Out of office notice… I’m heading to Japan for over a month! I’ll be mostly in Tokyo, but hopping around to a few other places for work and pleasure in October – November — and celebrating Halloween to the max, of course!

Brace yourself for tons of Japanese Goth and alternative travel / food / art / nightlife stories on the blog and @lacarmina IG! Read on for my 2025 Tokyo Halloween Goth parties / nightclubs guide, and a catch-up on Vancouver summer adventures (above photo by Denis Nossevitch @denuudoesphoto, who will be in Japan with me so you can expect tons of fab visuals).

Looking for Goth Halloween 2025 events in Tokyo, Japan? I’ve gotchu for spooky season! Come party with me at the following Oct – Nov events.

NOTE: I have an extremely packed work schedule while in Japan so I can’t meet up / make plans outside of these events… BUT you can find me at the parties listed here, so please come and we can hang!

♥︎ Oct 18, Haus von Schwarz – Casket of Horrors Gothic drag show @ Shinjuku Heist (horror-themed drag queens!) Get tix now for the Re-Death 5th anniversary (cheaper in advance), or pay at door: ¥4300 – Can’t wait to see Yukiro and his queens strut the stage!

♥︎ Oct 25, Dark Dimension (3rd floor Goth DJs including Mistress Maya, dancers) & Tokyo Decadance 20th anniversary Halloween! At Shinjuku Ohjo – info and tickets here.

♥︎ Nov 1, Mistress Maya (of Midnight Mess) is having a Goth alternative club night @ Earth+Gallery (shibari rope bondage, ghoulish makeup stations, coffin experience!) More details here.

♥︎ Nov 9, Blood Flowers Goth and Post Punk festival! Tons of bands like 13th Moon will be performing, daytime at Shinjuku Loft. Info and tix here.

What will you be wearing for Halloween?? Currently prepping my ‘fit for celebrating in Japan! A look back at my nun-tastic costume for a Tokyo fetish party that had quite the shenanigans…

Stay tuned for Halloween coverage on my IG @lacarmina (turn on notifications so you don’t miss anything). And see this video of Goth Japan parties for a preview of what will go down!

I’m currently doing all my Japan pre-trip prep… which includes getting an e-sim. Remember the old days when we had flip phones, and had to wrangle a physical sim card to insert into our cells?

Thankfully, these days, it’s way easier to get connected thanks to Pangia Pass. Their digital e-sim is easy to install on a smartphone (just activate it through your device over WiFi), and you get unlimited data in 105+ countries! No roaming or top-ups required, meaning you can use Internet any time on your phone in Japan (and most major global destinations) as soon as you land.

If you’d like to check out Pangia Pass (which is my go-to for international travels), use my code LaCarmina at PangiaPass.com! 

Before I head to Asia for the fall, let’s recap my Vancouver summer adventures. I had much fun in the sun… but now, I’m focusing on skin repair.

Even this Goth girl ends up catching rays when I’m out sailing, at the beach…  (La Carmina portraits by Denis Nossevitch @denuudoesphoto)

If you’ve been following my skincare posts, you’ll know I swear by SkinMedica’s TNS Recovery Complex (human growth factors serum scientifically proven to improve skin tone, texture, resilience – well worth the investment).

My kawaii Tohoku, Japan mascot nails are by Glam Nail Studio — the best Japanese nail salon in the Vancouver area! See more images of my hand-painted gel nails here 

Online ordering has been complicated in this Collapse era, so I was glad to find my holy grail at at Beauty Sense, a Canadian company with authentic medical grade skincare and beauty products. Had a flawless experience ordering from BeautySense.ca — the package shipped fast, with no surprise charges.

Recommended for my fellow skincare junkies, esp if you’re in Canada!

These fab images were taken by photographer Denis Nossevitch @denuudoesphoto) while we were sailing around the Vancouver coastline with a Granville Island Boat Rentals speedboat.

Ever rented a speedboat & experienced the thrill of blasting through the waves? Perhaps these images will inspire you to have an unforgettable afternoon like ours with Granville Island Boat Rentals.

Wearing The Poets at Sea cropped Goth kimono top by Sloe Design Studio.  Their romantic, vintage-inspired circular fashion is right up my alley: natural and upcycled fabrics, circular fashion, and an indie Canadian company. You can see more from the latest collections on sloedesign.ca and visit them at their new Montreal location.

Serving main character energy, always. My vintage leather belt is from The Plain Circle Vintage, and the giant glam sunhat is the Mirabel by Eugenia Kim – get the exact hat here.

