#dama does nihon

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Photos from Tokyo Doll Show 58 (5/1/20)!

I couldn’t possibly take photos of all the stalls - it was spread over three floors of a convention centre and each hall was BIG. This is only a small fraction of the stalls. I asked for permission from each stall for these photos (and/or took cues from signs as to whether photos were okay).

60+ more photos under the cut as well as information and links for the single artist doll makers:

The 7th floor housed Azone, Jenny (I think - I wasn’t very interested in that section) and tables set up for hobbyists to display their dolls and mingle. The hobbyists displaying in that particular section were almost entirely mostly men with Dollfie Dreams. There were maybe one or two women, or one or two non-vinyl dolls. 

Below are Azone’s displays. They also had several big piles of discounted clothes for various sizes and a pile of blank 1/6 obitsu heads. People were a little fierce in digging through the clothes... 

Here is just a little of the owner display area.

The 6th and 7th floors held the booths of the people selling their goods. A lot of amazing, quality handmade clothes, accessories, eyes, wigs, you name it, in many different styles and aesthetics. Parabox was here showing off their new big vinyl doll (the photo with the doll wrapped in plastic), as well as Alchemic Labo, and Quarantotto with Angel Philia dolls. 

Above is a gorgeous chubby 1/4 size doll from Dollybird called Kumako. As you can see she has animal feet or human feet.  They looked amazing and I loved them. 

There were also a handful of single artist dollmakers with some really unique dolls <3 I wished I could have bought at least several of them but budget didn’t permit... I at least was able to chat with the artists in Japanese and take their cards. 

Universal Poonyan (website):

Monster Factory Mayuko. (Instagram is @monsterfactorymayuko) These were all so cute I couldn’t even decide on what one I’d buy if I’d had the money, let alone which colour! 

Nayuta Nakamura, a bisque doll artist who was incredibly lovely and her work was stunning. Twitter and Instagram is @nayuta_nakamura 

H Yoshino's cat dolls (Instagram is @aiji0531)

Nanohana Doll (website). Full dolls and heads for Obitsu 11, made of polymer clay.

Factory 53 (website). I asked the maker if the robots were 3D printed because the material looked like it had the sort of texture that comes with that, but he told me they were made with papercraft first and then cast in resin that way! :O 

The remaining photos are of various booths who had lovely dolls on display that I particularly liked. There was no way I could have taken photos of everything, it took me something like 2.5  hours to just walk down every aisle of the very crowded venue. 

Finally, my tiny haul of loot! A bunch of pamphlets, flyers and a skirt and stockings for Kikipop from the discounted Azone piles :D 

The end of Tokyo Doll Show 58! Hope you scrolled this far and enjoyed the pics! 

I’m going to iDoll West in Osaka next weekend and hoping I can get photos up sooner this time :O 

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Some of the coolest things so far in my travels! I was daydreaming about finding a doujinshi by @gachipiso and I did ヽ(；▽；)ノ It’s so beautiful, and funny too! I didn’t see one from @supobi san, but I’ll keep looking and dreaming... :<

Also went to the Evangelion store in Shinjuku, Animate in Ikebukuro who had a Hardy Daytona and Buster Sword + FF7 Remake cutouts, and this beautiful kitsune dress in Shinjuku. 

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Tea ceremony at Urasenke Estate, Kyoto

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Photo I took in Kyoto today 🌈 〽️

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私は東京にいます！ここに一週間ぐらい止まって、京都の立命館大学で 一月間勉強します。 一番すてきなことは二つのドールショーに行くことができます。1月5日の東京ドールショーと1月19日のiDoll Westです。驚くほど幸運です。オーストラリア人としてこんな大きいショーに行くことがありませんでした。次の話はちょっと長いし、疲れているし、英語だけで書きます。^^

I’m in Tokyo! I’m here for about a week before studying at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto for a month.  The most incredible thing is that I’m going to be able to attend TWO ball jointed doll shows while I’m here in Japan. Tokyo Doll Show is on 5 January, and iDoll West in Osaka is on 19 January. What incredible luck! As an Aussie I’ve never been to any kind of convention like that - they’re gonna be massive! 

