Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
VISUAL KEI HORROR BAND SATAN IS BREAKING UP. HARAJUKU GIRLS FASHION: STREET SNAPS OF SWEET LOLITAS, DECORA JAPANESE FASHION.
More shakeups in the Visual Kei world! I was at the Candy Spooky Theater and Satan concert tonight in Tokyo, and they announced that this was Satan’s final show with the original 4 members. Shiya and DK are leaving the horror metal band to pursue new projects. Mr. Satan and leader Hi-na will soon find new members and restart the project.
I’ll have videos, photos and a full report of the last Satan concert coming up on my blog. Until then, you can see Satan live in my concert video and article from last May (with GPKISM).
Back to the Sony Australia travel show shoot. I hardly had any sleep after partying at Decadance Bar’s Seileen release party (and filming it for the Australian travel TV show). No sleep for the wicked… up and at ’em! TV hosting and arranging is a marathon; one must be Strong to make it through. So I rolled out of bed and headed to Harajuku station.
Pirate military buttons top: Putumayo, from Closet Child
Red skirt: Emily Temple Cute, from Closet Child
Little red plaid hat: Putumayo, from Closet Child
Platform Mary Janes: h.NAOTO, from Closet Child
Coffin backpack: h.NAOTO, from Closet Child
Holy knee socks: old things
One of the Aussie hosts, Tim, thought the main shopping street (Takeashita Doori) sounded like “take-a-shit-a”… Hence the mature pose.
The heyday of Jingu-bashi is over. You’ll no longer find cosplayers and Gothic Lolita fashionistas congregated on the iconic Harajuku bridge. On this particular Sunday, there was a matsuri (traditional festival) on a make-shift stage.
However, in Harajuku, you can still see Tinseltown-baroque fashion moving about on two legs. On-camera, I spoke about the district’s history and the various fashion tribes that blossomed here. We interviewed these Decora girls, who mix Sweet Lolita (Angelic Pretty dresses) with a rainfall of kawaii kitsch accessories.
The spirit of Harajuku fashion is DIY. Experimentation. Choose your own adventure. I interviewed two horned and black-winged girls who called their style Devil Kei. This pink-headed lady from Nagoya calls her look Zombie Kei. Every aspect is brilliantly coordinated, don’t you think?
On the weekends, many Japanese girls dress up and shop in Harajuku with their friends. Angelic Pretty remains very popular among the Sweet Loli set. I’m personally more of a Goth-stomper-boots type.
The Pirates had made arrangements to visit Takuya Angel’s cyber Goth boutique. Excellent news: the shop is no longer closing. It’ll be in the same location, but now you use the back entrance to access it.
The Australians were blown away by Takuya’s cyber-techno designs.Next, we visited Sex Pot Revenge around the corner.
Many TV crews ask me to take them to weird Japanese theme restaurants, since I wrote a book about them. We ended the day at Kayaga, possibly the maddest, wildest bar in Tokyo. Vibrating beers!
The owner, Mark, stunned the Australians with his surreal kindergarten performance art (here is a video.) To boot, he’s a talented chef who whipped up one of my favorite foods — kabocha, or Japanese pumpkin. (I’m also obsessed with the citrus, yuzu, which is a Frappucino flavor at Japan Starbucks.)
Want to learn more about my company La Carmina & The Pirates? We offer coolhunting, translating, Japanese travel arranging, TV hosting and production coordination. Come aboard our fair ship!
Japanese Word of the Day: Ginga = The Milky Way
Song of the Day: Galyernus – Destiny (This Japan metal band is my new favorite.)
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WON BEST POP CULTURE BLOG AWARD! ANGELIC PRETTY OSAKA. SWEET CLASSICAL & GOTHIC LOLITA SHOPS, LOLI JAPAN CLOTHING.
Ahhh you guys are the BEST. I won ~50% of the vote for Best Pop Culture Blog at the Canadian Weblog Awards! Thank you to everyone who voted, and for your continued support — I couldn’t do any of this without you.
We Pirates are having a pillagin’ wild time in Tokyo with the Norway TV shoot. We’ll have Halloween Japan coverage coming up for you (if Tropical Storm Chaba doesn’t sink our ship.) You can keep wind of our updates on my Twitter.
Til then, ready for more Osaka Gothic Lolita Punk store photos? We’ll start with the pretty-in-pink Loli brand: Angelic Pretty. Pastel toys and poofy skirts in the window — the boutique looks like a giant doll’s house.
“Sugar, ahh, Honey, honey. You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you.”
I was charmed by the 1950s-style dresses at Emily Temple Cute and Milk shop.
My friend bought these gold Dr. Martens boots in London.
The Shinsaibashi district of Osaka is filled with little indie shops. Honey Comb has boned corsets and ballerina poof skirts.
Shocker sounded like a promising place to shop…
… but it turned out to be shockingly bad. I hit my head on the birdcage as I went up the stairs. Inside, there was nothing but casualwear and t-shirts. Now that’s a Shocker.
I’ll soon compile all my Osaka shopping photos and maps in a single guide. Til then, you can check out my Tokyo Goth alt rock guide here.
Another month, another edition of my Global Gothic column for Lip Service. A reader asked me: “Do you know if there is a Goth scene in Seoul? Where can I go for alternative fashion and shopping?”
Indeed, there is a small Goth community, mainly in Seoul and Busan. As you can see above, the fashions are quite influenced by Gothic Lolita. For the full scoop on Korean Gothic, come read my Lip Service article.
Has anyone experienced Korea’s Goth and Lolita scene? Out of the Osaka stores in this post, which aligns most closely to your personal style?
Japanese Word of the Day: Jisaboke = Jet lag
Song of the Day: G-Schmitt – LSD (Japanese punk with a twist.)
LA CARMINA
