Ah, DJ Tetra. Nobody can do the “Death Note L” pose and emo hair like you can. Add a Swedish Barbie and incompetent minions into the mix, and it’s just another night at Tokyo’s darkest dance party, Gothic Bar Heaven.

Kanae looks like death (and that’s a compliment!). The ball gag choker is brilliant. Do you remember her falling over laughing and swabbing the lipstick from my teeth in this makeup video?

As Evil Queens, we treat our minions terribly. Naomi is not allowed to eat anything except stale Hello Kitty apple cakes from the convenience store. These “apples” are dyed bright red and green, and (surprise, surprise) taste like cardboard. Poor thing.

Yukiro dressed like a Swedish plastic Barbie doll for an ultra-Goth party. He ended up being the scariest person there.

Let me tell you about the latest and strangest Japaense fetish: strawberry fish. The poster of the couple embracing, while stroking a strawberry and slimy fish… DJ Tetra and his “sister” stared at the poster for about 20 minutes, trying to figure it out! Inside Club Crawl, hanging from the ceiling, was a fish fused with a strawberry. What’s going on here?

The Goth outfits that night were particularly frightening. I’m afraid of clowns, and Basil Farrow is terrified of belly dancers… and both were in attendance.

The fashion at Gothic Bar Heaven is grittier and less Lolita-elegant. Lots of spikes, torn up tops and fishnets.

The DJs played “Goth rave” music that I loved to bits. (I’ll post a video from the dance floor later). DJ Chihiro performed as well, and his undead singing is better than ever.

D’s Valentine (on the right) puts on some of the best Gothic parties in Tokyo, especially if you’re a fan of classic dark / cyber dance tracks. The events tend to be small, but the crowd is very much into the music. For directions, addresses and previous reports, please check out my Tokyo Goth club guide.

PS: I have several very fun TV/video projects in the works… might be doing a lot of travelling soon! Will keep you posted. Don’t be surprised to see me in your neighborhood.

PPS: I’ve been Tweeting news and articles about X Japan, Deluhi and your other favorite Visual Kei / J-rock bands. You can add me on Twitter to keep up with the latest.

Japanese Word of the Day: Tenno = Heavenly sovereign
Song of the Day: Diva Destruction – Electric Air (If you like Aural Vampire, you may dig this.)

Right across the street from the Innocent World Osaka boutique is Atelier Pierrot. Since these are two of my favorite Japan Lolita brands, I had a hard time deciding which Shinsaibashi shop to visit first.

Atelier Pierrot’s designs appeal to me because even the sweeter floral dresses have a dark and mysterious edge.

The fabrics are sleek; the jewelry and designs straight out of a Romantic novel.

Atelier Pierrot’s signature style is this high-waisted, corseted skirt with tiers and bustles. I own a dark blue one (photos here).

The signature skirt is updated with vivid purple and green striped fabric.

We tried on a few Gothic hats and bonnets. In the back, there’s a section for another favorite brand of mine…

Chantilly, by the lovely Fumiko! You may recall that I interviewed her for CNNGo. The cage skirt, the diamond-print bonnet modeled by Sachi of Kokusyoku Sumire… simply Classical Lolita heaven.

For more photos of Tokyo and Osaka Gothic Lolita shops, take a peek at my shopping map.

Mein gott, you guys rock! Nearly 200 comments in the Kanon Wakeshima post. I enjoyed reading the stories about your first musical experiences; thank you to everyone who took the time to share. Alas, there can only be one winner… and chosen by random number generator, the lucky person is psuedohappy. Don’t worry – you’ll have more chances to win prizes soon, as I’m giving away 5 PAIRS of tickets to Dir en Grey…

Have you tried on anything by Atelier Pierrot or Chantilly? Do you agree they’re one of the most exciting Goth Lolita brands out there at the moment?

Japanese Word of the Day: Komadori = Robin
Song of the Day: Chopin – Polonaise in A Flat ‘Heroique’ (played by Valentina Igoshina in a court dress)

Everyone who reads this blog knows I’m a huge Travel Channel fan. I consider it the privilege of a lifetime to have been on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods TV show in Tokyo. Last April, I nearly fainted when Samantha Brown’s producers contacted me about being her guide for the Japan episode. It would have been another dream come true; unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out…

But what really started my Travel Channel love affair was Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. My “spooky crew” and I are such fans of his show that we re-created his Tokyo episode… Goth style. (If you missed this funny post, you can see it here.)

