The best place in the world to take outfit photos is in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan. Here’s what I wore on the Dutch Pepsi TV shoot (I’ll post the video of the first episode in the next post!)

Hair accessories: I’m wearing my new (secondhand) Alice and the Pirates hat, from Closet Child Shinjuku. I added a gold chain to the side, a clip-on off-white flower from a fabric store sale, and a gifted Cutie Dynamite gold hair clip.
Makeup: Nothing too extreme. Black eyeliner, false eyelashes and gem stickers from Daiso, and a light pink Japanese lipstick with gloss.
Oversized pink heart ring: Studio Alta, Ikebukuro.

Lolita dress with cherry print and sailor collar: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. From Closet Child.
Hole-y white tights: gifted from We Love Colors.
Goth coffin-shaped crucifix backpack: h.NAOTO, from Closet Child Ikebukuro
Crucifix Mary Jane platform shoes: h.NAOTO, from Closet Child Shinjuku. My latest purchase. Only 3000 yen ($30!)

I met the Netherlands TV host, Bo Jeuken, in front of Harajuku Station. We walked down Takeshita Doori; she interviewed me about my work and the various Japanese street style tribes. In front of Laforet department store, we stopped to take a photo with these kodomotachi.

It was the TV crew’s very first time in Japan. My friends and I were their guides to the spooky and electrifying underground culture here. Nightcrawling, Goth/fetish parties, weird theme restaurants… let’s go!

Cameraman Nick is stunned at the eclectic selection of goods at Don Quixote Shinjuku. Bo is a great sport, and dove into every activity we put in front of her. (And you’ll soon see how we brought out the torture equipment…)

In addition to on-camera TV hosting, I also do “fixing” (local production coordinating in Japan) with my team of pirates. We schedule appointments, translate and use our connections to bring television crews into our world. For example, you can’t just waltz into a Tokyo game center with a video camera; we need to fill out forms and navigate the company’s bureaucracy to get filming permissions.

Many restaurants and shops are leery of having cameras come in (since that might disturb customers). And they often demand hefty shooting fees. But the Sega gaming center folk are fantastic. They not only let us shoot the Shibuya branch, but also play video games and take purikura (sticker booth photos) for free!

We did a variety of activities for the cameras, including a drumming game battle. Are you excited to see our series of web episodes for Pepsi? I’ll embed the first one in the next blog post, so check back! (Also coming up… photos from the Australian TV shoot, including the h.NAOTO Goth fashion show.)

What do y’arr think of my pirate gear? Tighter than a knot in Blackbeard’s facial hair, or t’Davy Jones with it?

Japanese Word of the Day: Tsukarete imasu = Tired… cause I am, after 3 days straight of TV shoots…
Song of the Day: Velvet Underground – Venus in Furs (I am tired, I am weary. I could sleep for a thousand years).