Remember when CSN Stores sent my Scottish Fold fat cat a giant parcel? What on Earth could be inside? Only the most epic pet product in existence… a Kittywalk Systems Sport cat stroller!

For our inaugural stroll, I dressed like a crazy cat lady. Half hippie, half bag woman. My clothes match Basil Farrow’s fur color.

Big blue circular sunglasses: from Halloweentown in Burbank, CA.
Fitted jacket with corset back: I got it ages ago in Hong Kong.
Baggy knee high socks: Also an old thing from the streets of Hong Kong.
Fuzzy dreadlock scarf: a DIY project.
Smiling kitty backpack: gifted from Limebarb. It increases the kawaii quotient of any coordinate!

Basil is not afraid of anything (except tin foil and belly dancers), so he enjoyed being rolled around outdoors in his personal carriage. Check out the top right photo — what a good little boy.

The removable “cage” has soft netting over the front, so your cat can look outside (with a cute squishy-face). This stroller comes in pink as well, but I thought blue would be the more manly choice.

The Kittywalk Systems Sport pet stroller is constructed as well as a human one: there are cup holders, spaces to store items, and levers to lock the wheels in place.

Looks like this kitten is ready for another walk! Many thanks to CSN Stores for the fabulous pet stroller. Come see more of Basil Farrow’s sideways-feet on his blog, Facebook and YouTube videos.

PS: My latest Global Gothic column for Lip Service Webzine is up. “The original Goths weren’t the members of Joy Division (haha) but the Visigoths and Ostrogoths – the East German tribes who invaded and ultimately decimated the Roman Empire. Today, Deutschland remains a Gothic hotspot, albeit in the black-lipstick-wearing, subcultural sense.” I interview my friends about Germany’s dark fashion trends and Schillerndes Dunkel, a new reference book on Goth culture. Come read it here!

Do you spoil your pet? What’s the most ridiculous item you’ve gotten for your baby?

Japanese Word of the Day: Moonbeam = Gekko
Song of the Day: Moon Kana – Hebi Ichigo

It’s a Jrock / Visual Kei announcement day! First, Kanon Wakeshima’s new album, Lolitawork Libretto, is finally out (pick it up here). To celebrate, I’m holding a giveaway contest with her record label Maru Music. Meaning you can win Kanon Wakeshima postcards autographed by the Gothic Lolita doll herself! Read on for details, and for exciting updates on the X Japan and D’espairsRay tours.

Kanon Wakeshima sings and plays Baroque cello, and is the prodigy-protegee of Visual Kei god Mana (Malice Mizer / Moi dix Mois). Above is the PV of her new single, Lolitawork Libretto, with French storytelling by Solita. Both her classical songwriting and Gothic Lolita princess dress are entrancing.

Here’s your chance to enter her lovely Lolita world — you can win an autographed 4-piece Kanon Wakeshima postcard set! Three of the postcards are photos of the adorable artist; one showcases an original artwork by her. And one of the cards is signed by Kanon Wakeshima herself.

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST…
† Amazingly, Kanon began playing cello at age 3. How about you: what was your earliest encounter with a musical instrument? Please leave a comment in this blog post, sharing your story. If you don’t play any instruments, let me know what you’d like to learn and why.
† Please promote the contest in a blog or forum post, or link to it via Facebook, Twitter, Stumble or other social network. Include the link or username in your comment for verification.

Contest is open worldwide and ends Tues, August 3 at midnight Pacific Time. You may only enter once and must fulfill both requirements to be eligible. Winner will be picked at random. Email Carmina if you have questions.

I previously shared the news that Visual Kei legends X Japan will be touring North America in the fall. Here’s another exciting update: the band’s former bassist Taiji Sawada will join X Japan on stage as a special guest! He’ll appear for two concerts, held August 14 and 15 at Nissan Stadium in Tokyo.

It’s been 18.5 years since Taiji and X Japan last played together. Don’t you love the band’s hair-raising look in the 1980s? It seems like the increasing interest in Visual Kei outside of Japan is encouraging bands to reunite. And if the Kozi-Mana-Yuki love at the July concert was any indication, Malice Mizer is next… fingers crossed!

