SANRIO PUROLAND, HELLO KITTY THEME PARK IN TOKYO, JAPAN. STRANGE KIDS AMUSEMENT PARK, HELLO KITTY RIDES, COSTUMES & MUSICAL PERFORMANCES.
Somewhere, over the rainbow… specifically in Tokyo, Japan… there’s a Hello Kitty theme park!
The giant rainbow that shines over Kitty-land is easy to find. Take the Odakyu or Keio line to Tama Center Station, then follow the Sanrio character posters.
Once you step inside, you’ll run into these scary-cute mascots! The design is quite clever: the adults see through the letters on the hats.
The entire amusement park is Hello Kitty hell. You can’t walk two paces without coming face-to-face with the mouthless cat.
There’s not one, but several stores that sell Sanrio goods. You can find obscure merchandise, such as Tuxedo Sam plush toys. Kitty’s mom and dad lord over the main shop.
You can line up to sit next to Hello Kitty in her pink car, and explore the house that she shares with Dear Daniel. Don’t worry, they have separate bedrooms.
The rides aren’t impressive. Most of them are coin-operated one-seaters.
The stage show, however… is an LSD acid trip! An excerpt from my Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants book: Fifty dancers zoomed around the colossal circular stage, flapping their arms to a manic pop track: “Imaginaaation!” The Professor noted two nymphs with strawberries on their heads, a DayGlo Amish lady, a mustachioed man in a rainbow apron. He wrote Saturday Night Fever, then crossed it out and wrote Drag Ball + Bollywood and underlined it twice.
My Puroland adventure is one of my favorite writing pieces from my Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants book. Please consider picking up a copy here — I hope you’ll enjoy the writing and photos.
Japanese Word of the Day: Drugs = Mayaku
Song of the Day: Zilch – Electric Cucumber (featuring Hide of X-Japan!)
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LEATHER DOMINATRIX CAP & EYEPATCH: ALTERNATIVE MODELLING, GOTHIC FETISH PHOTOGRAPHY. LIP SERVICE JACKET, HANDMADE CORSET.
Girls are made of sugar and spice, and everything nice… or are they? Welcome to part two of my Goth alternative photoshoot with Apollo Staar!
Makeup: I used dark purple Cyber MAC lipstick around the edges of my lips, and blended the middle part with red. I found silver sparkly “stick-on eyebrows” in a Hollywood wig/costume store, and glued them under my eyes. Finally, I drew on a beauty mark.
I’m wearing some of my favorite clothes in these photos. You’ve seen my spiky ankle boots many times; they’re by Tripp NYC, from Trash and Vaudeville on St. Marks place. (See my New York Goth shopping and clubbing suggestions here.)
I adore my fake furry, real spiky Lip Service jacket. (I wore it to the Museum of Death.)
The look is very Visual Kei, ne? Apollo is a fan of Japanese J-rock and VK photography, and knows how to shoot in that style.
He lent me the dominatrix hat, eyepatch and long black gloves. I think I need these items in my closet…
If you’re in LA, what are you waiting for? Book Apollo Staar for your next photo session. You won’t be disappointed.
Are you a fan of alternative/fetish photoshoots? Who are your favorite photographers and models in this genre?
PS: I’m currently in Osaka and it’s pure awesomeness. Visual Kei bar adventures with Fuki (ex-BLOOD), and I took photos of all the Gothic Lolita Punk shops in Shinsaibashi… will post ASAP. For more daily updates, please check out my Twitter.
Japanese Word of the Day: Stranger = Tanin
Song of the Day: VNV Nation – Project Pitchfork Existence Remix
LA CARMINA
