Hello again, friends!
As usual, it's been a while since I've posted, but I'm repenting by assaulting you all with 30+ pictures from the lolita-centric trip to Japan insecurelobster and I embarked upon earlier this January! We had an amazing time, and I took more photos than should be legally permissible. Hope you enjoy them!


Day 1

Camille and I changed into our lolita ensembles as soon as we got to our hotel that night, and went out for dinner at the mildly kinky, prison-themed restaurant in Shinjuku known as the Lock-Up. It was oodles of fun-- mostly because we got to grind up oreos with a mortar and pestle and add them to our white russians! Om nom nom times a million.




Sorry for the deranged face and the terrible picture; they were the best I could muster after 15 hours of plane-riding!


Day 1 Outfit Rundown:
JSK, Purse- BtSSB
Blouse- h.Naoto Honey
Coat- Black Peace Now
Headdress- Innocent World
Accessories- Angelic Pretty, Dillard's, choker from an old dance recital costume
Shoes- ALDO




Day 2




I'm wearing false eyelashes that weigh 20 oz, a dress covered in glitter, and 3 dead bluebirds on my head. Bring it, Harajuku!





         

Posing in Harajuku right after we scarfed down some scrumptious miniature donuts! It seems a tad dumb that I had donuts for the very first time in Japan, of all places. We're also pretty sure they were supposed to be for children, but if so then they were for children with AMAZING TASTE in baked goods, so I'm okay with that.







You can't tell from any of the pictures I took that day, but the first layer of tights were super tacky and sparkly (to match the glitter that Atelier-Pierrot's designer was apparently throwing around their workshop like confetti). You can see a better shot of them here.







It's the second day, and I've already bought more than I can drag onto the train. This does not bode well for the remainder of the trip (or my savings account).







For your entertainment: our hilarious (and terrifying) first attempt at legit Japanese purikura! Needless to say, we got quite adept at selecting the "DO NOT ENLARGE MY EYES PLZ" feature.


Day 2 Outfit Rundown:
JSK- Atelier-Pierrot
Blouse- Moi-Meme-Moitie
Bolero- Millefleurs
Headdress- Atelier-Pierrot
Accessories- Closet Child, Millefleurs, Forever 21
Shoes- What Is Spring




Day 3




I got that JSK, blouse, and all of my accessories from Closet Child on our first night! That place is a bottomless pit of wonderful.





         

I also bought bow belts from two different locations in Harajuku to wear with this outfit, but ended up just using the belt that came with a cheaptastic dress from Forever 21 because it looked better. lolita problmz.





         

My infatuation with that deer-skull ring continues to burn passionately. NO-ONE CAN TEAR US APART.







That night, we had dinner at the breathtaking Christon Cafe in Shinjuku! If you haven't heard of it, Christon is a decadent themed restaurant centered around gothic, religious iconography. They play thumping techno beats, have their own nightclub on the second floor, and feature a menu that's inside a giant, hollow Epicurean Bible. Add to that the sugary-sweet cocktails and gorgeous chandeliers, and you've got yourself a Dani-Never-Wants-To-Go-Home Sandwich!







We did purikura for at least an hour that night...







... but our fave was definitely the "oh you fancy, huh?" frame on the far right, there!


Day 3 Outfit Rundown:
JSK, Blouse- Moi-Meme-Moitie
Headdress- Innocent World
Accessories- Closet Child, Millefleurs, Urban Outfitters, Steve Madden, Forever 21
Shoes- Unknown shop in Harajuku




Day 4




Finally getting to wear a purple and black coordinate! UNF. <3







go_slow_ly informed us that there was going to be an organized KERA snap at MaruiOne that afternoon, so we headed over there after breakfast to vogue it up as hopefuls for their next issue!





         

Unfortunately, I suck at posing, so if I end up in KERA I'm probably going to accidentally have my finger up my nose or be in mid-hiccup or something.







A picture with one of the many lovely, stylish people from Classic Alamode Night, a quarterly club event in Ikebukuro dedicated to aficionados of lolita fashion and gothic/classical/industrial music. We had a fantastic time (I think I ordered about 27 kahlua milks over the course of the evening), and even got photographed by the editors of the Gothic & Lolita Bible!







Purikura with our new friend, Aviva (go_slow_ly), in which we're representing all three of the major substyles! I think this was the first time we managed to dodge any sort of eye-enlargement or leg-elongation functions, too, which is a relief. 


Day 4 Outfit Rundown:
JSK- Atelier-Pierrot
Blouse- Moi-Meme-Moitie
Headdress- BtSSB, Dillard's
Accessories- Closet Child, Steve Madden, Forever 21, Etsy
Shoes- What Is Spring




Day 5


         

Back in Harajuku to finish cleaning out the three-storey Closet Child!





         

Ta-da! I'm still upright after wearing the most uncomfortable heels in the world for 5 hours!

And because I love the bustle-y action on the back of this dress, here's a picture that Cami took of my fluffy rump.







UM NO I DIN'T EAT ALL THE CREPES WAT RU TALKIN ABOUT?







We ran into the poster-girl for 6% Doki Doki outside of LaForet!







Our last chance to do purikura with go_slow_ly! I love that straw hat she's got in the top right picture. It's like they knew a classic rori would be in their booth, craving extra headgear!


Day 5 Outfit Rundown:
JSK- Atelier-Pierrot
Blouse- Moi-Meme-Moitie
Headdress- Atelier-Pierrot
Accessories- Closet Child, Forever 21, Etsy
Shoes- Somewhere




Day 6




Busting out the punk lolita for our last full day.





         

This awesome scenery was conveniently located just around the corner from our hotel!







Camille and I had lunch at a French cafe with a few filmmakers who are doing a documentary on lolita (Cami shot footage with them during her previous visit to Tokyo last summer). After scarfing down some delicious croque-monsieur, we headed to their studio to film a couple interviews for the documentary, and hopefully managed to avoid embarassing every American lolita ever, despite our vapid blathering.





         

Bags in the shape of books are really popular in Tokyo! Artherapie's are the best, but they also cost an arm and a newborn.








Our final themed supper was at the Vampire Cafe! We had an adorable waiter who spoke fantastic English, and although he seemed vaguely familiar to insecurelobster and me, we couldn't quite put our finger on where we might've seen him before.

However, when I blabbed that we'd been to Classic Alamode earlier that week, he gave us a stare of incredulity and stammered, "You were there? So was I!"-- d'oh! He was the singer from Rose Noire! Luckily, Louie is a really nice guy, and despite the fact that I had made a complete assclown of myself, he talked to us at length about music, lolita, and the underground goth scene in Tokyo, and had the patience to pose for several pictures.

Our trip to Japan couldn't have ended on a better note! I even managed to squeeze in more donut-gobbling the next morning, before we left. Yay!


Day 6 Outfit Rundown:
Blouse- Moi-Meme-Moitie
Corset- Atelier-Pierrot
Skirt- Antique Beast, Angelic Pretty
Headdress- Forever 21, Dillard's
Coat- Express
Tights- Urban Outfitters
Accessories- Closet Child, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21
Shoes- ALDO


If you're still reading, you deserve some variety of badge. If I had an amazing, creme-filled Japanese donut, I would give it to you! ... or at least let you hold it for a few seconds.

Thanks so much for looking. Check out my tumblr for more pictures of stuff we visited, ate, and bought in Japan!