Finally, Askew Magazine has teamed up with D’espairsRay to create a special tour booklet. I’ve seen a preview, and it’s ultra-professional and made with love. The booklet contains entirely original photography and an in-depth look behind the creation of Monsters and the “Death Point” music video. This special edition item is only available via the merchandise table at D’espairsRay concerts in North America and possibly Europe — so head out to a show! And good news for fans who bought tickets to the cancelled shows (Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta) — Askew will send you a booklet for FREE (if you have proof of purchase and cover the shipping/handling). Head over to Askew Magazine’s site for more Visual Kei goodies.

Anyone pumped to see D’espairsRay live? Come enter the Kanon Wakeshima contest by commenting about your first musical experience and spreading the word on the giveaway. (I’ll get the ball rolling.)

Japanese Word of the Day: Zetsubou = Despair
Song of the Day: TAIJI with HEAVEN’S (from “The Birthday Eve” show in Tokyo on March 26, 2010).

Apologies for falling behind on Gothloli of the Week! Amazingly, 100 people have been featured since this blog’s inception. Let’s now widen the net a little… and re-name this feature “Gothloli & Jrock Inspiration.” Meaning I’d love to showcase boys and girls who rock Visual Kei and Harajuku street style — whether it’s decora, kawaii, gyaru, or a mix of everything. Ready to share your story? Email me your answers to the questions below, and at least 3 high-res photos.

† Name: Rose
† Age: 22
† Location: Sechelt, BC, Canada
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita/Harajuku/Visual Kei fashion?
I don’t quite remember how I found it, but for sure it was through the internet. I think I was about 11 or 12 when I got interested, and I’ve always worn Lolita style on and off ever since.
† What do you find appealing about the style and culture?
I’ve always loved cute styles, and I like that I can work Lolita in with whatever other style I’m into at the time, whether it’s punk, gyaru, or whatever else my current obsession is! I’ve been in love with antiques and Victorian culture/style forever, and I like how all the Lolita styles have a bit of a Victorian influence. To me it’s a style that requires a bit of class, and I think Lolitas should always have good manners, which is something that I think is important in everyday life.

† What are your favorite Gothic Lolita Punk clothing brands?
Alice and the Pirates, Antique Beast, Sex Pot Revenge, Putumayo, Moi-meme-Moitie, BTSSB, but I love items from many other brands, and like to make my own crazy styles. I also have a huge obsession with Suppurate System.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
I think my first inspiration was Kana, I thought she was the cutest! But when it comes to decor and that sort if thing, I read everything I can about Victorian decorating. Also, I’m into taxidermy, and when I see animals, it sounds weird but they inspired many of my creations. For tips I think I would say, just do whatever you like, I never consider what other people will think of what I am wearing, if I like it, even if I’m the only one, thats enough for me, you have to be happy in what you wear. I think that’s what makes a person look good, if you can tell they are happy with themselves.

Film of the Week: The Girl Who Played With Fire (Noomi Rapace, Michael Nyqvist). The take-no-prisoners Goth computer hacker is back! I haven’t read the novels by Sweden’s Steig Larsson but loved the first film, Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The sequel takes the already-brutal story to a darker and bloodier place. Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) returns to Sweden and is promptly pinned for murder. Who’s after her, and how’s the plan linked to a sex trafficking ring? A blond tank of a hitman and her long-gone father add fuel to the fire. The characterization is refreshingly atypical; instead of a Hollywood damsel in distress, you get a (half?) Asian lesbian lover who fights back. Rapace is a fierce actress throughout, but she’s at her best when she wears Goth clown makeup and tortures a sex pig — that’s the way to do it! The film is in theaters now; thanks to Alliance Films for the preview passes.

Introducing Harajuku Freak, an online purveyor of exclusive, one-off Japanese designer clothing. As many of you know, it’s near-impossible to find cutting-edge Japanese brand labels outside of the country. “So, due to our love of all things different and ahead-of-the-game, and to stop fashion freaks like ourselves having to travel across the globe to get their fix, we have hand picked the most interesting, luxurious and avant-garde labels making waves, and brought them to you.” (These names include Izreel, Motonari Ono, Akira Naka…)

The store is slashing all prices about 60% – so you’re only paying wholesale plus sales tax. And delivery is free worldwide. That’s an incredible deal for cutting-edge clothing you can’t find outside of Japan! Come browse the Japanese men’s and women’s designer clothing on Harajuku Freak’s site before it’s gone.

