A Very Long Day

Last day of this trip. Waiting to take the N'EX train to Narita International Airport. Getting a little caffeine before the long journey begins. One thing I discovered this trip, there are a few decent cans of coffee in Japan. I don't remember if this was one of them. It was a long day.

On my way to Narita I continued my little tradition. Kirin's Salty Litchi. I found that this is actually really good when it is hot out, possibly because it helps replace salts in the body? Also the melon pan from Boulangerie Asanoya is really good. 

I caught sight of the gnome again! Some day I will have to go see him.

And of course, Sky Tree.

Crossing the Naka River, which runs next to the Arakawa river in this area. That may be the Katsushika Harp Bridge in the distance.

Finally another day of lovely weather, and I had to leave. I really wanted to stay longer. This, I need to do. Some day.

All I can say about my flight back to Canada was it was not good. I was feeling fine but unable to sleep thanks to other passengers. Some who even upset the flight attendants. I do have this photo of how I was able to get my Moi-même-Moitié obi back without it being crushed in a suitcase. It is nicely made and I love the color.

A couple hours in Vancouver International Airport. I got something to eat and drink at Vino Volo. Both were delicious, but the wine only increased my sleepiness. 

But I survived it all. Waiting for the small plane to take us back to Oregon. One of these days I will spend more time in Vancouver. Those mountains look enticing.

Those mountains from the air. From what I can find online, this is the North Shore Mountain Range.

A look heading over the islands off of Washington State.

Mount Baker in Canada, seen from the air over Washington, United States. Impressive.

Heading down the Puget Sound.

Below is Seattle.

Washington State and Canada in the distance.

Passing by Mount Rainier.

Another wonderful view of Mount St. Helens.

Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. This is why I get a window seat on this side of the airplane.

And finally Oregon's Mount Hood. I need to go visit it this summer.

Reaching the Columbia River with Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens on the horizon. On our way to safely land at Portland International Airport. And the end of this trip, all done in one very long day.

Someday Seattle

 So what did I do after flying back from Japan? I drove three hours to Seattle to go to Sakura-con. I did stop to eat. Checked out a Taco Time in Washington. Their veggie burrito was pretty good.

I was really tired but I figured I'd get sleep in my hotel room. There were two I was considering. In hindsight, I should have gotten a room at the other hotel. Because looks are deceiving. I was really wondering why my room was so huge. This is only half of it. Long hall to get in, big bathroom, and a big dressing area.

The reason why it was so large is because one wall was the back of the elevators. Which I heard all day and night. They finally slowed down around 2 am but started running non-stop again at 5 am. Which means I got three hours of sleep each night. Even with ear plugs it was constant noise. Given the hotel was fully booked, I knew I would not be given a different room. I would have left the second day but I really wanted to go to the Moi-même-Moitié tea party. At least it explains why I was so out of it at the party. I did not feel very good.

As to that hotel, after I got home I did put in a complaint. Surprisingly, or maybe not because they know that room is terrible, I was refunded my full amount for the room. So there is that.

As for my stay in Seattle, once again, grey weather. Third time visiting the city, each time it's the same. I know, this is the way it is in Seattle in the winter.

At least I got to enjoy using my Moi-méme-Moitié bat bag.  I wish I had been able to go to an autograph session. It would have been nice to have it signed and to tell Mana that this was one of the samples from his Moitié office. 

I did also get to use the bath salts I bought in Tokyo. 

I also did get out and walked around a little the first evening. I was too tired the second evening to go very far. 

Nice to see sakura blooming in Seattle. 

I walked along the waterfront a little bit. Down to the Ferris wheel and back.  

I was amused to see this advertising for Oregon. Yes the tulip fields are very nice.

 I was hoping for a little clearing of the skies but this was the best that happened that evening.

Yes I walked up these stairs. And then more stairs. 

I wasn't sure where to eat. I was hungry and I did find a place with a view of the water. And a glass of chardonnay. 

The wait staff at this place were really nice. The food was decent but not that inspiring. I wish I had looked into more the places to eat right around the hotel or in this area. This was their seared salmon with cilantro butter. 

And the view from my table. 

Since I already did posts about Sakura-con, I won't write about it here. This is the main post  http://blukats.blogspot.com/2018/04/sakura-con-2018.html. I can't help but think if I had a better hotel room my time at the convention would have been much better and I would have done a few more things. But I can't change what happened so if I ever go back I will definitely make different arrangements. 

I had hoped to go see the sakura trees at the University but the weather was really bad as I was leaving the hotel and downtown area. That snow, ice, rain mix which isn't nice to be out in. So I headed home. The drive back had better weather. 

