Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN RESTAURANTS IN TOKYO, JAPAN. BROWN RICE CAFE & PURE ORGANIC FOODS IN OMOTESANDO, HARAJUKU.
Since Spookyville’s residents tend to be vegan or vegetarian, I’ve visited many meat-free establishments in Tokyo. In between our pirate duties, Naomi and I visited two veggie restaurants — Brown Rice Cafe and Cafe Pure — in Omotesando (a short walk from Harajuku station). Read on to see what we ate…
First, here’s what I wore to the Hangry & Angry fashion show. I’ll be posting exclusive photos and a video interview with designer Gashicon ASAP!
Spooky ghost top: Black Peace Now, from Closet Child Ikebukuro
Black Goth dress: h.NAOTO, from Closet Child
Turquoise long scarf: It’s actually a very long stocking, gifted from Sock Dreams
Fetish mask: from a Camden Market costume store
Makeup: The shimmery turquoise eyeshadow is my new favorite (gifted from Sugarpill Cosmetics by Shrinkle). I created an outline with black eyeliner and blended the edges with white. Glued fake eyelashes over the top for a “big eyed” effect. Pink lip gloss. Done.
Naomi and I finally got to meet Yaz for lunch at Brown Rice Cafe. She’s a hard-working rep for X Japan and h.NAOTO, with a long and well-respected career in the Japan/USA music industry. You can look forward to more collaborations between us!
Brown Rice Cafe takes pride in sourcing seasonal vegetables from trusted Japanese suppliers. Each dish has three “fundamental foods” — vegetables, brown rice and soy — and every bite is intense, fresh flavor. I loved my bento box of veggie delights.
After the fashion show, we met up with some of our favorite people outside another vegetarian eatery, Pure Cafe in Minami-Aoyama.
The indestructible “Sebastian Teamu”: Sebastiano Serafini and I Am Sebastian!
One is a vegan; one requires meat at every meal. Their interaction reminded me of manzai (Japanese traditional stand-up comedy). Can you can guess who’s the “clown” and who’s the “straight man”?
Pink is the new black.
It was around Halloween, so Cafe Pure was serving vegetarian meals that fit the theme… joy!
Kabocha soup, pumpkin sandwiches, organic wines.
I’ll eat anything pumpkin or shaped like a bat or ghost.
You can see more photos of Japanese Halloween foods in this post (including kabocha ice cream and pumpkin pizza).
Do you eat at vegetarian restaurants? Which are your favorites? I’ve been to most of the ones in NYC, LA and Vancouver…
Japanese Word of the Day: Shun = In peak season, ideal time
Song of the Day: David Bowie – Magic Dance. Many of you freaked out on my Twitter and Facebook because I hadn’t seen the David Bowie / Jim Henson film, Labyrinth. I immediately ran out the door to rent it. And it pleased me very much. Evil laughter, sissy fights, codpieces and masques. “David Bowie’s junk is hypnotizing” — indeed!
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JAPANESE MENS & WOMENS PUNK CLOTHING, SEXY DYNAMITE LONDON & STIGMATA. OSAKA GOTH LOLITA SHOPPING.
Sadness… Sexy Dynamite London, the Harajuku punk brand, is forever gone. I’m glad I was able to say farewell by taking photos at the boutique in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.
In its final days, Sexy Dynamite London (SDL) featured a Hide collaboration. As my friend put it, X Japan guitarist “Hide Matsumoto was the ‘Kurt Cobain’ of Japan, and his influence is still clear in almost all facets of industrial/metal in Japan.”
But his legacy lives on… Hide has given us a plethora of bands via collaboration, including Spread Beaver, Zilch, Oblivion Dust, and Zeppet Store.
Stigmata, the Goth bondage brand that Kenzo-A created and sold to SDL, is also gone. However, Kenzo-A is undead and well — his current brand, Rituals, is doing well. (Did you see my coverage of the Rituals fashion show with pole dancers?)
The brand carried on the spirit of Sid and Nancy: leopard prints and ripped-up tees.
What do you think of Sexy Dynamite London’s final collection?
Let’s remember the brand through my old store photos… You can peek inside SDL Tokyo and other punk Goth shops in my Japan shopping guide.
Is punk dead? Will Harajuku fashion brands will continue to scale back or close down?
Japanese Word of the Day: Akiraka = Clear
Song of the Day: hide with Spread Beaver – Rocket Dive
LA CARMINA
