Ganguro Café. My new friend Alcy and I decided to venture into this latest hotspot and see what all the hype was about.
Staff member Harutamu was assigned to our table, well-coiffed and happy to discuss what drew her to Ganguro fashion. “I remember seeing some Ganguro girls on TV and thinking, Wow, this is amazing! They were like beautiful dolls and so colorful. I’ve never been interested in normal fashion, so this was perfect for me!”
- Shop her style by clicking items below. The Dolly Wink eyelashes are a must.
Although the initial Ganguro boom had ended more than a decade ago, Harutamu and her fellow staff members represent the next generation of young people who have been inspired by their fashionable forerunners. She also explained how, while often misunderstood as an imitation of hip-hop style, Ganguro is a fashion and musical sensibility all its own, embracing J-pop and rejecting the common aesthetic that says white skin and natural makeup are the ultimate in feminine beauty.
(Some girls take the look further, with stark white eye makeup and Day-Glo clothing, in an offshoot called Yamanba or Manba. And yes, the spiked nail art on their hands are acrylics, meaning they don’t come off.)
Of course, the establishment is also a café, so we had to try some of the food. The signature dish is the “Ganguro Balls,” a dish similar to takoyaki (octopus balls), but dyed appropriately with black squid ink and and containing sausage and cheese – the perfect accompaniment to the many alcoholic beverages available at the bar. For dessert, we tried the pudding and chocolate cake, both of which were mouthwateringly good.
It wasn’t long before it was makeup time. Alcy had volunteered to make the dramatic transition from light to dark, Ganguro-style, and the Ganguro Café “Image Girl” Erimokkori was up to the task, even with her outrageously adorned fingernails.
Watching her apply false eyelashes with six-inch nails was quite a sight to behold and, if nothing else, one certainly has to respect the amount of time and effort these young ladies put into constructing their striking appearance.
To top it all of, a green wig was applied and Alcy had been transformed from Goth to Ganguro.
Even if you don’t make the full transformation, if you’re looking for an underground tourist spot off the beaten path in Tokyo, the Ganguro Café is guaranteed to be an unforgettable experience!
Info: Thanks to John and Alcy for the photos and story. You can find out more about the Ganguro Cafe on their website, and also reserve tickets in advance – since the seats often sell out, especially on weekends.
Price: The 3000 yen package includes entry, 1 drink and 1 food dish, and souvenirs. For 7000 yen, you will also get a ganguro make-over and purikura with the gals.
What else is relatively new in Shibuya, the neighborhood with the famous street crossing? Well… there’s a robot sushi parlor.
Located near Shibuya’s 109 department store, Uobei Sushi looks like a factory assembly line, and there are no chefs in sight. Tip: go early or at off-hours to avoid lineups, since this sushi parlor is popular among both locals and tourists.
(Address: 2-29-11 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo)
How do you order from this bizarre sushi restaurant? Everyone sits in front of a touch screen, which you can toggle between Japanese and English (and other languages).
Flip through the various screens, and press to choose up to three items. I’m a fan of the nigiri selection, especially the salmon topped with pepper. There are also pages for desserts, edamame, and side dishes.
When you’re ready, push the big Order button. A few minutes later, your sushi will come zooming down the rails on a platter, which stops right in front of you!
Take your sushi, and you’ll hear a beeping noise. Look for this unhappy-faced blinking yellow button, and push it.
This will send the empty tray hurtling back into the kitchen.
You can keep on placing computer orders until you’re full (and drink unlimited green tea). The meals will arrive on different ramps (top, middle, bottom).
The robot sushi parlor is a marvel to behold, and inexpensive too (two nigiri are about $1 US). The quality of the food is excellent, considering the price. That’s what I love about Japan — even the cheapest sushi is made with better quality rice and fish than most places in North America and Europe.
Want to see the flying sushi in action? Check out my video above and on my @lacarmina Instagram.
Who else is a fan of fish? Cats, of course! (That’s my attempt at a topic transition…) My friend Lily was celebrating her birthday, and invited us over to play with her kitties. Here she is above with Luna.
