Ahoi Shonen!! JUMP SHOP in Kourakuen, Tokyo

Jump Shop Kourakuen

 Love manga classics like Dragonball, Naruto and One Piece? Well then the Kourakuen Jump Shop will be your place to go. Right next to the TOKYO DOME AMUSEMENT PARK is where you can take a picture with some of your favourite Anime/Manga heros and shop yourself mad on Jump merchandise.









I stumbled upon it rather by accident, but the fact that you can take a Kame-hame-ha picture with Goku was just too tempting to let it pass.

KAMEHAMEHAAAAA

While many stores in Japan are quite strict (and often a real pain) about taking pictures in their stores, the Jump shop is a lot more lenient and it was a pure delight to take some snaps of the sparkly goods.

They sell pretty much everything from the shonen jump francise, from "classics" to newer pieces  and for all audiences - from sparkly necklaces to boobie-mousepads.

If you just want a fancy drink then they also have some special anime designed bottles in the shape of Dragonball characters and more.

 At the back are also some Crane Catchers. If you want to make a whole day out of it then you can get your ticket to the Tokyo Dome Amusement park right on the opposite of the Jump store and ride their Jetcoaster that even dashes through a hole in the near shopping center.

With a Jump Shop and "J-world indoor Amusement Park" in Ikebukuro, Jump is having more and more exciting attractions near the Ikebukuro Area. It was a nice find and a good chance to get your Kamehamehas out :)
X
CAT

20 must-have items in your lolita handbag

There are several secrets hidden in Lolita fashion girl's handbags,
but there are 10 basic items + 10 more that every Lolita needs to carry in her bag.

The video about the first 10 items is here:


Quick run down of the 10 items and MORE:

1) Parasol
ON, IN or next to your bag has to be a parasol.
Especially those that shelter you against the sun AND the rain are not only stylish but also a real life saver for sudden weather changes.

2) Make-up Kit
Things to freshen up your make up.
I ALWAYS carry an eye liner, lash glue and some lip gloss / chap stick with me.
Other things, such as powder etc are important too

3) Phone
We live in the 21st century. No Lolita without her phone to keep her up to date with dress releases, friend news and gossip. Also - no Lolita without her very own selfie maker!

4) Keys
I once almost missed a Lolita meet because my make up was flawless but I could not find my keys

5) Purse / wallet
Lolita days out always end up being a little more pricey than expected. Take some extra notes with you and if you have a day-pass, don't loose it.
 
6) Sunscreen
Lolitas generally avoid the sun. This will also prevent you from pre-mature skin aging.

7) Compact mirror
Check if your face is still in order

8) Band aid
There is always at least one Lolita with sore feet in your group.

9) Hair accessories
Especially if you wear wigs, some extra pins might come in really handy when things fall out of place. Literally.

10) Comb
Fringes are cute, but not cute at all when they are blown all over the place by the wind. A comb will help you keep them hairs in check.

MORE ITEMS

11) Aburatorigami "Facial Oil Blotting paper"
I had run out of those for the video, but these little paper stripes help you from looking oily.
Just a couple of dabs on your cheeks and T line and you look more fresh

12) Little Sweets
Yes most Lolitas have a sweet tooth, but this one is for emergencies. Sometimes it takes longer for an event until everyone goes for food and if you are starving, laden down by wigs, corsets etc, a little bit of sugar might perk you up until you reach the next coffee shop.

13) Cream
Hand or facial creams to keep your skin puffy

14) Deodrant
Especially those hot summer days, with layers of petticoats, you want to still smell like a fresh rose and not like that sweaty guy next to you.


15) Hand sanitizer
Especially in the streets of Tokyo, where there are so many people, this is a must.

16) Safety Pins
For absolute wardrobe and petticoat emergencies

17) Notebook and pen
I am a writer, so either note things down in your phone or stay with the classic: Notebook and paper. So important thoughts can never get lost.

18) Mint
For a nice clean breath even after a full afternoon tea

19) Tissues
For sniffles, sneezes, and general tidyness

20) Handkerchief
Why tissues AND a handkercief? True Lolitas know, cake can be your friend or your fiend. If you get your food on your brand than that's drama right there. A nice handkercief will help you keep your dress clean - and your day drama free

Thanks for reading!
Feel free to add to this list!
Hope your next day out will be a full success!

x
Cat

Harajuku Fashion Walk #27

Finally another Harajuku Fashion Walk of KAWAII Street Fashion
Unfortunately I had to miss the last one due to work, but this time I was ready to go-
apart from the fact that it was boiling hot and definitely not the weather for Lolita (which I had initially planned on wearing).