If you would like to be featured as “Gothloli & Jrock Inspiration,” please email me your answers to the questions above, and at least 3 high-res photos. For Gothic Lolita Punk shopping guides and online stores, check out the links to clothing brands on the right column of my blog.

The next time you buy from Amazon.com, may I ask you to please consider supporting this blog by shopping via my site? Just click here and search for whatever you want from Amazon (there are no extra costs to you).

Thanks so much and please keep in touch (I love hearing from you and try to respond to everyone): RSS feed, posts in your inbox, MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Fan page, Twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin and Google Friend Connect (right sidebar of my blog).

Sad news, my friends… the iconic Takuya Angel shop in Harajuku will be closing soon.

Wait, don’t start bawling! Takuya Angel will no longer have a boutique by Takeshita Doori, but you can still buy his cute cyber designs via his online shop.

Takuya Angel can now concentrate on designing and selling internationally. My friends Kynt and Vyxsin modeled in his US fashion show, so they asked us to deliver a gift: a decorated a Lip Service calendar.

It’s sad, however, that we can no longer stop by the Takuya Angel shop to say hi. I’ll miss seeing the latest designs up close, such as this gorgeous silk crane jacket, made from vintage kimono fabric.

The neon decor and friendly staff always put a smile on my face. And the eyelashes are out of this world.

Yukiro modeled in Takuya’s fashion shows alongside DJ Chihiro, SiSEN and others. He says, “It’s been an honor to work with him, and I’m very sad that the store is closing down.”

If you’re in Tokyo, stop by the iconic Takuya Angel Harajuku store before it’s gone forever.

Smile, my little panda bears… you can continue to buy Takuya Angel’s designs online, so please support him!

I leave you with a video of Takuya Angel Fashion Show #18 at Tokyo Dark Castle here. Can you spot Yukiro among the models?

Have you ever visited Takuya Angel’s store? Got any fond memories of the boutique?

Japanese Word of the Day: Tsume yasuri = Nail file
Song of the Day: Françoise Hardy – Comment Te Dire Adieu (the song in the video of the last Takuya Angel fashion show)

My dark ones, I’m very excited to announce my latest travel hosting job! Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods host) introduced me to Project Explorer, an educational nonprofit travel series for young people. The mission: to provide students with access to multimedia resources that foster cross-cultural understanding. Project Explorer has put the spotlight on four countries to date — and I’ll be hosting the next travel series in Asia.

(The fanart above is by the ultra-talented Erika Relyea, age 13 — my cat’s happy smile is spot on! If you’d like to showcase your Carmina / Basil art here, send me an email.)

I’m so excited to be part of a project that fosters causes dear to me. On Project Explorer’s Good Global Citizen website, anyone can upload videos to share ideas on global citizenship. Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern and I participated; you can see my video above and here.

How travel has changed your global perspective? What does it mean to YOU to be a Good Global Citizen? Submit your own video response at http://www.goodglobalcitizen.ning.com

No need for circle contact lenses or eyelid surgery to achieve the big-eyed effect — dramatic fake eyelashes will do the trick. As for your lips: say no to collagen, and yes to sparkly pink lip gloss. My shirt with the cute ghost print is by Peace Now, from Closet Child Ikebukuro.

Now, I’m wondering if you can help us out with something… Might you have any contacts with the tourism boards of Japan, Korea or Taiwan? Project Explorer would like to speak to a representative to collaborate on the travel series. Please let me know if you have any tourism board contacts or can help out in any way.

Do you remember when CSN Stores sent my Scottish Fold a fancy cat lounger? Wahh, another package has arrived for the little prince!

My round-head kitty sniffed the big box. What could be inside? CSN has online stores for lights, health and fitness, office supplies… Or could it be another pampered pet product? (And how cute are Basil’s sideways-feet?)

