Category Archive for Tokyo + Japan
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
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D’ESPAIRSRAY IS ON HIATUS DUE TO HIZUMI’S THROAT PROBLEMS. SACRED DEER OF NARA PARK, JAPAN BUDDHIST TEMPLE GROUNDS TAME DEER.
Brace yourself… another Visual Band is temporarily leaving the stage. D’espairsRay has announced they will be on hiatus after their current overseas tour.
Like Jui from Vidoll, vocalist Hizumi is suffering from throat problems caused from a past illness. The Jrock group plans to give their all for the remaining “Human-clad Monsters” tour stops, and hopes none will be cancelled. Afterwards, however, all four members will be taking a break from performing and recording until Hizumi recovers.
I’m so glad I was able to see D’espairsRay play in Seattle, before their hiatus. Let’s wish them well — you can leave them a comment of support. Coming right up: exclusive photos and a review of their show.
Now for something happier… remember when Yukiro and I took a trip to Nara, the ancient Japanese capital in Kansai? Nara is famous for its sacred, tame deer that roam through the park and Buddhist temple grounds. So we had the genius idea of incorporating them into a fashion-forward photoshoot.
The deer are all over Nara. They’re the embodiments of Zen calm. Visitors can hand-feed the deer, pet them, hug them…
However, the deer have probably never seen cyber-furry fashion before!
Top: h.NAOTO Blood (I wore it in our Abandoned Curse B-movie)
Skirt: Algonquins
Purple lace tights: Very old…
Have you ever visited Nara? You must make the day-trip if you’re in Osaka; it’s about an hour away by subway. You can see the rest of our Nara photos in this post.
Got thoughts and well-wishes for D’espairsRay? Let’s be their Little Monsters and show our support!
Japanese Word of the Day: Setsunai = Melancholy, bittersweet, sad, sentimental
Song of the Day: D’espairsRay – Monsters
LA CARMINA
