Is absinthe legal in Japan? It surely is! There’s even a bar in the outskirts of Tokyo dedicated to every permutation of the dreamy green fairy.

Between the Alcatraz ER theme restaurant shoot with Andrew Zimmern and the Department H party, a few of the spooky kids and I went to an absinthe bar: Bar Breadline in Renkon/Hasune (a short subway ride from Sugamo).

The tiny dive was under a dangerous flight of stairs and decorated with skulls — exactly our style. We each tried a different type of absinthe from various countries. Yukiro’s drink had a whopping 69% alcohol content! The bartender also let us try a Japanese brand; Yukiro and I thought it tasted like motor oil, but Lady Raisu found it agreeable.

Absinthe is, of course, the most Gothic of drinks (along with blood red wine). Drunk by fin-du-siecle artists and banned in many countries for the supposedly dangerous wormwood content. I love the ritual of setting a sugar cube on fire and watching the liquid drip into the glass. Then comes the taste of licorice and the feeling that you’re floating. The drink also gives me incredibly vivid, lucid dreams.

As we drifted to the subway, we came across this hilarious poster. It’s a warning against cell phone use in the subways, but the underlying message seems to be: no exposing and touching yourself! (Two of my friends once witnessed exactly that by a young man in a crowded subway…)

Are you an absinthe aficionado? Share your experiences with the Flaming Green Fairy in the comments!

Song of the Day #224: Marilyn Manson – I Put A Spell On You (he’s an absinthe fiend!)