(Ms.) Tomo Kimura’s Translation/Tokyo Notes

When I went to the H Uraharajuku store last month, the shop staff asked me if I’d like an invitation, so of course I said yes, and went to see h.NAOTO’s 2008 A/W collection yesterday. (I was asked “please only wear our clothes to the show”, so I went in my full h.jelly outfit.)

Here’s a photo of the invitation packet.

A collage, invitation tickets to the show and the after-party, and a sheet explaining the concept behind the A/W collection. The sheet says the collection picks up where the S/S collection left off - the world after Armageddon. Mutant animals being born and dying. The birth of new life after a long, long time of darkness. The fountain of amniotic fluid…Goth&Loli&Punk&Anime&羊水(amniotic fluid).

The inside of the envelope was silver paper, with black crosses printed on the far side. The brand logo was printed backwards on the near side, so if you peek in, you see the logo reflected on the crosses.

The show was held at Laforet Museum Roppongi. The show ticket had a colored sticker on it, and depending on the color, you were ushered into different waiting lines.

The show started off with clothes with a fair amount of color, then it was lots of black and white. I was sitting right wher the models come out to the runway, and here are some pics.

At the after-party, we got to look at a taping of the show, so I was able to look at the clothes from the front there. A number of clothes and accessories (e.g. shoes, bags, gloves) were also on display, so I was able to look at them from close by. I was amazed how detailed everything was. (Cameras weren’t allowed here, so no pics.)

I just got back a while ago from the live at Omotesando FAB.

I first saw Moriken-san at a techno event in 2006, when he appeared as a surprise guest DJ. After that I started to listen to soft ballet and some of his solo works.

Today it was him on keyboards, his brother on guitar, and two guys supporting him with a Mac, DJ equipments and lots of controllers. The set was about half instrumental.

The first encore had Deguchi Masayuki (ex Grass Valley) as guest vocalist. The two will be teaming up to do some stuff this year. If you have the Tokyo Babylon Single Triple, Grass Valley has one song (”My Lover”) as Seishirosan’s image song.

Is out as well.

Same price as the other volumes desu ne. Here, the volumes containing the side stories cost more.

Is out.

It’s still plum blossoms season, but there’re all sorts of sakura sweets available now.

I had this Sakura macaron at the neighborhood Starbucks:

There’s this drink called 桜茶 (sakura tea). It doesn’t have any tea leaves in it. The jar contains cherry blossoms pickled in salt and plum vinegar. You lightly rinse the blossom in water, put it in your tea cup, then pour hot water over it.

More night class casts announced:

Ruka - Minagawa Junko
Rima - Kitamura Eri
Seiren - Mizuno Risa

The Headmaster - Gouda Hozumi

The opening song will be sung by ON/OFF.