Basil Farrow is giving me an angry face; I guess I’d better open up the box. Keep checking this blog to see what he received!

What’s your favorite travel TV show? I’m a fan of Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain, but I’ll watch any program that involves travel. Please let me know if you have contacts with Asian tourism organizations; thank you in advance!

Japanese Word of the Day: Chikyu zentai no = Global
Song of the Day: ohGr – cracker

How about a run-down of Osaka’s best Visual Kei joints? There’s a large Jrock / VK music store in Shinsaibashi’s Big Step building (it’s the Visual dot on my Osaka shopping map). At the entrance, you can pick up free flyers plastered with the faces of your favorite Visual rockers.

Last May, Deluhi and Mix Speaker’s Inc were well-ranked in the Top Ten. Their Tokyo concert proved that they could deliver live as well (you can read my full show review here).

The Vambie demonstrate two cute new Asian poses.

Kansai is also home to several head-banging bars that blast Visual Kei music. In my new CNNGo article, I write: “When bands tour Osaka, they frequently stop by Territory, DJ Taiki’s occult shop in Shinsaibashi. Then they might walk around the corner to Moonwalk, a bar that pumps Marilyn Manson and Japanese glam metal to a young, heavily pierced crowd.”

Yukiro and I randomly found Bar Moonwalk after we left DJ Taiki’s haunt. We saw a sign that said “All drinks 200 yen” — and then glimpsed the eyeliner-smeared bartender above (named Kouta) – and that sealed the deal. Kouta is the bassist in a new Visual Kei act, which also has a Swedish member. Even though the band hasn’t even started rehearsing, he’s got the look down. And just like Fu-ki, he brought over free drinks… three shots, for all of us!

Osaka’s most famous hard rock / heavy metal hangout is Bar Rock Rock; Alice Cooper and Motley Crue are among the celeb customers. And don’t forget Midian, run by the ex-member of BLOOD: “Like a Goth Elvis, vocalist Fu-ki is alive and ominously wielding an ice pick behind the counter of his Bar Midian.” (You can see photos and in-depth directions to Fu-ki’s bar here).

Come read the rest of my CNNGo article about Osaka’s rock bars here. Please rate and “Like” it so that CNN will publish more articles about Visual Kei and boy-on-boy antics.

Wahh, my Scottish Fold’s fancy outdoor playpen featured on the Catio Showcase blog! “This isn’t the kind of catio for rambunctious cats, but Basil Farrow is quite well-mannered (no jumping or escaping), plus he is always supervised on his catio, I’m assuming by his bodyguards.” That’s about right…

Have you been to any of Osaka’s Visual Kei bars or record stores? Which bands would YOU rank in your top ten? Thanks for supporting my CNNGo article with a Like.

Japanese Word of the Day: Goumon = Torture
Song of the Day: Malice Mizer – Beast of Blood

Last Saturday, Malice Mizer’s three founding members (Mana, Kozi, Yuki) reunited on stage for the first time in almost a decade. The Deep Sanctuary II concert was a profoundly moving experience -– not only for the audience, but for the band members as well. The trio performed Beast of Blood. They hugged. Mana cried. And Yukiro and Count de Sang were right smack in the front row, witnessing it all. Let’s hear their story. (All photos by Yukiro.)

COUNT DE SANG: The brilliance of the July sunlight added a dreamlike quality to the Akasaka Blitz venue. In spite of the bright rays shining down around it, a kind of dark energy seemed to be gathering force as black-clad figures swarmed toward the building where history was about to be made.

YUKIRO: It was great to see so many wonderfully dressed up fans, even though the weather was hot and the wind messed up our hair and make-up. I was wearing a classic Dravarious look, and Count de Sang was of course wearing only Moi-meme-Moitie: we counted and it was about 10-12 items. He bought a Dark Sanctuary II shirt for 4000 yen.

COUNT: My fellow darklings and I found our way to the front row, directly in front of the platform where Mana was to stand in all of his darkly effulgent majesty. But first, Közi was determined to get the party started with one Hell of a performance.

