Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
CRAZY, WACKY THEME RESTAURANTS TOKYO: BOOK COVER UNVEILED! WORLD’S WEIRDEST RESTAURANTS, JAPAN MAID CAFE PHOTOS BY LA CARMINA.
I received the final book cover of my Crazy Wacky Theme Restaurants book and it’s eeeeeee kawaii! I’m so happy!
Mark Batty Publisher is known for its fab fonts and design sensibility, and I’m thrilled at how the cute-meets-strange illustrations amp up the wackiness. The backdrop is the retro restaurant in Odaiba (Little Hong Kong), and the characters hint at what’s inside: cat cafes, haunted pubs, chittering monkey waiters and more.
The backside gives you a glimpse inside Tokyo’s Dog Cafe, Princess Heart, and Cos-Cha maid cafe in Akihabara. The copy reads: “La Carmina, mistress of the hugely popular Gothic Lolita website, has traveled all over Tokyo to document insanely themed eateries. Traditional dishes like sushi, rice balls and curry get tricked out thanks to theme restaurants inspired by everything from religions to animals. Waitresses dressed as maids slap you when you lose a food version of Russian roulette that concludes with a mouthful of wasabi; a drunken Buddhist monk imparts wisdom; boy-toys dote on female customers; ninjas deliver menus and throw food. With stories as quirky and singular as the restaurants she visits, illustrated with photographs of the food, menus, interiors and waiters, Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo reveals an astonishing and utterly fascinating niche of dining in one of
the world’s most vibrant cities.”
I’m so proud of this book, and ecstatic that my friends were able to take part in it. For the Vampire Cafe chapter, Count de Sang bared his fangs in front of a shattered mirror.
This is a La Carmina book, through and throughout. For our field trip to the Alice in Wonderland cafe, Yukiro Dravarious transformed into the Cheshire Cat. Each chapter has a lively writeup about our adventures.
The Wizard of the Opera theme restaurant was fun to shoot (you can see more of it in this video). Can you spot The Happy Phantom dressed as the Phantom of the Opera?
Dying to see more cute maids, schoolboys, ninjas, monsters, and bartenders in frog suits? Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants comes out this JULY… but you can pre-order it from Amazon right now. Thanks for your support, darkings – I promise to keep sharing my love of J-pop madness with you!
Song of the Day #142: Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (RIP. The day the 80s music died…)
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SWEET & GOTHIC LOLITA BOOTS IN JAPANESE DEPARTMENT STORE MARUI ONE. DOC MARTENS, GLADIATOR SHOES, LECHE BY YOSUKE, ARTHERAPIE.
Do you recall drooling over photos of Shoe Heaven, the footwear floor of the old Marui One? Well, get ready to spill some more saliva. The fifth floor of the new Marui One Shinjuku is Seventh Heaven. It has not one but TWO sections for Gothic Lolita Punk shoes.
My jaw hit the floor when I encountered Leche by Yosuke’s pretty cut-out boots. I can’t sing this brand’s praises highly enough; no matter how hard I pound the pavement, these shoes do not scruff. They’re remarkably well-priced, mostly in the $60-150 range. Lucky for us, Marui One offers international shipping – so you can grab a pair on their website.
Hans Christian Anderson wrote a gruesome fairy tale in which a vain girl becomes so attached to her red shoes that they won’t come off and must be chopped off by an executioner. This story came to mind when I saw this lovely display of Lolita pumps and Mary Janes. Hello drop-dead prettiness!
Moving on… to pink and black GLADIATOR shoes? (Tissue please; saliva flowing…)
The men’s section reminded me of Romper Stomper – both the Russell Crowe skinhead movie and the South Park juvenile delinquent. (Yes, there are random influences floating around in my head…) Knee-high Doc Martens and studded leather boots with a three-inch rise: now that’s the way a boy should dress.
In addition to the sea of shoes on this floor, there is an Artherapie boutique. The brand’s black leather bags and wallets are Gothic yet classy. As my friend said, “I could see my mother carrying one of these.”
Which pair of shoes would you snatch up? I’m selling a few doll-heeled leather boots in my Online Garage Sale…
Song of the Day #141: Tristesse de la Lune – Eiskalte Liebe Feat Erk Aicrag
LA CARMINA