Hats off to sailing around Vancouver’s coastline with Granville Island Boat Rentals! See the full set of images from this day by Denis Nossevitch here – much more to come from us in Japan this month!

And now, for a different vibe… If there’s live music and dining, I’m in. @denuudoesphoto and I spent a memorable evening The Shelf, an intimate studio-style performance every Friday at Hestia Kitchen + Bar in Richmond, BC. Musicians play to a small audience in a raw, stripped-down session.

That night, local band Badwater Basin rocked the cozy space with 70s desert / psychedelic / mountain inspired soundscapes. The glowing interiors decorated with bottles are the definition of lit.

Add on dinner at Hestia Kitchen + Bar for the perf night out. We dined on Italian-Asian fusion (like yuzu and baijiu cocktails, wagyu carpaccio, bone marrow with chili sauce) under the tall, glowing shelves.

Playing with chiaroscuro and flash – more of these photos from The Shelf / Hestia shoot by Denis Nossevitch here.

Since earlier this year, I’ve been shooting tons with Vancouver-based photographer James Nguyen @ngu.photos as well — and I’m delighted to hear you’ve been digging his photography style! I’ll end this blog with a wrap-up of our various shoots around the city.

It’s giving Lake Como or St Tropez… but we’re sailing in downtown Vancouver, BC! Beyond fab to lounge in a 19 ft Bayliner VR4-Sport and take in views of the Pacific ocean and coastline.

She’s “sliving” for the summer. Wearing The Poets at Sea cropped kimono blouse by Sloe Design Studio. See more of this shoot by James here.

I see a red door and I want to paint it black… Shooting with @ngu.photos on a sunny day in Vancouver Chinatown — love his architectural and street photography!

We also were invited to the World’s 50 Best Bars celebration in Vancouver this year. So many friends from the food/cocktail world flew out for the cocktail bar awards ceremony… the city turned into a who’s who of award-winning bartenders. What a treat to try world class cocktails and count down the 2025 list of best bars in North America – and the afterparties and pop-ups rocked. More images from the night here.

OMG you killed Kenny! You batard! An outfit shot by James Nguyen before dinner at…

AMA Raw Bar on Fraser Street in Vancouver, BC. Did you know Vancouver has a Japanese speakeasy with live music? We adored this sultry Japanese cocktail bar / restaurant with live jazz or DJs on Sundays and Blade Runner glowing interiors!

AMA’s cocktails were all on point, with flavours like yuzu and shiso with Japanese whiskey & gin, and a stellar sake selection. Share the fresh hamachi crudo, tuna tartar & salmon hako sushi – and don’t sleep on that wagyu cheeseburger.

Images by James Nguyen – add him on IG @ngu.photos.

And here’s a vibe-y shot from Chickadee Bar in Vancouver Chinatown, which has become our favorite spot for cocktails inspired by sci-fi, retro pop culture and anime! More of these glowing interior shots here.

“Go down, go down / To the Queen of Chinatown / She’ll pick you up when you’re feeling down!” (Amanda Lear’s 1977 disco song fit the mood). Shooting with @ngu.photos at Sun Yat-Sen Park in Vancouver Chinatown. Add me at @lacarmina IG for more fashion, food and travel inspiration.

And now, summer is setting and fall is around the corner… my favorite time of the year, of course! Who else is thrilled that we are finally back in spooky season?

I’m feeling 1970s-core for my fall ‘fits. Wearing a long 100% wool coat by Rudsak (the Mandy in rust – love their tailored, Canadian outerwear).

Sunglasses are my favorite accessory, and Arena Eyewear is in my autumn rotation. Their sleek, Italian eyewear with a futuristic bent is exactly my style. Arena’s Sirena red cat-eyes and Albatro tortoise aviators are certain to turn heads. Check out their chic glasses for men and women at ArenaEyewear.com

Plum red chunky Y2K hair by Katya at Kore Salon in downtown Vancouver, BC.

That feeling when you’re about to board a plane to Japan… Can’t wait to see friends and go all-out for Halloween! (This is from a Miffy x Atacz bag launch – we went a bit nuts meeting the giant bunny, as you can see in my video here!)

PS: I have tons of travel journalism coming out in the next while as well. To start, here’s a roundup of small town Halloween celebrations that I did on assignment from Fodor’s Travel.

Brace yourself for tons of Japanese Goth alternative travel / food / art / nightlife stories on the blog and @lacarmina IG – add me! If you have suggestions for places to cover, let me know in the comments. Happy Halloween!

