Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
Tokyo offbeat Goth bars! Neo-Shinjuku Atsushi Cyberpunk, Trick or Treat Halloween, Tarot Museum Cafe, Muscle Girls.
The Collapse has reached Tokyo… in the form of an apocalyptic cyberpunk bar! Theme restaurants and bars continue to thrive in Japan. On my last trip, my friends and I investigated the Goth-est and strangest ones for you, including the dystopian Neo-Shinjuku Atsushi, a Tim Burton Halloween themed izakaya, a Muscle Girls bar with buff women…
… and even an occult Tarot Cafe and Museum! Keep reading for a peek inside these quirky, immersive and Gothic Japanese bars.
John and I were excited to visit a new Tokyo bar — Neo Shinjuku Atsushi. Located near Shinjuku Sanchoome station, it’s a science fiction cyberpunk world come to life (think Blade Runner and Akira).
The bar is designed to look like the crumbling ruins of post-apocalyptic Tokyo. As the Akira quote goes, “You’re just the king of a big pile of garbage!”
The neon-lit entrance to Neo Shinjuku Atsushi makes you feel as if you’re in a 1980s sci fi survival flick. In this Collapse future, people survive on food sealed in vacuum packed bags!
To help you get in the mood, you can try on the red pill moto jacket and helmet worn by Akira’s Kaneda (from the film by Katsuhiro Otomo).
Neo Shinjuku’s menu is purposefully bleak — this is a vacuum-packed cheeseburger, which was heated up with a bagged side of mashed potatoes! (It tasted better than its smooshy appearance).
We also had drinks conceived by ChatGPT, such as sake made from seahorses and cocktails injected with carbon dioxide and served in medical bags.
As the slogan on my Akira anime motorcycle jacket says, “Good for health, bad for education.”
The cyberpunk bar is fully immersive, and adds a Japanese touch to the dystopia.
Would you enter the cyber punk universe of Neo Shinjuku Atsushi? Check out our video on @lacarmina Insta about our dystopian visit, in which we fought the war on microplastics!
On another evening, John and I went to a themed eatery that was frightening in a different way… Trick or Treat bar in Roppongi.
It’s easy to see why Trick or Treat is a long-time Goth horror hangout. (With Japanese Satanist Yoshiki Takahashi and Yukiro Dravarious.)
The phrase “every day is Halloween” is accurate at Tokyo Trick or Treat. You can order izakaya food and drinks, and take in the impressive collection of spooky objects (I spy Jack Skellington).
Typical Tokyo… there’s a demonic winged creature next to Chucky wearing a Hello Kitty mask!
Tim Burton has been to Trick or Treat Horror Dining in Roppongi, and as you can see, he contributed some of his dark drawings to the walls (with a cross cut out). Quentin Tarantino was also fond of this place.
Wore my meh-faced pumpkins sweater to match the eerie candlelight mood. I peep Annabelle and Billy from Saw in the back.
Cute aliens and Grogu also make their home here, and the TV in the back plays old horror movies. Check out my reel about our Trick or Treat visit on @LaCarmina Instagram to see a full tour of the bar / izakaya.
If you’re looking for a Gothic hangout in Tokyo, this is the place to lounge with creepy, haunted dolls.
We also stopped by a few places in Shinjuku. Death Match in Hell is a B-movie themed dive in Golden Gai (it’s often packed these days). Caribbean Absinthe & Rock in Kabukicho is one of our favs for a glass of the green fairy.
And there’s good old Guinea Pig, the fetish gory horror bar. It’s still off the radar of tourists, so we head here to drink grapefruit gin cocktails without the crowds.
I also checked out Tír na nÓg in Ginza — a craft cocktail bar with eccentric decor and drinks that come with tentacles and cotton candy.
Here’s another new themed bar that’s been making waves… Ikebukuro Muscle Girls Bar. Guests can drink and play games with the fun-loving, bodybuilding staff — hail strong women!
As you can see in my Muscle Girls bar video, the buff ladies flex and do chin-ups, and demonstrate their strength by squeezing grapefruits with their bare hands. You can even have them do cheeky activities, like put you in a dog collar and “teach you a lesson”! Ikebukuro’s Muscle Girls Bar is very popular so reserve a slot in advance.
And I discovered a very special new place in Tokyo… the Tarot Museum and Cafe. In 1974, Mr Sato’s family was the first to produce tarot decks in Japan. Now, he’s opened two welcoming spaces in Asakusabashi for anyone to come learn about tarot history, do a reading and find insight.
At the Tokyo Tarot Museum, you can see thousands of rare tarot cards (including kawaii and devilish ones). Mr Sato’s impressive collection of tarot decks is the largest in Japan.