This August, Bourdain celebrates 100 episodes of his food and travel show, No Reservations. To celebrate, Travel Channel asked viewers to send video messages for Tony (some will be shown on TV!). You can see mine above and on YouTube. If I say please, will you take a minute to watch and comment? Pretty please?

Allo, allo, Tokyo Telephone is calling! The wonderfully designed blog about chic Japanese fashion interviewed me about my style inspirations, subcultures and plans for the future. You can also read the entire text by clicking the title of this post.

“I’m all for inclusiveness. The Japan Goth/alternative underground remains a tiny family; the designers and artists can always use more support. I hope the increased awareness will help Japanese subcultures stay strong and keep breaking new ground.”

Now, for something to put a smile on your face… my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow, in the washing machine. We know he loves to be clean, but this is getting ridiculous.

My kitty found the metal interior cozy enough for napping. Better not turn on the machine — or we’d have a soaked teddy bear.

I hope you enjoy my video for Anthony Bourdain’s hundredth TV episode. Do you think Tony’s next stop should be Hokkaido, to eat scrumptious Japanese food with La Carmina? Please comment on the video if your answer is YES!

Slowly but surely, I’ll get my Gothic Lolita Punk store photos up here for you! Let’s start our journey with the Innocent World boutique in Shinsabashi, the Osaka district where most alternative clothing brands are situated. (I have an Osaka shopping map here; I’ll have to update it, but it’ll give you a general idea of the locale.) The shop is on the fifth floor, so look up for the pink-and-brown sign decorated with playing card symbols.

There’s a mirror in the elevator. If you’re anything like Yukiro and me, that means fixing our makeup and mugging for photos, all in the span of the 40-second ride.

When you step in, you’ll find a beautiful display of Lolita clothing on the back wall, lit up as if this were a Rococo fashion museum. On the right, Yukiro is holding up the Classical Lolita dress style I coveted (although I later found a secondhand Metamorphose one at Closet Child; outfit photos here).

Pastels and playing cards are recurring themes in Innocent World’s spring collection. And the sweet shoes! Words fail me… as does the price (around $140 US)…

The hat is the perfect accessory for a picnic or stroll in the park. To make matters more wonderful, you can store it in a round box decorated with kittens and roses.

Downstairs, there is yet another Innocent World shop. Here, the layout and decor are more casual, but the items (and prices) are about the same. Redundant, if you ask me.

I loved examining the frilled parasols, crown-shaped handbags and sweet knee socks up close. You may recognize the white rabbit purse on the right; I bought it the previous week at Marui One Shinjuku.

Which Loli skirt print do you like best: the roses, baby deer or fruit?

Next, I’ll post photos from Atelier Pierrot in Osaka, which has a section for Chantilly. And I haven’t forgotten your Reader Questions; I’ll get on that too…

Quick, what words come to mind when you see the lovely fashion in the Innocent World shop?

Japanese Word of the Day: Mokusei = Jupiter
Song of the Day: Animetal – Zankoku na Tenshi no Teze (Evangelion theme song, so good.)

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: our favorite sushi restaurant in Tokyo. Hibari is a cheap but melt-in-your-mouth fresh conveyor belt sushi parlor, located a few steps to the left when you exit Shinjuku Club Marz (map here). Since it’s open all night, we often head here after dancing at monthly Goth event Midnight Mess. Daytime, this is the prime spot to ogle spiky-haired Japanese host boys!

Skull tshirt: Mari’s Rock, from Closet Child Shinjuku
Gothic vest: Gramm, from Closet Child Shinjuku
Lavender casual skirt: Algonquins, from Closet Child Shinjuku
Ashi dashi pencil knee highs: gifted from Sock Dreams
(Count de Sang is wearing a Tokyo Gore Police t-shirt.)

Mihoko is always the picture of elegance. Her clothes are by Moi-meme-Moitie, Mana’s Elegant Gothic Lolita brand.

That night, the sushi restaurant was invaded by spooks and schoolgirls. Everything is 130 yen (about a dollar) a plate, so we ate a lot!

Makeup: Using gifted Sugarpill Cosmetics black eyeshadow, I did a cat eye. Above, I applied lavender eyeshadow to match my skirt, and blue eyeliner below. I put matching pastel heart stickers on my forehead. My Dolly false eyelashes are super gyaru. The effect is dramatic up close, but softer from far away.

Hair: I pinned the top to one side and covered it with dollar store paper flowers.

Shinjuku’s kabuki-cho district is known for scantily-dressed hostesses. This advertising truck drove by and Yukiro ran out to be part of the action.