Oh haiii, some news… I’ve been published by BBC Travel! Delighted to have a new outlet for my food and travel journalism by writing for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

For my debut on BBC Travel, I wrote about the world’s largest market located in Mexico City (Central de Abasto) and how it shaped Mexican fine dining, with photos by my pal Rey Lopez. Of course, my writing references Tim Burton, Blade Runner and little devils… I hope you enjoy reading it!

More about our Mexico restaurant and food adventures in this CDMX blog.

I thought this series of red phone booth photos (taken by Joey Wong) in Nova Scotia was apt for the BBC journalism announcement!

It’s located in Luckett Vineyards in Wolfville, which is Nova Scotia’s wine country (did you know that the province had one?)

Annapolis Valley’s ocean breezes, Maritime minerals and sunshine are perfect for growing grapes at Luckett and other vineyards.

Only an hour’s drive from Halifax, Wolfville is the spot for wine tastings, tours and food experiences. Now that’s something worth phoning home about!

This sunny area is buzzin’ with vineyards, cider, seasonal dining and Acadian culture. The bright red phonebooth at Luckett stands out among the green grapevines.

Luckett Vineyards’ red phonebooth actually works (you can make call from it). But of course, this germaphobe dared not touch the phone receiver!

Inside, I did wine tasting of Luckett’s Gaspereau Valley wines, which include Rieslings, Chardonnays, and “Phone Box Red.” I preferred the premium ones made with local grapes like L’Acadie Blanc.

You can pair the wines with food at the open-air bistro. (If you saw my last post, you’ll know that Nova Scotian cuisine rules!)

Talk about an Instagrammable, photogenic spot in Nova Scotia.

I left with the traditional method NV, a dry, fresh bubbly with minerality from the 50% L’Acadie and 50% Petit Milo grapes.

Love being able to try wines from different regions (if only I could have taken more back with me!) Did you know that Nova Scotia has such a terrific wine region?

Wolfville, NS is also home to Annapolis Cider Company. Their premium ciders are made from apples grown in nearby orchards, and are among the best I’ve ever tried.

Go inside their Wolfville shop for generous cider tastings. I was especially into the ginger rhubarb and signature Earl Grey and blueberry flavors.

I took so many Annapolis Cider bottles home that I barely made the luggage weight allowance!

Nova Scotia’s farms grow all types of tasty produce, which you can purchase fresh from farm markets near Wolfville. At Noggin’s Farm (which sells all-local fare),  Joey and I got apples from their family orchard, and Sassy Farmer cans of dry, crisp cider made right there.

We got peaches and peach cider at nearby Hennigar’s Farm Market.

Just look at the colors and textures of the strawberries and cherries. All photos Joey Wong.

Hail microplastics… not! Located next to the farm market is this goat petting zoo.

You can purchase an ice cream cone of snacks at Hennigar’s to feed the hungry goats.

Everyone we met in Nova Scotia is so friendly – including the cute animals!

Halloween is creeping closer… these goats are ready.

Hail Wolfville, Nova Scotia! What a wonderful place for food, wine, cider, and produce.

Speaking of spooky – I thoroughly enjoyed resting my head at historic inns throughout the province, such as Queen Anne Inn in Annapolis Royal.

The 1865 Heritage property doesn’t have a history of ghost sightings… that is, until I came along!

The Victorian mansion turned B&B is a gem for anyone Gothic.

Look out, there may be a ghost lurking behind the upholstered chairs in the parlor!

On the not-so-scary side: the fresh-made breakfasts at Queen Anne Inn, served with a smile.

Pancakes with fruit, spinach quiches, and hot out of the oven blueberry scones… We loved these so much that we had seconds!

Watch my video of what we ate in Nova Scotia for more deliciousness.

Located on the Evangeline Trail, in historic Annapolis Royal, this beautifully preserved property looks like it belongs in a Tim Burton film.

The grand, 18th century moldings and fireplaces got me in the sprit of Halloween.

She’s the ghost with the most.

It’s all about the details… Feels as if we’d stepped back into 1865.

Watch my video of Nova Scotia historic sites to see other heritage spots around the Maritime province, from citadels to museums.

Some of the earliest Canadian settlements were in Nova Scotia, hence the storied history… I wouldn’t be surprised if there were friendly ghosts around!

Each of the Queen Anne Inn rooms is unique. Despite the old-time feel, there are modern amenities like jacuzzi bathtubs.

Can you tell that we had fun road-tripping around Nova Scotia?

Check my Instagram @lacarmina to see more snaps and travel tips from Nova Scotia — and see my previous blogs about the province’s historic attractions / museums and Halifax sites / food! 

Thanks to Visit Nova Scotia and HMI Marketing / Creator Coast for making our travels possible. If you have any questions about visiting the Canadian Maritimes, drop me a comment.