The Kumamoto Lolita Photo Exhibit will be held on November 22, 2020. The exhibit will take place at Daddy’s Studio in Kumamoto, Japan. Jiro K., a Japanese lolita and ouji organized this multi-part exhibit. Jiro is also a photographer who moved to Nagasaki last year, but loves traveling to Kumamoto to meet others and create memories. Therefore Jiro wanted to showcase lolita fashion in Kumamoto.
About Kumamoto, Japan
Kumamoto is a city located in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. Kumamoto Castle and the beloved character Kumamon are some of Kumamoto’s most famous features.
The castle is one of the most complete representations of what Japanese castles were. In 2016, Kumamoto made global headlines when it was hit by an earthquake that disrupted city life and killed 50 people, while displacing over 44,000 people. The earthquake also damaged the castle and has been under repair and closed to the public. Right now the current timeline for restoration suggests that it will re-open in the spring of 2021. While the castle is not open to the public, you can still see the iconic structure from around the city and walk around select parts of the castle grounds.
Kumamon is a viral Japanese mascot character. He’s extremely popular in Japan and internationally. He’s famously a bit of a rambunctious scamp. You can meet him at Kumamon Square in Kumamoto City! There you can see a performance and Kumamon’s office while eating Kumamon sweets. Kumamon Square is usually packed with tourists trying to see this beloved bear, so if you want to see him plan ahead!
The Kumamoto Lolita Photo Exhibit
The exhibit comprises of a few different parts.
- Kumamoto Lolita Photo Exhibit. This part of the exhibit features photos of lolitas who live in Kumamoto in the famous spots of Kumamoto. Featured spots include Kumamoto’s wilderness, historic buildings, and retro and modern cityscapes.
- 100 Lolitas Photo ExhibitThis part of the exhibit is a collection of 100 photos of lolitas across Japan. It includes gothic, lolita, and ouji styles. This part of the exhibit will be uploaded to YouTube after the event.
- Handmade Works BoothWith the Embellish, a J-fashion select shop based in Kumamoto, will be selling a selection of lolita items. They will be selling items good for every day use in addition to items specifically for lolita fashion.
- The Lolita Experience and Photo AreaGet the full lolita experience by choosing from a selection of lolita clothes. There are two photo sets attendees can take photos at. It’s open to all attendees whether young or old! Makeup and wig options will be available.
Event Details
Kumamoto Lolita Photo Exhibit
- Date: November 22, 2020
- Time: 12:00-18:00
- Location: Daddy’s Studio
1-11-9 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, Japan - Admission fee: 500 yen
- The Lolita Experience and Photo Area costs 1,000+ yen (prices vary on different options).
The event is organized by:
My Feature
The 100 Lolitas Photo Exhibit portion of the exhibit is a collection of photos of Japanese lolitas living across all of Japan. In fact, I believe they were able to collect over 100 photos!Even though I don’t live in Japan, Jiro invited me to participate in this portion as an overseas ouji. I am very honored to be invited!
There were a few requirements for submission. One being that photos had to be in landscape orientation. They also required a full body photo. The third, the subject had to be wearing lolita, ouji, or gothic style.
99% of my photos use a portrait orientation, so I had to go take a new photo to submit. There are a lot of historic buildings around Houston that I longed to photograph for ages, but I just never have, so this was a perfect opportunity to finally get some photos. I drove down to the historic Moody Mansion in Galveston. To match the Victorian details of the house, I went for a classic ouji outfit with black and gold accents. I took this self-portrait with the help of the good ol’ tripod and self timer.
Outfit Rundown
- Outer: Excentrique Jacket
- Top: Alice and the Pirates x Sentimental Circus Moonlight Temptation from the Monochrome Guide of the Dark Blouse
- Pants: Express
- Shoes: Vivienne Westwood Tassel Rockinghorse Shoes
- Accessories: Alice and the Pirates Veil Silk Claris Hat, uF rose brooch, Alice and the Pirates belt
It’s too bad I can’t go to the exhibit myself, but I really wish I could! I don’t know much about Kumamoto besides their mascot Kumamon, so I would love to go visit on a future trip to Japan. I’ve been following Jiro on Twitter for a long time and I love their photographs; Jiro also wears fantastic coordinates themselves. From some photo previews they’ve posted, I can really see how much they love the city. It would be a dream to do something similar for Houston!
If you’d like to preview some of the other coordinates, the offiical Twitter and Instagram hashtag is #熊ロリ写真展. After the exhibit, certain portions of it will be uploaded to Jiro’s YouTube channel. I can’t wait to see everyone’s coordinates. Again, I give a huge thank you to Jiro for allowing me to participate! Make sure to check out their social media for their coordinates and photography!
Follow Jiro on social media: Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
