Torture Garden: Turning Japanese |
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The Downside |
This event was an unsubstantiated rumour for months before confirmation - which was irksome to a Japanophile like myself. Then it became a sustantiated rumour . . . sugoi! | |
Photo 1 |
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The Upside |
My oufit had a decent dose of authenticity for a change. (Only the sandals were wrong (chigaimasu) - they were not waruji.) The outfit consisted of kabuki actors make-up, kimono and a shinai, which hid my usually obvious submissive tendencies! I'm of the impression the that the venue (Mass, in Brixton) had improved a lot since I was last there. I'd heard that it had changed management, and the general decor now seemed . . . complete. The dungeon level was very nicely done out with a corner devoted to John Blake's Shibari Japanese Bondage area in addition to the usual furnishings. The guest mistresses, the Tachibana family, had an oddly cramped station in the middle of a long wall; somewhere with behind-the-scenes access might have been better.
I caught a performance by Ai Ōmori, which demonstrated my poor grasp of the language. Luckily it was a slow, stately affair which gave me time to read the projected subtitles as well as listen to the vocals. | |
The Verdict |
An excellent display by both TG and the punters. There were fewer real Japanese than at previous events (such as TG at the Complex, a couple of years ago) but I suppose few Japanese come all the way to London to see Japanese costumes. | |
Photo 2 |
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The Future |
Despite it being light on S&M for myself I enjoyed a serene night with a Japanese flavour. I look forward to their next. Or perhaps I'll save up and go to Tōkyo. . . | |