And I saw a nice sunset.

Moi-même-Moitié Tea Party with Mana at Sakura-Con

I want to start this by saying that this was the first Moi-même-Moitié Tea Party ever (from what I can find online). I've debated on how to write about the Tea Party. To only write about the good parts and not the problems would be disingenuous. From lack of responding to questions, not providing any information to hostile insults directed towards people who had questions, there were real problems on how this was handled. I do not think the problems originated with Moi-même-Moitié but were from those who were in charge of setting the tea party up. From things not happening timely to a lack of basic customer service skills, there were issues. Even if someone is a volunteer, it doesn't mean it's okay to not give out information or not respond to simple questions. By not responding or in one case posting hostile insults, it only made the situation worse. 

I'm writing about this here because it did affect me and other people who attended or wanted to attend the tea party. I won't go into details because that would take up all the post. Like others who attended this event, we wanted to focus on those who were there, the guests of honor. The ladies of Moi-même-Moitié and it's creator, Mana.

The day before the event we were finally told it would be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Slowly people gathered at the location. Many of the people attending knew each others, some members of local lolita groups. They gathered together for a photograph, while I and others waited on the periphery. I had a bit of trepidation about attending this event, knowing I would be a little older than many here and not dressed in "full lolita fashion". I did not think this should be an issue since Mana has fans of all kinds, and his clothing is appreciated by many, not just lolitas. In fact it's well liked by people who are into elegant goth fashion.

So we waited outside a ballroom at the Grand Hyatt for someone to arrive with the list of attendees. They were very late with this. Finally we were let into the room. Inside were large round tables covered with blue table cloths, candles for centerpieces and plastic folders which were our gift for the event. A sound track of Moi dix Mois music was playing.

 Looking around the room I can say everyone was well dressed. As people found places to sit, I decided to sit near the front since I wanted to be able to see and hear well. After a time, a few other ladies joined me there. I have to say I really enjoyed their company during the event. We all found something of interest to talk about. We also shared the same nervousness about spending time with Mana. None of us knew what to expect but a couple of the ladies had attended other fashion related tea parties so it was nice to hear their comparisons to this one.

The Moi-même-Moitié ladies introduced themselves and spoke a little. While we were able to take photos when we came in, at this point we were told no photographs. Then we were told to go ahead and get food and drink from the small buffet set up at the back of the room. The drinks were coffee and tea, along with blueberry scones, small roast beef sandwiches, tiny chicken tarts topped with blueberries, and tiny custard tarts, also with blueberries and raspberries. Yes, three of the four items had blueberries. I do not know why.

Part of the way through eating we were told the person we had been waiting for had arrived. You could feel the anxiety rise in the room. After a few minutes, Mana came into the room. He walked along the side, stopping and turning and then walking a bit more. Almost like he was dancing. As people applauded he came to the front of the room. There was an introduction and he then sat at the Moi-même-Moitié table looking at his phone and taking selfies. That was a little amusing since he does post selfies on Twitter and sure enough, he did that. I don't know if the photo was taken at the Tea Party or at the earlier autograph session but this is what he was wearing.

(From Mana's Twitter)

All of the sudden they said that Mana was going to give each person a rose so we were told to line up. Everyone became very nervous. I got in line with the others from my table. I was not sure what I would say. I had thought there would be a possibility but since I was so tired from lack of sleep I did not think about what I would say if it did happen. At my turn Mana handed me a rose like he did for everyone there. I said "はじめましてMana" (Nice to meet you) and my name and I don't know what else. All I could think is there were these people behind me waiting, even though it was only a few seconds. Such pressure.

Following this the Moi-même-Moitié ladies picked three of their favorite outfits and each person was given a signed handkerchief and a pouch. Mana then took photos of the room and left. 

We ate and people chatted. The Moi-même-Moitié ladies talked about the new dresses which they were wearing. They helped people take photos and we all engaged in friendly conversation until it was time to go. We were able to take what we wanted from the centerpieces. Since I was driving and I needed a new candle...

The actual event was nice and I am glad I went. After hearing about different events Mana holds in Japan, it was enjoyable to be able to participate in something like that. I, like others there, wished Mana had stayed longer but it was nice to meet him and the Moi-même-Moitié employees. I wish circumstances had been better for me, given I only had four hours of sleep the whole weekend due to a very noisy hotel room, but at least I did what I wanted to do which was to go to Seattle and take part in this event. I did miss the autograph sessions. I wish I could have gone to one. But I did enjoy my time talking with different people at the convention including the lovely ladies that shared a table with me at the tea party. Maybe in the future I will have another chance to attend an event that has less problems. I hope so. It is important to remember that this is the first tea party they did as and it is only a few months after the change with the company. I am sure things will improve as time goes on. Thank you to Moi-même-Moitié and Mana for coming to America and taking part in this.