YUKIRO: After we waited almost an hour and a half in the heat, Kozi’s band went on stage. Drummer Cha-ji had extremely sick make-up and his energy was beyond comprehensible. He gave 200% all the time even in the slow songs — and the guitarist played barefoot! Kozi looked fresh and younger, and had a cool hairstyle: a teased, forward-bended brown Mohawk, and he had fashionable black and red garments wrapped around him.

COUNT: While last year’s Deep Sanctuary left me with the distinct feeling that Közi had somehow lost his musical edge, this year I was blown away by the high-energy, nonstop onslaught of pure delight as only he can deliver it. Közi brought the venue to a fever pitch as he mentioned the day’s special guest…Yu~ki!

YUKIRO: Kozi called him “Hakushaku” so we had to scream HAKUSHAKU! They were referring to the vampire movie they did.

COUNT: The next song was announced as the piece that Yu~ki composed for Közi’s album. It was a beautiful performance, filled with power and emotion, and it left everyone breathless as Moi dix Mois prepared to take the stage.

YUKIRO: They switched the background to a Dix-pentagram and we waited, hot and smushed from every direction. When Mana entered, everyone screamed MANA-SAMA and went crazy. Mana was wearing a scandalously short skirt with a black and blue transparent fabric over it so you could see his gorgeous legs. He had, of course, everything in black and blue and a shining blue cross on his stylish black guitar (he switched to one with a red shining cross for the last song). K and Seth and the other two were all in black and red as always, but their clothes were awesome. They’d put a lot more effort in their outfits this year.

COUNT: The tight lineup gave a solid performance that skillfully blended classics, such as “Ange” and “La dix croix,” along with standard Seth-era pieces like “exclude” and “Metaphysical.” The ritual song “dispell bound” and “Immortal Madness” served to bring the entire audience together as one with the band. The set list also included two unreleased songs and one all new piece, which are set to appear on the new album (slated for early October of this year). Whetting the audience’s appetite even more, Seth informed us that “the Count” would not be resurrected unless we called for him loudly enough. And so, with shouts of “hakushaku!!” the long-missing bassist of the legendary Malice Mizer was called forth from the darkness.

YUKIRO: Of course they did the DIX ritual with the audience, and Mana gave a lot of energy, headbanging and spinning like crazy. It was wonderful to observe from up close.

COUNT: As the curtain closed on Moi dix Mois’ final song, the anticipation was nearly tangible as the entire audience stood with bated breath. The stillness was broken with only a few tones, soon followed by countless shouts of delight as the haunting melody of “Saikai no chi to bara” reached our ears. The curtains opened, and I saw a sight that I had never expected to see in my lifetime…Mana, Közi, and Yu~ki, on stage together for the first time in nearly ten years.

YUKIRO: Yuki to the right, Mana on the left and Kozi in the middle, each one with a red rose in his hand. Yuki wore a hat and his nostalgic Malice Mizer make-up. This sight was too much for me: the audience and I screamed my lungs out. When Kozi started to speak, we screamed so much that he wasn’t able to. It was so supreme and divine, it was like GOD himself had appeared in front of you and you just never wanted it to end. Pure ecstasy. There are no words to describe the feelings I had. It was too much; I could die happy now.

Mana started to cry and that was too much for me and I burst into tears again. But they suddenly got a hold of themselves and started to play a normal rock song, a bit Motley Crue-ish. Kozi’s singing is really amazing. They don’t need Gackt or Klaha; they could work as the three legends.

COUNT: The friendship and camaraderie between the three simply radiated from the stage. I was dumbstruck, and could only be carried along by the force and emotion of the music.

YUKIRO: After that song the most amazing thing in my life (so far) happened. They announced they were to play “Beast of Blood.” The audience held their breath for a nanosecond to comprehend what Kozi just had told us – and then we screamed more than we ever did! It was amazing; everything I’ve ever wanted it to be. Kozi could sing it as well as Klaha, and they had an air fog cannon bomb in the last chorus. The audience screamed “Malice Mizer” which felt magical. All we had been longing for, for the last 8-9 years, was right in front of us.

