Are you a fan of BLOOD, the deathrock/Goth/Visual Kei band that disbanded last year? (Do I even need to ask?) Dravarious and I heard that vocalist Fu-ki opened up a rock bar in Osaka — so we went on a treasure hunt to find Bar Midian. It was quite the adventure, with scandalous boy-on-boy action along the way…

I’m wearing an Alice and the Pirates jacket and Algonquins skirt. I found my cute Takoyaki-chan in an Umeda convenience store (he has a smiling octopus on his forehead!). As for my shirt… it has special significance. Read on for the story…

Listen up, my little vampires: you will get LOST looking for Bar Midian. Even with this map, Doyamacho is mad confusing — we back-tracked and detoured for 40 minutes. So before you set out to hang with Fu-ki, study these photos and instructions carefully…

How to get to Bar Midian
† Walk east from Umeda station. Head towards the Hep Five shopping mall with the red ferris wheel.
† When you see the yellow Tsutaya bookstore sign, you’re getting close.
† Go to that side of street. When you see the red Big Echo and Drug store signs, turn left.
† Welcome to a maze of side-streets and gay bars. When you spot the magic dragon (ahah), you’re going the right way.
† Keep going until you see the BINGO sign on the left, and the red fish sign on the right. You’re almost there. Turn left…

† … and look up at this mess of signs. Do you see 2F, Bar Midian?
† Walk up to the skull entrance. Congrats, you’ve reached the goal!

As soon as I entered the small red room, I knew I’d found my new favorite watering hole. Skulls, axes and dragons… an undead heavy metal wet dream!

Who was behind the bar, mixing drinks and ominously hacking blocks of ice with a pick? None other than Fu-ki himself!

Visual Kei bands are notorious for abusing makeup and Photoshop to look pretty (Blood was no exception). But in real life, vocalist Fu-ki is a looker with long black hair.

You’ll be glad to hear that he’s in great spirits. Fu-ki was smiling and having fun all night, mixing drinks and rocking out to 1980s heavy metal.

The cocktails have names such as Black Rose and Satan. Fu-ki made me special one, which was so strong and citrus-delicious that I ordered another. He’s friendly and chatty; when he heard this was our first time in Osaka, he insisted that the round of drinks was on the house!

The TV screen blasted metal music videos (Poison, Def Leppard). I freaked out when he put on a Black Sabbath tape from the early 1970s — I happed to be wearing a vintage Sabbath shirt that day.

There were about 10 other people on the barstools — tattooed and pierced rocker-types who entertained us with their yaoi antics. Let’s just say in any situation, boy-on-boy action is always a welcome addition.

Although BLOOD disbanded, Fu-ki is still very involved with music. He has an entire wall of CDs and DVDs (left photo) and sings in an Osaka-based Motley Crue cover band. Bar Midian was the perfect enterprise: Fu-ki gets to blast music and hang out with fellow metal-heads every night.

If you’re ever in Osaka, you must visit Fu-ki’s bar. Follow our treasure hunt instructions carefully, and give him the devil-horns from us!

Bar Midian
大阪市北区堂山町10-16 叶第一レジャービル2F
2F, 10-16 Kanai First Leisure building, Doyamacho, Umeda, Osaka
Tel: 06-6312-8281

Are you surprised and pleased to see what Fu-ki’s been up to?

Japanese Word of the Day: Itazura = Playful, mischief
Song of the Day: BLOOD – I Remember You (Because none of us will forget his amazing band.)