And I forgot to mention what I wore. I had on my new Yosuke shoes, black with blue Altar Moitié socks, my Moitié Cathedral print op, tulle Moitié arm covers, and a Moitié bracelet and the older candelabra necklace. And my black and blue lace gather ribbon bag. Because of the weather I wore my Kambriel full length stripped black coat, which got a few compliments. 

Moi-même-Moitié and Mana Sakura-Con Question and Answer Session Part Two

Once again, this is from the Saturday Sakura-Con question and answer session with Moi-même-Moitié and Mana. The first part with the ladies of Moi-même-Moitié is here. Following their session, music by Moi dix Mois began playing and Mana was introduced to the enthusiastic audience. He sat at the table facing the audience and one of the Moi-même-Moitié ladies was next to him to interpret. As most who follow Mana know, his style of doing interviews and such is to whisper his answers to his interpreter who then vocalizes his response. Which is what happened at this event. Questions were chosen from ones submitted by people before the event and read by the promoter who was MCing the event.

So here again I have paraphrased the answers, which again are from the notes I took during the session. Since there were moments where we waited for Mana's answers, it helped me be able to write a little more in detail, although I missed a few things. While the music helped set the mood and added some excitement, it also made it a little hard to hear at times. Once again, this is not word for word what was said, but I hope I captured what information that was given. I'm also going to put a couple notes from me.

 The first question was what was his favorite Malice Mizer song and album? Mana's answer was Bel Air for the song and Bara no Seidou for the album. (Mana has mentioned on Twitter how much he likes Bel Air.)

How much does he like being part of the egl boom? (I'm not sure if I got this question right.) Mana replied that he is proud and happy.

He was asked if he thought about releasing an autobiography. His response was that there was a plan five or six years ago but due to circumstances it did not happen then. That it would be great to do one day.

What inspires his fashion coordinates? It was difficult to hear but I believe Mana said something about photo shoots. As to his personal coordinates I think he said his inspiration was nothing in particular.

What does he hope to see in the future for the brand and lolita fashion? He would like to see Moi-même-Moitié popular all over the world.

How does he feel about older wearers of elegant gothic lolita (egl)? Egl has no corralation with age so any age can wear it beautifully.

What does he see for the future of Moitiê in 5 to 10 years, any plans or ambitions? I believe his answer was that he hopes to protect the fashion and that he hopes everyone will follow on this path. (Another one that was difficult to hear)

This question was something about the evolution of lolita fashion over the last 19 years and I don't think Mana really gave an answer to it. It was similar to an earlier question.

Does Mana have an opinion about gothic lolitas who have tattoos? Mana said he feels happy that people have the logo or something related to Mana (one person in the front showed theirs and he nodded approval). Other tattoos he does not have an opinion. (given that he has worked with musicians who have tattoos, such as Malice Mizer band mate Közi, it's safe to say tattoos are not an issue for Mana, at least in the general sense.)

How often does he get a haircut, does he style his hair? While answering to his interpreter, Mana held his hands up around his hair and mimed scissors cutting his hair. His reply was that he cuts and styles his own hair.

Where did he go in Seattle, does he like coffee and what did he eat? He went to Starbucks Reserve, where he really wanted to go to. He likes Starbucks and he ate clam chowder, which he likes.

What is his skin care regime? He doesn't really have one. He uses all in one products.

What is his favorite Moi dix Mois song? Dialogue Symphonie because it was the first song.

What inspired Moi dix Mois? He created Moi-même-Moitié and wondered what it would be like to turn the dress designs into music (I am not sure if I got all of this answer but I think that is what was said.)

Any news about a new album? He will be entering the recording process soon after he returns to Japan.

What artists inspired him, Western, post goth, punk? Slayer, Motley Crew influenced in his teens.

When is Moi dix Mois coming to the US? Can't make any promises. Everyone is really excited to come over again and he would like to make it happen.

Can he visit the states more? Mana replied that he is having a great time and wants to come back soon.

What inspires him most? Cooking. The interpreter said something that sounded like kizoku houchou, combining music with cooking. (I can explain this. Houchou kizoku is a phrase that Mana is using for the Moi dix Mois lives that combine serving a meal and then the band performs. It's "kitchen knife aristocrat". The interpreter may have switched the word order not knowing that. An aside, I was wearing the shirt from last year's show so it was amusing that this came up.)