Yesterday I had to find my way from Narita Airport to Ekoda Station (on the other side of Tokyo) with no maps, train information or internet. It took about six hours from landing in Narita to drop my suitcase at a delivery counter, pick up my SIM card (which it turns out takes a long time to activate), and manage to catch trains and finally a taxi to my hotel. It was one of the worst days of my life, barring pet deaths x_X Not to mention that apparently right now is the peak time for drunken end of year parties called "bounenkai" (忘年会, literally "forget the year meetings"). Ikebukuro station was full of drunks, police arresting someone who'd hit someone else with a bruised face, and station attendants who'd immediately turn and walk in the opposite direction when they saw a foreigner approaching them.

So yeah it was a really bad experience that I don't want to think about but I'm happy about a few things: (1) I managed to not make a spectacle of being a crying gaijin at Ikebukuro station. (2) I can speak in full sentences in Japanese and people can understand me easily, and vice versa (usually, but I'm sure people are speaking simply for me as well). (3) The taxi driver who took me from Ikebukuro to Ekoda at 12am was such a nice garrulous old man and I love him for being so kind. (4) There were several other really kind people along the way, who kind of make up for the less kind ones.

Today was a self care day. I napped a lot, and went out twice - once to grab lunch at the conbini next door, and again after another nap to go to a supermarket. Pics are the balcony that opens off the hallway at this hotel, my cute outfit for today, green tea, grilled soy sauce onigiri and katsu curry, the bounty from the supermarket consisting of 2x lemon and grape flavoured alcohol, kitsune soba and mystery ramen, milk, strawberry chocolate, something random for dinner, another onigiri, and tea. Unfortunately I've just found out the tea tastes like shit omg... it literally tastes and smells like chemicals, this is an outrage 😖

Later tonight I'm gonna hop in the super deep Japanese style bath for a while to get rid of the aches of carrying heavy luggage, and then figure out what adventures and quests I want to go on tomorrow.

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Fox Village, Shiroishi-zao, Japan (via Damasquerade)

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Mandarake Shibuya doll section

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Why People Are Scrolling Past Your Posts (And How to Fix It)

You’re showing up and posting, only to find your posts feel like a shout in the wind. 

Engagement across social media, blogs, and online arenas are down in general. Paid ads and over-commercialization are taking over organic leads. What does this mean? Organic leads are still possible, but it requires more strategy and specificity. 

If your Tiktok dance reels are pulling in a lot of viewers but none of them are converting, is it really helping your business? Is over-selling and promising that “I made six-figures in a month with THIS passive income strategy. You can too!” really helping anyone? It’s like saying you can buy a unicorn from someone and sell it’s individual, rainbow luminescent hairs for the low, low price of $2 a pop and never have to work again. These days, people can see straight through too-good-to-be true marketing “strategies.”

So unicorns aside… you might be asking, “How can I make my content marketing strategy work? How can I turn it around?” Let’s find out. 

1. Pretty Posts Aren’t It (At least, not all of it) 

The problem: So you’re sitting there with your perfect, hand-crafted Canva design. It pops, has bold, brand-aligning colors, beautiful font, and great symmetry. All the things you’ve seen that you think makes a post “professional”. You click post. And then… crickets. 

Fix it: Okay, the design is good. But what does your post actually say? Let’s pretend you’re a career coach looking for clients who are in the middle of a career transition. What’s going to connect? Your post saying “new clients get a free 30-minute Zoom conference with me!” isn’t going to do it. 

Saying something like, “I suffered from imposter syndrome for years. Here’s how I started owning what I was worth” is relatable and gives potential clients a reason to click, because they want to know how you did so they can do it too. 

Tip: Use phrases like “Here’s how I started my own life coaching business” or “This is the message I needed 6 months ago” to encourage curiosity. 

2. You're Posting for the Algorithm, Not for People

The problem: What’s the social media algorithm? The ever elusive algorithm is something that never seems to get pinned down. If it does, it changes before it’s of any use to anyone. And anyway, even if you do solve the algorithm, your post might make it front of a big audience, but will it be the right one? Will it be people who care about what you’re saying? 