To my surprise the group was a little smaller than usual but we still had lots of fun
The brand new kawaii fashion video is here:



A few snaps on the side:

AP Salopette times

Angelic Pretty Salopette

Haruka Kurebayashi was not present this time, but we got a different surprise:
Sebastian Masuda was in Harajuku!

If you don't know him, he is not only the designer of 6% DOKIDOKI but he also is a famous Harajuku Fashion icon. Kyari Pamyu Pamyu was one of his models for his tours abroad and he has influence in fashion and art alike.

Unfortunately he was not able to join us at the Fashion Walk, but we were invited to his speech at a museum nearby. After doing his version of the ice bucket challenge he was even kind enough to leave a little message for my video.

His new vision is to bring back the "Pedestrian's Paradise" in Harajuku. An area where young people dress the way they want, dance and perform freely while cars are not allowed to enter.
Hopefully, with all Harajuku fashion lovers pulling together, we can achive this for 2020 before the Olympics.

So bring back the "Hokoushya tengoku"
the "Pedestrian's Paradise" for Harajuku:
CHALLENGE START!!!

Crossdressing cafe PRINCE

The cutest boys you have ever seen, wait for you at Cafe/bar "Prince". Just that those cute boys are... actually girls!
"Danso" is the term for girls wearing boys clothes and cafe PRINCE has themed their cafe in a way to accommodate the dreams of a "perfect" boy in a way that reminds us a little of anime scenarios. In anime a very beautiful boy is often described as "beautiful like a girl" or having a feminine face. The girls at cafe Prince are thus called "Prince" and are incredibly charming or entertaining - depending on what personality they represent - just like in an anime.

Danso cafes and butler cafes are not yet as popular as maid cafes but they still are aiming at similar guests - those who love those dream worlds and fluid spaces in-between.

To be honest, i was almost a little nervous when i walked into the cafe the first time, not knowing what to expect. I was greeted by a "Prince". All staff at the cafe are to be referred as Prince - to further deepen the prince/princess dreamscape. (I shall refer to them as "he" now, otherwise it gets too confusing). We were then shown to our place at the bar. First i was wondering why they put us at the bar, instead of the leather sofas...but then i realized that this was so we could easily chat with the princes behind the counter. The bar was stocked impressively with spirits of all sorts. Their evening bar part is another popular feature to the cafe, running on Saturday and Friday nights until the first trains take up their services again.
Today three princes were present. Two of them the cool type, looking beautiful and dangerous, one of them the cute type. Our cute "shota" type prince made jokes and told funny anecdotes, soon having the room in stitches. He said he was much older than he looked and he often got asked by guests if he was old enough to serve drinks yet.

I felt rather hungry and ordered some "omrice" (rice inside an omelette). Omrice, like in maid cafes, gets decorated by your prince of choice with hand drawn pictures. However, different to most maid cafes, the prince himself will cook especially for you! No microwave or magic box!
I got a picture of a cat drawn in ketchup by shota prince on my omrice. He said he cannot draw cute things but it came out quite cute.
When i left the cat picture (too cute to eat) he received it with the biggest smile i have ever seen.
Me and my friend decided to order some of their house special cocktails and "cool-type" prince made us his special: maccha cocktail with rose petals!

Another prince had brought back some sweets from a trip outside of tokyo and so we got free sweets.
In the end we decided to round it up with a cup of tea. To my surprise they had quite an impressive collection of different and high end brands of tea. They didnt only sound fancy, they also tasted good, and thats coming from a tea lover like me!
All in all a nice afternoon well spend. Its not as squeamy and noisy as a maid cafe, more like a classy bar/cafe with chandelliers and leather seats and entertaining situations.
Shota prince told us that most guests stay quite long, around 3 hours at least. I peaked around us to see what crowd has been here with us. Most were other cute geek girls and one crossdressing boy, enjoying being a princess for an afternoon.
All in all it was a fun experience, and after a while i wasnt so nervous anymore. You can also be in touch with your prince of choice after your stay, on twitter. Generally you have much more time to talk with the staff and be entertained by their quirky sides, banter and conversations than in.moat themed cafes

Overall Review: Fun, if you are brave enough!
FOOD & DRINK
The food was delicious (handmade), the cocktails creative, the tea collection impressive, the free sweets a nice addition.
LOCATION
Near Nakano station and easily reached. The inside interior is classy and a little posh looking
CHARGES
Table charge (at the time of this being posted) is about 500yen. Drinks vary between 700-1000 (or more for high end spirits).
Foods are around 1000-2500 depending on what you get.
- no cake set with a drink, not so much cake choices.
It was fun and kinda exciting. I like that you can take it slow and there is no "time limit" to your stay (like in most maid cafes). A good place for anime lovers, princess lolitas and brolitas, if you dont mind the small cake selection. Definitely worth the experience if you wanna get treated by an anime prince for a day :)
Catch you soon
X
Cathy

Yoyogi Flea Market Hauls!