Then, feast on vegan fare at the nearby Cafe Tarot Tokyo. The photos speak for themselves — the ginger juice, falafel, and avocado hummus toast were magnificent. The vegetables are so fresh and colorful because he personally sources them from organic producers.
See the video of our Tokyo Tarot Cafe and Museum visit here. Mr Sato lovingly chose the decor to pay homage to tarot history and art, and create a warm and accessible space (as some Japanese were initially hesitant about tarot cards and their occult associations).
Around Halloween, I visited with my long-time friend Kuroe Akiwake, psy-fi rock musician Alien Idol and spiritual healer. It happened to be the day we heard the terrible news about Atsushi Sakurai of Buck-Tick. And now, I’m saddened to hear that she too has moved on from this universe… I’m grateful we got to grow together in Tokyo over the years, and have an uplifting final hangout with tea and tarot cards.
As Kuroe wrote to me after: “I can’t help but feel that the tarot museum gave a big boost. No joke, looking at those Sun and Star cards I got helped me keep faith every day while I was dealing with the timeline stuff. We’ve been dealing with darkness for far too long, time for the dawn to break.”
In whichever timeline you’ve jumped to, I hope you’re at peace, dear Kuroe.
I’m grateful that we had this magical final hangout. Here’s to all the good memories with her and our friends in Japan.
If you’re intrigued by magic, the occult and tarot decks, I encourage you to visit the Tokyo Tarot Card museum — Kuroe absolutely loved it. We could have spent hours here, perusing the various designs and books, as well as glass displays of ancient cards.
I particularly loved seeing the Japanese oracle cards by Nichiyu, Mr Sato’s pioneering company. Of course, they have a kawaii element to them. (I even came across an Astro Boy tarot!)
You’re welcome to select a deck — like Kuroe did — and do a reading. Thank you to Japan’s first-ever Tarot Card Museum for the warm memories.
On a more smiley-faced note… I wrote all the new Eater Osaka food guides, out now! Eater commissioned me to report on takoyaki history and pop culture, why food lovers should travel to Osaka in 2024, and 38 essential restaurants in the city to try. Thanks for reading and supporting my food / travel writing.
I’ve also been getting tons of travel writing assignments about Japan. Here’s one that I wrote for Fodor’s Travel about how to use Tokyo’s public transit system, and one about the best restaurants in Tokyo. I was also interviewed by PopSugar about the art of planning birthday dinners.
I’ll wrap up with some cute Tokyo Halloween tidbits. In October, many Japanese bakeries offer spooky cute baked goods like these ghost and black cat donut cookies above. (I found them at Shibuya Tokyu Foodshow.)
Delifrance, a bakery with various locations, had a “Halloween Party” special with ghoulishly-decorated sweet and savory items. I tried this ghostly cheese naan… and it was a nah…
You’ll find Halloween decor and costumes at all Japanese dollar stores (like Can*Do and Daiso), and the everything-shop Don Quixote.
Donki also had an enticing selection of Kuromi themed goods.
I’m already compiling a list of new Tokyo spots to report on, for my next trip… aiming to be back in the fall, and I’ll capture tons of new Japan content for your pleasure! I still have so much to share from last time — find me @LaCarmina Instagram to keep updated. (I also have reels about the above spots on my Insta, if you’d like to see video footage.)
Of all the bars and restaurants featured in this post, which would you most want to visit?
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Luxury private onsen in Hakone! The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara, Open-Air Museum, Shirakawa-go inn.
After an extremely hectic (but extremely fun) Halloween in Tokyo, Yukiro and I needed to rest and reset. So we went on a royal getaway to Hakone, the famous Japanese onsen (hot springs) resort town about 90 minutes from Tokyo.
It was a dream to stay at The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara, where we had our own private onsen bath in our room, and balcony overlooking the mountains! Read on for our luxurious Hakone experience, which was fit for us queens.
We needed some beauty rest, so we didn’t venture anywhere outside the hotel — other than to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. It’s an inspiring collection of outdoor artworks, including enormous installations like this Symphonic Sculpture.
Here we are inside the 18 meter high tower, which is rimmed by rainbow stained glass. Climb up the spiral staircase to see colorful light reflections, and look out at the peaceful landscapes of Hakone, Kanagawa.
Hakone’s Open-Air Museum has over 1000 works by Japanese and international artists, including over 100 sculptures. I think you can guess why we were tickled by “Hercules the Archer,” which was originally made in 1909 by France’s Emile Antoine Bourdelle.
As you can see, there was also plenty of bright, modern pop art that encourages you to step inside and play.
