On the fifth floor of Marui One Shinjuku – behind the sea of glorious Gothloli shoes – there is a discombobulating René Magritte dreamscape. Wait, what?

Ceci n’est pas une pipe. This is not a Japanese avantgarde minimalist display.

Believe it or not, it’s the Alice Auaa boutique. In the old Marui, the much-lauded designer’s deconstructed-Gothic designs were also concealed (here’s a photo for comparison) and guarded by tortured gargoyles. The new shop’s interior design amps up the surrealism: you weave between floating white doors until you meet a limb-less female. She sticks out her tongue in ecstasy as she is auto-erotically asphyxiated by an Alice Auaa scarf.

This fellow reminds me of my pre-teen years, when I wore headgear to straighten my buckteeth. Alice Auaa’s S&M and fetish-influenced accessories are strewn on a table held up by Thing. Whether or not you like her clothes, you’ve got to visit Alice Auaa’s surrealist store. It’s easy to miss so look hard!

Thanks for your sweet comments about my cute cooking video! I’m often asked where one can buy bento equipment and cute tableware. J-List has a wide selection; I quite fancy the Doraemon products (the gizmo on the right is an ice maker!). Summer the perfect time for Nihon ryori, isn’t it? I have a lot of Japanese cute cooking on the agenda… I’ll explain soon!