The black-and-white Noche greets guests. Many of us are crazy cat-lovers, so the party turned out to have a kitty theme.
Our friend Xiomara Entropy showed up with adorable cat-faced cake pops. (She runs a “baking with a mohawk” blog, with recipes for original baked goods like these.)
Atsushi couldn’t resist taking cat selfies with Luna…
.. who looks a bit confused by the face he’s making! Meanwhile, Yukiro worked the room with vampire-red wine.
Cats are the best, aren’t they? Soon, I’ll show you photos from Tokyo’s cat-themed temples, Gotokuji and Imado Shrine.
It was fun to catch up with my Japan friends and finally meet Lily’s “babies.”
We laughed when we compared their iPhones. These mobiles are version 4, 5, and 6 — but all with kitty wallpapers!
The Japanese queen of the nekos, however, remains Hello Kitty. She has a new souvenir store in the revamped Haneda Airport.
Fortunately, you can order items from anywhere in the world! Browse below; I personally want the Kitty iPhone case.
I had time to kill before my flight to Singapore, so I went around to the kawaii stores and took photos for you.
I prefer Haneda Airport to Narita because it’s closer to the city, modern, and filled with cuteness — like Sirotan the seal.
If you didn’t have time to pick up souvenirs in Tokyo, you can make up for it at these airport stores. Tons of photos below… click to see
More here!
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Our Cat-Friendly Bedroom Design! Essentia organic memory foam mattress, Allem Studio bedding, Airportag pillows.
Introducing… the Maohaus! Basil and I moved to a new apartment, which presented the perfect opportunity for a bedroom makeover.
I wanted our shared space to be as feline-friendly as possible, without looking like a crazy cat lady’s home. In other words, the Maohaus had to balance form and function.
How did we do this? With cat-friendly colors, natural materials, and multifunctional objects that harmonize into a cheerful design. I balanced my preferences with my cat’s, taking into account factors like his ability to see certain colors.
I’m pleased to finally unveil my new sleeping-space! Featuring a natural memory foam mattress from Essentia, colorful bed sheets from Allem Studio…
… and these awesome Airportag travel pillows. Inspired? Intrigued? Then read on, and I’ll show you how it all came together.
I wanted to create a “Maohaus” after seeing how Japanese cat cafes design a living environment that is aesthetically pleasing to humans, yet safe and enjoyable for felines.
In other words, you can make a wonderful space for your cats without Garfield bedsheets, hot pink pet beds and ugly carpeted climbing trees.
The team at Essentia mattresses loved our idea from the start, and just two weeks after we spoke, our bed arrived. Essentia provided us with “white gloves” service, meaning the deliverymen carried everything to our apartment, unrolled the mattress and set it all up. (Although Basil tried to help.)
Basil Farrow knows this is a very special bed… I did my research, and found that Essentia makes the highest-performance and healthiest mattress out there. The family-run company is the only one in the world to make mattresses with natural, organic memory foam. (We put it on a boxspring to give it some height.)
Basil walked all around the bed. Looks like his paws are happy with the two inches of natural memory foam!
Our mattress is the Classic 8 Queen size, but Essentia has a variety of mattresses with different sizes, firmness, performance levels and prices.
Look at how the surface gently cradles his big feet! In the world of mattresses, memory foam is considered the best you can get. The technology relieves pressure points and contours the body as you sleep.
I knew Essentia was the perfect choice for the Maohaus. I want Basil to live in a space with non-toxic, natural materials. This mattress is made with materials like rubber tree sap, plant extracts, and certified organic cotton.
The surface is wrapped in a removable 100% organic cotton fabric, with Essentia’s signature stripe. The color even matches my cat’s fur!
I confess I love to sleep, and at times, I’ve stayed in dream-land for 12 hours. And cats are notorious for spending more than half the day asleep.
That’s why it was important for me to get a high-end performance bed, like Essentia’s Classic 8. Memory foam beds are an investment, but they’ll last well over a decade. Getting a good rest is important for so many reasons, and sleeping on this bed will benefit my health (and Basil’s!).
