Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
TOKYO ABSINTHE: BAR TRAM IN EBISU. WHERE TO FIND JAPANESE ABSINTHE, DRUGS & LIQUOR IN JAPAN.
The fin-de-siecle decadents and I have many things in common, but above all, oh we love our absinthe! Same goes for my Tokyo spooky-spooks — so we gathered at Bar Tram in Ebisu for a date with the green fairy.
I love playing around with colors that match my newly-orange hair. Deep purple and turquoise work quite well, don’t you think? I accented my eyes with Aromaleigh eyeshadows, glitter dot stickers from a Japanese dollar store, and fake eyelashes. My lips are actually drawn and colored with a lip pencil: a nice trick to get a perfect outline and unconventional shade.
Bar Tram (which once had a booth at Midnight Mess) doesn’t have a website, but here’s a map. It’s northwest of Ebisu Station. Look for a giant stuffed raven and empty absinthe bottles outside.
Bar Tram carries over a hundred varieties of absinthe from all over the world. I tried Blanche de Fougerolles from France and a secret, ultra-strong herbal absinthe that isn’t on the menu. The waiter brought sugarcubes, absinthe spoons and a water drip to the table so that we could light our own fires. G-suS drank so much that he turned into the Green Fairy! (“Just keeding,” as Sebastien would say…)
Naomi expresses her happiness at the plush couches and old-time French decor.
Michelle brought tarot cards and gave Comte de Sang an exceedingly negative reading. I’m not sure why Kana is wearing a face mask…
Comte de Sang now has three tongue piercings. My dress is Carina e Arlequin, a Lolita brand. Found it in – you guessed it – Closet Child Harajuku. More photos coming up…
I leave you with a shot of my kawaii rings. From left to right: bought in fairy kei store Nile Perch in Laforet, gifted by Komodokat, and a gift from my mother. The rainbow nail polish colors are from Daiso.
Have you ever tried absinthe? Does it give you hallucinations or visions? The green fairy always brings me lucid, architectural dreams…
Japanese Word of the Day: Fairy = Yousei
Song of the Day: Yoko Nagayama – You’re My Love, You’re My Life (Japanese Italo Disco!)
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GOTH LOLITA & STEAMPUNK ARTISTS AT TOKYO DESIGN FESTA. CYBERPUNK BAND PSYDOLL, ZOESTYLES KERA ARENA, TAMA KAWAII GIRLS.
You’ll often run into cyperpunk band Psydoll at Midnight Mess. Lead singer Nekoi told me that they were performing at Tokyo Design Festa — so I went to see them (as well as write a CNNGo article about the modern art convention). What a show! As I wrote: “Drummer Loveless hopped like a Chinese zombie as he toyed with digital drums and a Theremin. Lead singer Nekoi wielded a red keytar that matched her hair’s cyber falls.” Taishow’s raucous band, N.S.D.P, took away the day’s award for the biggest hair.
Press passes are the golden ticket to having a good time. Free entry and lots of perks, as you’ll see in this post… I’m wearing my new Algonquins skirt and a La Carmina & Basil T-shirt from my collection.
I met Zoestyles designer Eigo Takada last year at the Kera Shop Arena event. He was pleased to see us again, and insisted on buttoning us into his mod-meets-punk asymmetrical jackets. Yukiro looks positively Draculean in the bottom right photo. (See more of the Zoestyles collection here.)
There was a lovely Lolita presence at Design Festa this year. Indie dresses. Pastel princess cakes. And the not-so-kawaii art of Tama, whose work has graced the cover of Gothic & Lolita Bible. “She’s known for her cute nymphs, watercolored with round faces and glistening eyes. But when you look closer, you’ll notice these innocent girls are bound and bruised. Or about to be eaten for dinner.”
With 2800 booths, our eyes were boggling out of their sockets. So many anime cosplay girls and mascots to pose with!
Here are some of our favorites from Design Festa. I enjoyed the Steampunk art and accessories, and the Pierrot-inspired outfits.
What are some of the benefits of carrying a press pass?
† Free entry to everything
† Total permission to take photos and videos
† You’re obligated to speak to participants, in order to write a story. It means asking questions, meeting new people and being involved in the action — rather than a passive spectator.
But what’s single-handedly the greatest perk? The free food in the media room! And that’s not all… we each received 1000 yen ($10) worth of food coupons, which we spent on Ghana curry and Taiwanese shaved ice cream. Success!
Come read my CNNGo article about the highlights of Tokyo Design Festa 2010 here. I reported on the show in 2008 as well; you can see photos of Yukiro in a body-painting performance here.
PS: “It’s not emo and it’s not Goth.” A news report about packs of teen werewolves haunting the high schools and malls of San Antonio! MUST watch. Is this lame… or do I want the teen boy leader with a howling soul? Hmm… I think Inspector Basil and I need to do some first-hand research!
Japanese Word of the Day: Azawarau (嘲笑う) = Ridicule, laugh at.
Song of the Day: 101A – Miranda Lethal Weapon
LA CARMINA