What is Mana's opinion of Twin Peaks? He likes David Lynch but has not seen Twin Peaks (Sakura-Con is held in Seattle, Washington, Twin Peaks takes place in Washington. Which may be why the question was asked.)

How did the conversation with KAMIJO about the Sang crossover song and design with Hatsune Miku come about? KAMIJO asked Mana out drinking and told him about it and invited him to contribute. (I had trouble hearing the full question and answer but Mana has written about this on Twitter also.)

Does he like Miku and Vocaloid? Miku's image color is similar to his so there is a certain familiarity. (Mana has written how he likes the color green along with blue, Miku's color is aqua green.)

What has been his greatest achievement in life? The cathedral backdrop set for the Bara ni Irodorareta Akui to Higeki no Makuake concerts at Budakon. It was the largest ever at the venue.

 How did he feel about modeling in the fashion show? It was the first in America, was great and that he would like to do it again. (There was more, something about how everyone was kind but I do not know if I got that part correctly.)

His final message was that he had a great time in America. Everyone has been kind and supportive. He is inspired to do more work and thank you all so much.

(I should add that the Moi dix Mois background music was in a similar song order as the lives are, with the ending songs being Pageant and Je L'aime.)

Moi-même-Moitié and Mana Sakura-Con Question and Answer Session Part One

On Saturday at Sakura-Con was a panel that many fans were excited to attend. A question and answer session with the ladies of Moi-même-Moitié and Japanese musician and fashion designer Mana. With a new company handling Moi-même-Moitié and this being the first public appearance by Mana outside of Japan in a few years, there were plenty of good questions to be asked. Even though the panel was later in the day, it still drew a good number of attendees. Many by appearance were fans which gave a nice congenial atmosphere to the event. For this event no photos were allowed so my apologies about having nothing for this post. If the convention or other puts something online, I may add it in the future.

So what I have here is from the copious notes I took during the q & a. It helped that part of the session involved needing answers translated so I had a little more time to write. I did miss a couple items. This is all paraphrased since I could not write down everything word for word. But I hope I was able to capture what information the speakers were giving.

So to start, the first part was the two ladies of Moi-même-Moitié. I could not hear the name of the first woman but the second, who acted as translator, I believe her name was Andrea. The person moderating was the promoter for the event. For this part, people were allowed to come up to a microphone and ask their question.

First they were asked about sizing. I did not hear the whole question but I think this and later questions were in reference to the fact that most people have to buy online and because of that, measurements need to be accurate. The reply is that they are working on this to get the best measurements.

Asked about re-releases, specifically the very popular bat bag. They want to do this one but they are sourcing makers of bags because they need to make sure the quality is there.

Someone asked about bringing back lace top socks. Again they are in the process of looking for a manufacturer but can not promise anything. (I would like to point out that the change of ownership of Moi-même-Moitié happened about four months ago so it does take time to get things going)

Another favorite asked about is if they would do shoes again. The response was that they would like to, size is a problem and for now they are concentrating on clothing so no shoes for now.

What silhouettes or shapes for future designs? They are still looking for a designer so they can't say at this time. They do want to release a corset skirt.

Someone asked about children's clothing. They would like to but adult clothing is a priority.

Would they open a physical store again? Not currently, items are sold in shops like Atelier Pierrot and KERA Shop. (Even though it was great when there were stores, right now the trend in Japan is for smaller clothing companies to sell online and not in stores. Lower costs, higher sales)

What does the future of Moi-même-Moitié look like? They want to bring the brand back to it's old glory.

What are some of their favorite design elements? I missed part of this but did catch that the original laces are a favorite.

Someone brought up the trouble of buying online and measurements. They are working on accurate sizes, and there is always the issue of while a person may be able to fit into a dress it doesn't mean it fits your body type or size. (I paraphrased this in hopes it makes it clearer what was said)

And last question that I was able to note was will there be more licensed products, cosmetics? And the response was they would like to, Mana wants to do a range of eyelashes.

Okay, that is part one. I am going to post the second part separately. That will be the question and answer section with Mana.

Sakura-Con 2018

 Where to start with this? Perhaps with the fact that my reason for going to Sakura-Con in Seattle was to make-up for the three other times I could have seen Mana in the US and didn't? Twice in Los Angeles (one of those times was with Moi dix Mois) and once in Seattle with Moi dix Mois (which was a couple weeks before I was moving to Oregon). Again timing was something since the convention started two days after I returned from Tokyo. But there were those three misses staring at me. So on March 30th I did the three hour drive up to Seattle and found myself in a mixture of cosplay and street clothed crowd at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

 After getting my badge I went to the sales floor. Mana was attending to support the clothing line he created, Moi-même-Moitié. Both items from that line and also from the website shop Wunderwelt were available to purchase at their booth.