The Hakone Open-Air Museum is an excellent spot for families and children to spend the day.
Strike a pose, vogue. The heroic European sculptures stand out against Hakone’s dramatic mountain ranges.
The gardens and ponds are dotted with whimsical art and even a labyrinth.
This egg-cellent bench is called Sunny Side Up by Klein Dytham. (Notice the kawaii face in the back.)
When Yukiro and I looked at the sculpture museum map, we immediately honed in on this spread-eagled fellow. Out of all the works — including by Joan Miro and Henry Moore — we wanted to see this random one the most!
Speaking of ass… The Hakone Open-Air Museum has a large, renovated Picasso Pavilion. No photos were allowed inside, but you can imagine an impressive collection of his pottery and lesser-known works in various media (like smiley-face ceramics that resemble emoji).
Come to the Open-Air Museum to be inspired by sculptures as well as Hakone’s natural beauty.
We happily spent the rest of our Hakone trip at The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara — with a balcony view like this, I think you can understand why!
The amenities included a personal onsen in our room, seasonal Italian multi-course meals, outdoor private hot springs, elegant decor including a koi pond… See our video here on @lacarmina Insta for a glimpse of the ritz.
The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara has only 20 rooms. The private baths in each are fed directly with hot-spring water — we spent a great deal of our time enjoying a soak.
The bath looks out at a terrace with majestic mountain and pampas grass field views.
From the room design to the personalized service, every element of The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara was exquisite.
The staff welcomed us with fresh pear juices, and our suite was stocked with Japanese teas.
The hotel’s spaces were filled with fine art like these Picasso flowers.
At dinner, Yukiro and I were waited upon by boys wearing bow ties and white gloves. The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara’s menu features carefully-sourced ingredients from local producers. The chef’s Italian and French inspired courses were scrumptious, as well as a feast for the eyes.
We dined on truffle pasta and delicate fish, followed by a chestnut Mont Blanc with gold foil and foam.
Thank you to The Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara for treating us like queens! This five-star experience is a must for anyone looking to splurge on a peaceful, private Hakone getaway.
While in Japan last fall, I got to visit another new region — Shirakawa-go. As I wrote in my article for Going.com, “Shirakawa-gō is famous for its farmhouses, which are called gasshō-zukuri (“prayer-hands”) because the silhouette resembles two palms pressed together.”
Thanks to Japan Tourism Board, I got to do a very special stay in one of these gassho houses! I spent the night in one of Shirakawa’s famous historic homes, which was converted into a family run inn. As you can see, these are traditional style rooms with tatami mats and sliding doors — at night, you sleep on the floor on a futon.
One of the best parts of staying in a Shirakawa-go minshuku is the homemade dinner, which you eat by the hearth with other guests. The local delicacies included tofu, Hida beef, ayu sweetfish, and a variety of vegetables and pickled sides.
During daylight hours, I wandered Ogimachi Village, which has dozens of these gasshō houses along with temples and rustic fields. I walked up the hill to Shiroyama Tenshukaku Observation Deck to take in the views of the fairytale village below (don’t the farmhouses look like they’re made of gingerbread?)
Built with cedar beams and pampas grass without any nails, these homes are functional (resistant to the extreme elements) while harmonizing with their natural surroundings.
While waiting for dinner, I put on my yukata… and transformed into Sadako! I entertained myself by channeling the vengeful Japanese woman that crawled out of the well in The Ring / Ringu movie.
Watch my Sadako impression in action (as well as footage of wandering around the quaint village) in my @lacarmina Insta reel about Shirakawa-Go!
Would you dare to sleep in one of these 200 year old homes, if Sadako is lurking about?
I leave you with Shirakawa Hachiman, a picture-perfect Shinto shrine. Grateful that I got to visit this UNESCO Heritage Site along with Hakone, with support from JNTO.
Some writing updates… I wrote a guide to Japan’s many Hello Kitty attractions for the tourism board! From kawaii cafés to bullet trains and hotels, you can plan an entire trip around the famous cat.
I also celebrated a writing milestone… I have an article in the February print issue of Travel + Leisure Magazine! I wrote about my experiences in Fukushima, known as the kingdom of sake (including visiting breweries run by the descendants of samurai). Thank you to all who made my research & travels in Tohoku possible.
See my travel writing and Joey Wong’s photos in the February 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, or online here.
PS – I’ve been uploading lots of videos from my journey to @LaCarmina Instagram — please check them out for ideas on things to see and do in Tokyo and beyond. Can’t wait to go back and explore more of Japan, hopefully this fall and Halloween!
LA CARMINA