YUKIRO: When they were supposed to go off stage, everyone screamed and screamed so they changed their minds and went back and did a GROUP hug. Mana jumped on Yuki and Kozi; it was heavenly to see. We all started to scream “encore” and they went out one more time, but Kozi sad that they didn’t had any more songs to do — so they just thanked us and did one more group hug — and you can see that they were really feeling it themselves. I was speechless and in a shock, and about to faint, emotion overflowing. I couldn’t have dreamt of a live this good.

COUNT: The curtain closed on what was certainly an all-too-short reunion, but as the three gentlemen of Malice Mizer left the stage with their arms around each other, I think everyone present sensed a certain amount of hope for the future. According to Mana and Közi, malice and misery are the very essence of this life itself, and as long as we live on, the darkly beautiful spark of Gothic romance that Malice Mizer inspired in all of us will never die.

Thank you to both of you for the heartfelt reports! Did you get chills up your spine as you read about the powerful moments? What do you portend for the future of Malice Mizer?

Japanese Word of the Day: Eda = Branch (of a tree)
Song of the Day: Malice Mizer – Bara ni Irodorareta – Saikai no Chi to Bara (“Because here they stand like they did yesterday at the concert.”)

Who loves kawaii Japanese nail art? I gave myself a cute manicure, inspired by these Giles Deacon nail art photos. I think the googly-eyed faces look a bit like Moomin, the Swedish hippo-like character. Using Daiso nail art polish, I painted white ovals and a black dot on top to create the eyes. Don’t forget to let the layers fully dry and apply a sealing top coat.

Blasting, flowing news: Yukiro Dravarious will be making a scandalous musical debut at Midnight Mess (Tokyo’s longest running Goth/Industrial club party) on July 31!

Tell me all about your project: how would you describe the concept and experience?
I would describe Dravarious as an art form that lets the audience get a taste of variation in music, visuals and of course elegance. Classical goth, Extravagant, Fashion-forward, Visual Kei, opera, tragedy, misfortune and scandalousness! I’ve always been a big Visual Kei fan so naturally I wanted to do something similar but with my own touch to it. The music I’m going to play is mostly covers, but also 1-2 original songs. Of course I’ve re-done the covers to make them more fascinating. I’m thrilled about finally entering the stage with my own project and it feels absolutely Freaking Fabulous.

Not everyone knows you write and perform music. How did you get started?
In my teen-days I had a dream of becoming a singer. I went to different auditions around the country but I was immature and didnt know how to sing. So I started to take lessons and even went to a musical school, then started making my own music. Lyrics and poems have I also written for a long time. But since I moved to Japan I put the songs on a shelf and focused on my model career, which seemed more appealing at that time. This year I started to take vocal training again and I’ve been so much happier since. I can’t really play any instrument (except piano) so I make it all by computer, with help from my dear friend Sebastien who’s been supporting me all the way.

Tell me about how you worked with Sebastian.
I told him what kind of feeling and atmosphere I wanted with the songs, and together we tried 10000 of different sounds until I was satisfied haha. He is very good to work with. Whenever we had technical issues he did quick research and fixed them smoothly.

Like Lady Gaga, fashion must be an important part of your performance. How do you integrate style into your performance? What can the audience expect?
Fashion is very important to keep the audience interested in watching you. You can’t just wear some old T-shirt or whatever. I think that its almost an insult to the audience who paid for their tickets to not dress up; if they wanted to just hear the music they’d might as well listen to it on their computer. A live show is really important if you wanna be successful. Lady Gaga knows this and that’s why she always puts 100% energy and effort into it. I can’t deny that I’m taking inspiration from her. I’ve designed some of the outfits I’m gonna wear for the show myself, and the result is stunning.

The promotional photos are stunning. SO Visual Kei, with the blue-black roses and disappearing nose. Who is the photographer, and what was it like working with her?
Thank you, I think they really captured the essence of DRAVARIOUS. They were taken in the notorious “Studio-Violet” in Shinjuku (same place were most Host/VK-boys take their promo photos for magazines) by the legendary host photographer Alice. She’s extremely talented and the photo-session went by ghastly fast. She’s a friend of mine and also designs the Tokyo Decadance flyers, so I’m so glad she had time to shoot us before the live.