The best chance to get many cheap and cute clothes in Tokyo is the Yoyogi flea market.
I made a video about out market adventure the other week, let me fill you in on some more details of the day. First of all, check out the video to see what I "hauled" in.
You really won't believe what bargains I fetched!

My friends Sharon, Sophie, Nostique and I met in Harajuku and first went to the Evangelion Store in Harajuku, took some pictures and shopped around a little.

Let's check out today's fashion coords

Decora x Putomayo x Gloomy

Sopie: Cute in Pastels

Nostique: The real human doll

 We walked through the Harajuku Entrance of the park and turned left, walking up the steps and once we arrived on the top we got hit by the view of hundreds of people selling their goods.

Yoyogi Flea Market 2014

 We browsed around and funnily enough we all found things that corresponded with out styles. Sopie got cute plushies and decorations for her house, Nostique got some lacy frilly skirts for her styles, I got the mix of funny things you have seen in the video.

TIP of THE DAY:
Best time to go there is definitely one hour before closing. I don't think I would have gotten the same deals if I had not been there around this time of the day. People don't want to carry all their things home.

BARGAIN HAUL GALORE!

 More info about the Yoyogi Flea Market is HERE.

Thanks for reading! Stay sparkly guys!
x
Cat

Angelic Pretty Sweet Cream House OP

I meant to do a video with my whereabouts a while ago, but today I got too busy so I just made a quick video of my newest haul: 
The Angelic Pretty Sweet Cream House OP! *squeals*

The chocolatey video is here:


I have been wondering if I should buy the dress or not, when it was on sale on the web page. I always wanted a nice chocolatey brown dress and the pattern on it is really cute. But I kept telling myself to be good and it still was a little pricey on the sale. I am so glad I didn't get it back then.

Sweet Cream House Selfie time

The brown goes really well with my wig and macaroon bear necklace.
I am so glad I took the risk of buying a lucky pack. And I am also really glad it came with the head bow! After my Closet Child haul I realized that I have pretty dresses, but barely the right head bows to go with them. I got to get a little creative in making co-ordinations, which is not necessarily a bad thing though.

 

I hope you like this weeks video!

I am looking forward to wearing this outside once its warmer!

You can see it in the video, but I was struggling a little bit with the babydoll cut. Quite a new thing to me to be honest. Also the fact that there is no sheering, might be the reason why it was on sale for such a long time this spring before it landed in the lucky pack. I hope by tying the bow properly, I can still wear the dress without looking too round.

Angelic Pretty Sweet Cream House

 Angelic Pretty Sweet Cream House INFO:

OP Original Price: 26,040 Yen
Headdress: 3,360Yen

Lucky Pack Price: 10,800 Yen!!!

Super Bargain!


Now let me tell you a secret: Whenever I get a new dress, I start talking tons of selfies, with the most derpiest faces. And I bet I am not the only one... :)

More to follow soon! Sorry for being so busy! I haven't forgotten about you guys!

Love what you do!
x
Cat

A way to happiness

I have not been good with my thursday posts so here a little message before i go to sleep.

This March i had the unusual pleasure to celebrate my birthday in three countries, together with the three groups of friends and my families.
I am currently starting a new life after university in a new environment, with a new job and new challenges. These things are not always as exciting and fun as they sound. They are actually quite scary at times. Great changes and steps forward often come at the expense of other things and not only did i have to work hard for it, i also had to sacrifice certain things and part with friends that are very dear to me. Just when i started asking myself "What the hell ARE you doing Cat?!" i opened up a chinese fortune cookie and got the simple message:

"You will find a way to create the happiness you desire"

And this simple fortune cookie gave me courage. We never know where life will take us. But we all have the chance to create the happiness we want. It will be different from others ideals and desires, so you will have to make your own. Life is a big DHY store if you want to personalize it to match your wishes. I hope i will keep actively creating instead of passively sitting for things to happen in my dhy store.

I hope the people who have walked with me, my european and international friends and viewers, will keep walking this path with me. No matter where you are, there is this crazy German girl who is grateful for all your love. Thank you so much. And please keep in touch.

By the way i have no clue how the Chinese reads on the fortune cookie. For all i know it might be a shopping list like "you forgot the yoghurt".
x
Cat