Look who’s here… I Am Sebastian! V-fingers for joy!

We picked up more spooky spooks and went into a noisy gaming center for purikura (sticker picture “print club” booths). The latest machines feature technology that make your eyes Godzilla-sized.

Sebastian and I did our best imitations of the kawaii gyaru models.

About ten of us piled into the tiny booth and tried to fit our faces onto the screen. See how the machine makes us white as snow, with big and shiny eyes? (I have a guide to taking perfect purikura and decorating the print-out stickers in this post.)

Funny story: great minds think alike, so Yukiro and I both gave Cotton Bale fake eyelashes as a gift. And them the purikura machine spat out yet another free pair… so she’s stocked up for life. On the right, Kana and I did a shoot-em-up zombie video game and got a bit too excited.

The night didn’t end there. Five of us went upstairs for all-night, all-you-can-drink karaoke. The photos aren’t fit to be seen by the public… however, let me sing the praises of Kana, who invented absinthe jelly and brought it for dessert. Aren’t spooky friends the best?

Do you and your friends like to go for sushi, purikura and karaoke? Where are your favorite haunts?

PS: Tokyo friends, come watch Yukiro’s musical debut this Saturday at Midnight Mess! He’ll be singing original songs and a Lady Gaga cover, and performing a one-time-only vulgar act. All details here.

Japanese Word of the Day: Shibafu = Lawn
Song of the Day: Dalida – Besame Mucho (My favorite era of the tragic Egyptian chanteuse.)

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).

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)

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.”)

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.

Excellent news for you Visual Kei headbangers! Digital music label HearJapan has teamed up with Visual Kei / Japanese Goth music labels, Darkest Labyrinth and Starwave Records. Which means you can now get your hands on releases from bands such as Luzmelt, Suicide Ali, Calmando Qual, GPKISM, Seileen (SiSEN and Selia), Takuya Angel… has your head exploded yet? Come check out the compilation CDs and digital downloads on HearJapan!

HearJapan generously gave us passes to see the darkest and glammest of these bands perform at Meguro Rockmaykan in Tokyo. We were allowed to shoot videos of the performances — and boy, were they ever bloody. Check back tomorrow for a video of GPKISM, SaTaN, Lix, Calmando Qual, Omega Tripp and more.

Before the concert, Yukiro caused scandal and drama in the convenience store. He’s wearing the ridiculously short dress he got at the ridiculous Ridiculous store in Osaka.

The floppy hat is DIY-decorated with flowers and ribbons. Yukiro’s claws are always ready to scratch young boys.

Lolita dress: Moi-meme-Moitie… in my dreams! It’s Metamorphose temps de fille; got it for great price at Closet Child Harajuku. You may recall that this was on my Classical Lolita wishlist.
Jacket with trailing sleeves: Marble, from Marui One Shinjuku
Gyaru “bunny ears” headband: from Odakaya in Shinjuku. You see these “ears” all over Tokyo.
Tights: Vivienne Westwood, from Marui Shinjuku
Epic boots are epic: Alice and the Pirates, from Closet Child Harajuku

Makeup is simple because we had to rush out the door… blue eyeliner, false eyelashes on top, nude lipstick, a gem at the corner of the eye.

But there’s always time to pose for photos! In the next post, we’ll bring you inside the Satanic concert with quality videos and a review.

14-year-old Amy sent me the gorgeous fanart on the right. It’s inspired by the Gothic Lolita outfit I wore on the CNN International shoot. I love the hime hair and kawaii eyes — you’re all so talented! If you’d like to see your Carmina/Basil artwork up here, send me an email.

Reiko Arashi also sent me a personalized trading card for Oshare Curry, her Visual Kei / Jpop social networking community. You can redeem it if you set up a profile on the site.

Have you ever been… Xperienced? (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) JrockRevolution presents a new webpage dedicated to X JAPAN’s performance at Lollapalooza. Come read the latest news, share stories on the forums, and plan meet-ups at the concert. You can also purchase an exclusive fan package with a T-shirt, thundersticks, DVD and more.

Finally, some sad news… Daisuke, vocalist of Visual Kei band The Studs and Kagerou, was laid to rest today. The cause of death has not been released. You may leave condolences on the band’s website.

Stay tuned for videos of Gothic Prince Ken and SaTaN dressed as Alice in Wonderland. Which are your favorite Starwave/Darkest Labyrinth bands?

Japanese Word of the Day: Maou = Satan
Song of the Day: GPKISM – Atheos (you can buy the single on HearJapan)