Now that we’ve got our bed, it’s time to decorate. I want my room to feel modern, artistic and minimal. What I wear is different from how I want my bedroom to look — so no cat-face prints, dark colors, chains or ruffles.
Allem Studio to the rescue! Basil’s clone looks over the chic bedding they sent us, tied with organic cotton and placed in a custom, matching case.
Basil tip-toes over Allem Studio’s Tara duvet cover and Tara lime pillow cases.
Eco-friendly, long-lasting materials are of importance to me. These 100% cotton sheets create a calm, fresh environment, which I think delights both humans and cats.
As I mentioned before, I don’t want to live in Dracula’s Lair. I love Gothic style and culture, but I feel best living and working in a light, Zen-like environment.
I can’t ask Basil what his favorite color is, but I can take a good guess. Cats can only see limited colors of the rainbow: violets, blues, greens. That’s why I stuck to this lime scheme.
If you prefer a different color, Allem Studio has other modern patterned bedding (and are releasing new collections soon). On their website, you can also pick up shams, throws, outdoor pillows and more home decor.
The duvet cover comes in King and Queen, and is reversible (there are big, grey flowers on the other side). You can’t find a softer fabric: 100% high quality cotton, and hand screen-printed.
I looked around at a lot of bedding, and had a hard time finding something that felt “me.” Allem Studio’s designs connected with me — they’re modern, global, vivid, joyful. As you can see, our bedroom is pretty small and minimal, so this splash of leafy-lime makes a big impact.
Finally, I wanted to add some decorative accents that reflect my passions and personality — particularly my love of travel. Enter AirporTag, purveyors of flight-inspired interior decor.
How cool are my puffy pillows? They say “Departures,” and pay tribute to the old revolving flight boards, which flip around to indicate if a plane is “Boarding” or “On Time.”
Airportag sells the niftiest gifts for travelers: pillows, posters, mugs, t-shirts and more… decorated with airport city codes! You can show your love for JFK (New York City), CDG (Paris), NRT (Tokyo), and every other major flight hub. I spent over an hour browsing through Airport Tag’s website – it was hard to choose!
Essentia sent us two more memory foam accessories: an Ergonomic Pillow (which gives S-shaped neck support) and a Comfort Pillow. If I go without a proper pillow, I wind up with a headache.
A lion is on the prowl! I covered the mattress with Essentia’s unbelievably soft sateen cotton organic bed sheets. Basil curled up and fell asleep immediately.
The little lion surveys his territory. Essentia spoiled him with one last gift…
… a memory foam pet bed! Both cats and dogs can relax on the Kingston, which comes in different sizes.
This pet bed is designed for breathability and to relieve pressure. In addition, it looks great in our apartment. What a difference from the usual gaudy, badly-made beds that you find in pet stores.
At first glance, visitors might not even realize this is a cat product, since it integrates seamlessly into the interior design. That’s the goal of the Maohaus.
We feel good about supporting Essentia since their business is family-run, and their mattresses are made in Canada (just outside Montreal).
Essentia has store locations all over the US and Canada, so you can visit and try their mattresses for yourself.
It’s easy to order the pet cushion and more from their site. (Isn’t Basil lucky, having two memory foam beds?)
I hope you enjoyed my new bedroom tour! Thanks to all our partners, for helping us make the Maohaus concept a reality.
PS – the word “Maohaus” is a combination of “mao” (which means “cat” in Chinese) and “haus” (the German word for “house”). It’s also a tribute to the Bauhaus movement.
I have a feeling Basil and I are going to spend a lot of time in here…
We still have a lot of decorating to do, and I can’t wait to show you the rest of the apartment. Basil Farrow is a fan of the view out the window.
Now that’s a catwalk. Coming up next, I’ll show you more ways that you can design a beautiful space for yourself and your kitty.
If you’re feeling inspired to do a bedroom makeover, you can get started with Allem Studio bedding, Airportag accessories and Essentia Mattresses.
What do you think of our Maohaus so far? How did you decorate your own room?
LA CARMINA