 A small display was set up with a schedule of events and an autographed chip board, complete with a drawing by Mana of one of his eyes.

Just a few of the lovely dresses they had for sale.

 I had a few questions and Kandice was really helpful in answering them. She also was very nice to pose for a photo. She was wearing the Moi-même-Moitié Lace Cross jumper skirt from 2011.

 Which was important because Moi-même-Moitié is releasing a new version of that dress. Here it is in black with blue lace.

 And the black with white lace version. There are a couple differences with the new version. Instead of a bow in the back it has corset lacing. And it will come in both a medium and a large size. You can check the Wunderwelt Fleur site if you are looking for more information.

 The other Japanese fashion designer that was a guest at Sakura-Con was Mint Neko of h.NAOTO. This was fun for me to see because I met Mint a few years back when he was just beginning his cat designs for the Sixh line. It's neat to see he's done well enough to have not only his own line but also Mint Neko stores in Japan.

 Just a few shots of his booth. You can see his characteristic cat head image on the sleeve of  one top. 

 This is Ba who was also super helpful and was wearing a really cute Mint Neko outfit.

 More Mint Neko items including his creative bags.

 Along with Mint's clothing they also had a number of Gouk items. Gouk incorporates traditional Japanese patterns into really nice and comfortable clothing.

 Another creative Mint Neko bag and outfit.

 Just a photo of their booth the next day after the fashion shows. It definitely was busier. It's good that both booths did well with their sales.

 I said fashion shows? The second day, Saturday, of Sakura-Con featured a fashion show with clothing from Mint Neko. This was followed by a Moi-même-Moitié fashion show. It was held on the main stage. This is before, with Mana mood lighting.

 Accented by Mint Neko green screens. I wish I had more photos but it was very difficult and for the Moi-même-Moitié part, no photos were allowed. For Mint Neko, the lighting was white and the music was instrumental funky rock. I'm guessing it was performed by Mint and other h.NAOTO members since he has performed with IBI for a number of years. Audience members liked it. As for the models, they reflected an edgy look, wearing Mint's unstructured pieces with flair. It was a fun show and well received.

It was a nice pairing of the unconstructed look with Moi-même-Moitié's structured apparel. Showing two sides of the best of recent Japanese fashion. Moi-même-Moitié's show consisted of lolita models wearing various pieces from recent years. The lighting turned to blue with some moments of different colors. A bit of fog added a dramatic feeling and video of the models was alternated with Moi-même-Moitié graphics on the big screens. Of course the music was Moi dix Mois and the set was similar to what they play in concert with one of the last songs being Pageant. Very mood setting. The final model of the night was the person everyone was waiting to see. Mana came out wearing a white Metal Emblem shirt and black pants. He was wearing the Long Overskirt.  He made quite an impression with the crowd cheering and clapping. I would say his return to Sakura-Con and America was a success.

Mana did post on Twitter a selfie from the day so you can see part of his look. I hope he does not mind that I share it here. Also Moi-même-Moitié has shared on Facebook a post with photos from the key make-up artist for the show. You can see them in their fashion show outfits here.

And let me add a photo Mana just posted on Twitter of his fashion show outfit.

And since Mana has shared a photo of the models and himself on Twitter, I hope it is okay that I add it to this post about the Moi-même-Moitié fashion show. Because it is always better to see what was worn than to just read about it. (And I can say when I see these dresses, I'm reminded how I would like to own the ones on the ends.)

 Speaking of looks, one of the best parts of Sakura-Con was getting to meet and chat with various people. Here is Donis in a cool street clothes look, who is into goth and was just checking everything out. I wish my photos were better but both I and my camera were probably suffering from jet lag. Also very sorry if I mispelled anyone's name.

 I met the very pretty Michi who was with her lovely friend Karrie when I was out looking for some place to eat. Karrie was wearing cosplay at the time but was going to be wearing Moi-même-Moitié the next day as a model in the fashion show. Michi's great aqua colored outfit featured a Metamorphose dress.

 I did not take many cosplay photos because there were so many cosplayers there it was a little overwhelming. I did like how this photo turned out with the shadow.

One more cosplayer. This is Teppy, wearing his really great Moi dix Mois Mana outfit. The details were really nice! I met him while we were standing in line waiting to get into the question and answer panel. Which will be the next thing I post about.