Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
HELLO KITTY SANRIO SHOPS IN TOKYO. SUNSHINE CITY IKEBUKURO SHOPPING CENTER, SANRIO KIDS FESTIVAL.
Hello Kitty hell… or heaven? Sunshine City in Ikebukuro is one of the best places in Tokyo to buy cute character goods (see photos of kawaii stores in this post.) The Sanrio store within has a huge selection of “grown-up” designer Hello Kitty accessories and toys.
I can’t keep up with the latest Sanrio characters… anyone know the name of the rabbit?
In the central atrium, Ikebukuro Sunshine City was hosting a Sanrio event for kids (and adults)…
… ominously called Power of Characters!
You could grab a gift bag, or pick up a Hello Kitty charm for your cell phone.
There were various festival-style games for youngsters, including a “fish the Kitty out of the water” and this bizarre playpen.
This looks a lot like a casino for kids…
Or how about some popcorn, made by Hello Kitty herself?
Hello Kitty — like, dislike? For more, please take a look at my photos of the Sanrio theme park, Puroland, also featured in my Theme Restaurants book. I have maps to Sunshine City and other Ikebukuro hotspots here.
Japanese Word of the Day: Ankisuru = Memorize
Song of the Day: Seileen – Carnival of Blood (We shot SiSEN and Selia’s release party for the Australian TV show… photos coming up.)
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TOKYO DECADANCE BAR, CHRISTON CAFE SHINJUKU. DJ SISEN, ABSINTHE, DRAG QUEEN PERFORMANCES JAPAN.
“Sometimes you want to go / Where everybody knows your name / And they’re always glad you came.”
Where Adrien greets you with bonjour, Selia sings opera and DJ SiSEN pours you absinthe. It’s not a dream, my friends. There’s now a watering hole above Christon Cafe Shinjuku where Tokyo’s eccentric creatures congregate every night. Cheers — or rather, kampai — to Decadance Bar!
On the left is Adrien le Danois, organizer of cyber-fabulous party Tokyo Decadance. He opened Decadance Bar not long ago, and already, it’s a success with plans for expansion. The venue often holds theme events, such as Chinese “Chi-Night,” where you could eat dumplings and try on “cheung-sam” dresses.
Beginning at 6pm every night, you can even order fresh-cooked food. No matter what day of the week, you’re sure to find bizarre shenanigans going on. Such as frantic hula hooping and G-suS’s disgusting chocolate cocktail.
Since Decadance Bar is in Kabuki-cho (East Shinjuku), it’s close to everything and a great place to pop in for a drink. We went to our favorite cheap eatery, Hibari Sushi, before Decabar’s French theme night.
Hat: Emily Temple Cute
Skull and chain bracelet: Bodyline
Panda ring: Outlet, from Ikebukuro’s Studio Alta
Miffy mirror: from a Japanese dollar store
Tank top: Closet Child Ikebukuro
(For links and maps to these stores, check out my Tokyo Store Guide.)
Maria is the Food Wars winner! We oohed and ahhed over her Jane Marple dress, which has a Red Riding Hood and Wolf print. At Decadance Bar, we saw girls in Fairy Kei outfits and Rococo hats.
The Cheers analogy is an apt one: you’ll always run into eerie, alternative friends and have a memorable time. Adrien is here every night; DJ SiSEN and G-suS work at the bar several times a week, and so do Coco and Kengo/Porco.
The Tokyo Decadance team did a great job with decorating the nook with cyber dripping paint, stuffed toys, and… a giant phallus?
At the French theme night, Selia brought down the house with a Marseilles song and flag-waving.
If you’re in Shinjuku and looking for a friendly but oddball place to drink, come to Tokyo Decadance Bar. It’s on the 9th floor of Oriental Wave Building; go to Christon Cafe on the 8th floor and walk up the stairs. (Maps and more here.)
Is there a bar that you consider your home, like in the TV show Cheers? What’s it like?
Japanese Word of the Day: 夜想曲 Yasoukyoku = Nocturne
Song of the Day: Eisenfunk – Pong
LA CARMINA