Fix it: Stop worrying about impressions and clicks. Write for people who might really want your service, your product, or the expertise you have. It’s not about creating for the thousands but for the one person who might just be your next big client. What do they want? 

3. Are You Starting a Conversation?

The problem: People might engage with your content for 30 seconds and genuinely enjoy your carousel, post, or video, but what opportunities are you giving them to talk to you and stick around? People want to feel heard. They want to know that their problems, their life, their story matters to you. 

Fix it: Ask them to share their own experience in the comments or DM you and if they do, make sure you first listen, then respond.

In my previous career, I was a teacher and a behavior technician, which means I was always listening to other people’s problems to get them a solution. It trained me to hear the problem first, then present a relevant solution. Sometimes, just listening is a greater art form than being a great speaker or salesperson. 

4. Perseverance Prevails

The problem: We’ve all seen it. A friend, a family member, or even someone we came across online started a new project and, after not seeing the results they wanted, they give up within months. The problem is the search for immediate gratification. Everyone wants it, everyone’s “selling” it, but it’s not real or even attainable.  

Fix it: Play the long game. A lot of freelancers, business owners, or writers quit because they’re not seeing immediate results. They wanted and expected success today. By not giving up, you’re already ahead of the 95% of people who already did. 

5. You're Focusing Only on Promotion, Not Connection

The problem: Every post is “Buy this,” “Book now,” “Here’s my offer.” But here’s the thing. People aren’t using social media or any online forum to be sold to. They’re using social media as a search engine. And the search results they get? They can take them or leave them. It’s not like a TV commercial that holds you captive until your show comes back on. If it’s not interesting, they’ll skip it. And who can blame them?  

Fix it: Follow the 80/20 rule. Share 80% value-driven or relatable content, and promote 20% of the time. People want information, entertainment, and relatability. Stop the scroll. Put content in front of your audience that will make them step on the brakes! 

6. Show Up For Your Business

The problem: If you only post once in a blue moon, it sort of decreases how reliable you seem. I know if I’ve been checking out a business online, and I see they haven’t posted since last year, I might assume they’ve either closed up shop or aren’t actively looking for new clients or customers. Or they don’t care. All dangerous things for a potential client, customer, or reader to assume. 

Fix it: This is one of the reasons why hiring a social media manager or content specialist might be a good idea. It maintains consistency in your posting so if anyone starts researching your online activity to see if you’re still around or how often you’re around, they’ll know you’re still there and you still care.

That Real Engagement You’ve Been Looking For

One thing I’ve learned is you don’t have to shout louder to be heard. You just need to find the people your message is for, get it in front of them (not the masses), and then sit down and listen. When it’s your turn to talk, tell them exactly how you can help.

So, let’s talk. You start.

What’s the hardest thing about using social media or other online tools (blogs, etc.) to maintain your online presence? Time? Energy? The general overwhelm and frustration of trying to be everywhere at once? 

🦉 Tired of DIY? It might be time to get it done-for-you. ✨ Let’s chat and get your content all shined up and ready to go for the month! One less thing to worry about, right? 

Source: Why People Are Scrolling Past Your Posts (And How to Fix It)

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Azone flagship store in Akihabara, display photos part 1

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Masuoka Hachimangu Shrine, Shiroishi, Japan (via Damasquerade)

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I held a baby fox and I'm ready to die now. Took so many photos of foxes today. Like 100 foxes worth 🦊

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Misc dolls at Nakano Broadway, Tokyo

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The Kikipop display at the Azone store in Akihabara 💕 I really wanted to buy the bottom one, Nijiiro Drops Soda Blue 🙈 I had a dream once about finding a Kikipop in a toy store for $5 haha.

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Tokyo Doll and Azone displays at the Amiami store in Akihabara

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Horrible animegao masks in the front of an adult store 😂 they had interchangeable eyes and eyebrow/lash decal choices

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Caffeine injection at Gundam Cafe in Akihabara

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In-flight entertainment. The Last Unicorn. In Tokyo now. Stressing like mad T_T At least people seem to understand me when I speak Japanese hahsjshhshejsiid