TOKYO'S ODAIBA: LITTLE HONG KONG. DAIBA MANMADE ISLANDS, SHOPPING & CHINESE FOOD, WEIRD THEME PARKS JAPAN.
Wait a minute… when did I visit Hong Kong?
I didn’t. These photos are from Little Hong Kong, an indoor re-construction of the Chinese metropolis, complete with traffic noises and Cantopop!
Little Hong Kong is situated in Odaiba, an artificial island that is a must-visit if you’re going to Tokyo. A monorail from Shimbashi or Toyosu will get you there.
This is the place to eat your fill in Chinese restaurants, get a palm reading and pose with Jackie Chan cardboard cutouts.
Odaiba also is home to a large “cat petting zoo”…
For more photos of cat cafes and ancient China-themed restaurants, you’ll have to flip through my Theme Restaurants book (out on Mark Batty / Random House). I was in Odaiba yesterday, on a hilarious dinner cruise with Antoine de Caunes and the French TV crew… you’ll see photos of this shortly!
Speaking of cats… I saw some Yoshikitty merchandise in the Shinjuku Sanrio store. The name says it all: it’s a collaboration between Yoshiki (of J-rock band X Japan) and Hello Kitty. What do you think — can Hello Kitty pull off the Visual Kei look? (Also pictured: the new Dr. Martens + Hello Kitty collaboration shoes.)
Thanks to everyone who gave me camera recommendations. I ended up with the Canon Powershot S9 and LOVE it. Fabulous color saturation and low light abilities. I think the images reflect my colorful carnival world!
Japanese Word of the Day: Blond = Kinpatsu no (hito)
Song of the Day: SITD – Herbsterwachen
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VERSAILLES CUBAN RESTAURANT, WEARING SUGARPILL MAKEUP BY SHRINKLE. TOKYO GOTH CYBER CLUB VIDEOS.
As we were driving to the Yoshitaka Amano art gallery opening, Yukiro glanced out the window and saw a sign: Versailles Cuban Restaurant. “We have to go,” he said. I said the food didn’t look very appetizing. “But it’s called VERSAILLES! We must!”
Yes, we’re ridiculous. And we did end up eating there, simply because of the name. The Cuban dishes weren’t impressive, but our makeup certainly was. (Learn how to achieve the Evil Queen look in this video.)
Inadvertently, we frequently end up wearing something head-turning to restaurants (because we’re heading to a club straight after). Have you ever had Ethiopian food? There’s a Little Ethiopia neighborhood in LA. All the little dishes at Meals by Genet are made from scratch, and you eat by scooping it up with spongy bread. Pricey, but the food and honey wine are exceptional.
Actually, scratch that. Even if all we’re doing is going out for a casual dinner… we still look kind of scary! (See more photos of the Kyoto-themed restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo.)
Thankfully, in certain eat/drink situations — say, a Japanese absinthe bar — the crazier the outfit, the more you fit in. You can look forward to upcoming photos of certain infamous Visual Kei bars…
… and videos of Tokyo nightcrawling (such as my DJ SiSEN, Chihiro and friends video above). Please take a look at the many videos on my YouTube channel if you have a few minutes — quite a few of them feature Japanese theme restaurants and Goth clubs. And there are many more to come…
Same goes for Horror High School (new trailer above). Hope you’ve done your homework, because more ghastly episodes – starring Professor Fearstone / Candyman and featuring cute Japanese Goths and Lolitas – are on the way! Keep watching the Facebook page and www.horrorhighschool.com for updates…
Do people ever give you a hard time for the way you dress? How do you deal?
Japanese Word of the Day: Handshake = Akushu
Song of the Day: B’z – Super Love Song
LA CARMINA
