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I was lucky enough to participate in many overseas events throughout 2017! I got to travel abroad almost every month of the year! My last trip of 2017 was to Shanghai in December, a city that I got to visit five times in the space of one year! It is clear that Lolita fashion is spreading in China. You can even notice its popularity in everyday life.

A big "COMICUP" event was held during my last trip to Shanghai! Anime, manga, and games were a major focus of the festival. Nonetheless, many of the 300 stands that were set-up featured lolita-style fashion, wigs, and brands. Most Chinese Lolita fashion brands do not have stores, but instead conduct their business online or by mail order. That means events like "COMICUP" provide people with the chance to come into direct contact with all kinds of products, including lolita clothes.


Lolita fashion brands from all over China gathered for the event. And fans of the lolita look from across the country converged at the venue! This time I participated as a guest model at a booth put together by the Japanese company "Emily Temple cute." It is a brand that I have been a fan of for a long time. I even wear some of their garments in daily life! Their animal print seems to be particularly popular in China! I got the chance to wear an outfit that featured a rabbit-inspired pattern. "Emily Temple cute" creates a range of Lolita-style clothing, including casual, comfortable, easy-to-wear apparel that maintains an elegant quality.

During the event, I participated in a signing session, took photographs with guests, and participated in a live broadcast! There was a cute photo booth set-up, which proved to be a great place for visitors to take a snap! It feels like these kinds of instagrammable spots are popular all over the world! I also had the opportunity to meet up with my good friend Midori Fukasawa who was appearing as a guest model for another brand participating at the festival. During some spare time, I went to a bar in fancy hotel, had a drink while looking out at Shanghai Tower, and tried shark fin soup for the first time. It is said to be full of collagen, which helps make your skin smooth. I had such a fantastic time!


Many things have come to mind when I have traveled abroad. Popular social media platforms vary from place to place, Twitter is really popular in Japan, while weibo is big in China, and lots of people use Instagram in the United States. "Instagrammable" became something of a buzzword last year. I have got to say, lolita fashion is a look that is naturally Instagrammable. I am also on Instagram. Some video clips I have uploaded have received around 4.5 million views!

One that has been viewed a lot of times is a video of me pounding mochi (Japanese rice) cakes during the New Year dressed in lolita clothing! Mochi pounding is a well-known part of New Year culture in Japan, but the custom is probably not so famous overseas. There seemed to be a lot of buzz around the video, with the public leaving comments such as the "mochi looks like a rabbit or a cat," and "It looks like big cheese fondue." There is another video of a pancake shop "紅鶴 (Benizuru)"'s pancake inside an Asakusa-based store! The clip gained a lot of attention and social media users filled the comment section with all kinds of interesting remarks, including "That is such a small amount of syrup for such a massive pancake!" However, the proportion of syrup to pancake shown in the video is pretty common in Japan! It was a clip that highlighted some of the cultural differences that exist!

It is now easier than ever to connect with people overseas using social media. It is not just fashion, I now thinking that I would like to share information about Japanese culture and food. It would be nice to start creating posts about making rice cakes (mochi) and Japanese sweets. It is possible to study and learn about so many things on social media!