The lady in the photo, Maria – what is her role in the performance?
She’s my dancer and partner in crime. She’s an official member of the band and hopefully I’ll get one more dancer for the show. I did her make-up for the photoshoot and it suits her supremely.

What are your next goals? How would you like to take this project further?
If the live goes as well as I want, I’ll try to get more gigs and we are in negotiation with a film-team to shoot our first music video. Also Sebastien said that he would help me with the music again, so I can start doing more original songs. My true goal is of course world domination. Mohahahhaaa!

I can also reveal that I’m scheming to perform a vulgar act never done before on stage. And it will be a one-time-only act because I don’t think I’ll ever do it again. It will be a great show and people will not be disappointed if they come.

So come to Mistress Maya’s Midnight Mess at Shinjuku Club Marz on July 31, and see Yukiro in all his glory! Seileen (DJ SiSEN and Selia’s group) is celebrating their album release, and Roge from Bar Tram will be doling out Skull Absinthe at a special booth. For prices, directions, a map and more, check out my Tokyo Goth club guide.

Will you be there, in person or in spirit? If you have questions for Yukiro about his music and concept, please feel free to leave a comment!

Japanese Word of the Day: Kimon = Demon gate
Song of the Day: Seileen – Yokubaku

Japanese teenagers wearing “I ♥ Satan” t-shirts? V-fingers for the Devil? This ain’t no gathering for devil-worshippers, but at a Darkest Labyrinth Visual Kei concert headlined by SaTaN. (Or as they pronounce it, Sah-tah-nu.) GPKISM, Calmando Qual, LIX and Omega Dripp also performed, and I documented everything on video — so scroll on down for the story.

SaTaN has devoted following that showed up in band t-shirts and head-whirled like windmills. Ironically, instead of blood-dripping black roses, a fan left the band pretty pastel flowers and balloons.

Meguro Rockmaykan in Tokyo is a tiny venue; we could hardly squeeze past the merchandise tables. Wish you could get your hands on these CDs? HearJapan now stocks MP3s and releases from Darkest Labyrinth and Starwave Records! Come get your J-Goth-Rock fix from their online store.

Visual Kei is a small scene in Japan, as you can tell from the size and dumpiness of this venue. 90% of the concert-goers were — as usual — teenage girls. Not many were dressed up; the cosplayers and Lolitas really only come out for Gackt, Moi dix Mois and Versailles…

However, there were some cute Gothic Lolitas and a glorious Versailles poster. To see photos of our outfits that evening, click here.

Ok, shall we watch ze video? La Carmina and Yukiro wear scandalous clothing and run into walls as they report on the Darkest Labyrinth concert. (What drugs were we on that night?) The live concert footage includes GPKISM (Gothic Prince Ken and Kiwamu), Calmando Qual, LIX and the bloody SaTaN dressed as Alice in Wonderland. Hooray for horror J-rock!

We missed Omega Dripp but arrived in time for LIX. The band was pure raw energy, smashing into equipment and flailing their guitars around like a Japanese Nirvana. Calmando Qual (above) wore spooky carnival clothes and performed adequate Visual Kei songs. Nothing spectacular, unlike…

GPKISM, who swept us away to a haunted, romantic world. Gothic Prince Ken wore a princess Lolita dress and crown, and his voice resonated over Kiwamu’s electronic programming and guitars. What an experience: the concert footage speaks for itself. We went backstage to say hello afterwards, but GPK was a sleeping beauty… so we let him stay in dreamland!

We watched about 40 minutes of the animated Alice in Wonderland movie, which was broadcast over the curtains. Then SaTaN laughing spread his wings… and what an art performance! The spooky rock band dressed as an undead Alice, Black Rabbit and Mad Hatter. They waltzed. Spat blood. Tortured a baby doll. Put us through aerobic para-para moves. At the end, everyone was exhausted but dying for more.

Words can’t describe the experience, so please come view live footage from the spooky show! If you liked it, I invite you to subscribe to my channel.

Which was your favorite band in the video? Did you laugh at our silly antics? Yukiro’s short dress was red-hot…

Japanese Word of the Day: Mikan = Tangerine
Song of the Day: Marvel at GPK’s performance in the concert video.