THE CONGREGATION: MMXI

The second annual meeting of the Ghost in the Cloak Society of Life Abundant in the Face of Death Imminent  has flared and vanished.  This year's chosen temple was the forever unsanctified Cinebar (this place ruined my fucking life... I love it there).  All love and respect to everyone who came out to celebrate the long road we've all been walking.  

Thanks especially to:
SBEN95 and CJAR03 for helping set up.
RLYN04 for making the t-shirts and posters.
JRUI04 and crew for the libations.
CHEF07 and JVAD09 for the nourishment.
MAXD95 for the image captures.
SUME04 and TDEG09 for forging the keys.

Good times.

Photos: MAXD95

OSAKA: JINEN

I have yet to find another place upon the face of the Earth that comes within telescopic tasting range of Beni Toro at Jinen in Osaka.

Every time I land in Osaka my taste buds stir in anticipation of the coming event they will soon collectively rejoice in.

Max, Ichibay, and I made a date out of it.

DR. PETER VENKMAN: WE CAME, WE SAW, WE KICKED ITS ASS!

No survivors... Busaba.

OSAKA: TAKO TAKO KING

Location:Osaka, Japan

BLACK OPS

Once again across the Pacific working full black.

Black Op: a covert operation typically involving activities that are highly clandestine and, often, outside of standard protocol.Although the part is small and ends with an untimely death, (skinned-a-)live ika plays an important role in this extended adventure.

Photo: Max Dolberg

Location:Asakusa, Japan

OSAKA: GOHAN GHOST

Matt smokes too much...

Photo: Max Dolberg

Location:Ōsaka City,Japan

CYBERCORN...DAWG

Gibson didn't mention anything about this in Neuromancer...

 Daruma kaicho!!

Photo: Max Dolberg
Location:Shinsaibashi, Ōsaka City,Japan

OSAKA: GOHAN

Worth the plane ticket...

Photo: Max Dolberg
Location:Ōsaka City,Japan

OSAKA: OBTRUSIVELY CONSPICUOUS

Its rude to stare when people are eating you...

Location:Osaka, Japan

OSAKA: CRITTER BURGER

There's a burger truck in Osaka called Critter Burger (yup). During the BloodWork exhibition the bovine murder van pulled up and promptly began peddling "Three Tides" burgers... Deep in the branding abyss someone is chuckling.

All photos by Max Dolberg

Location:１丁目,Ōsaka City,Japan

LONDON: 09

Tattooing in London went well. Finished up some existing work and started a few freshies. Here's a pile of picks...

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Back in SJ now but the London fog seems to have settled into my brain. Let lag is nasty this time. Can barely hear anything. Feel like my mind is at the end of a Jello filled, reverberant hallway.

LONDON: FOODGASM

This place alone is worth the plane ticket. For anyone who thinks there is nothing but bangers and mash to sustain oneself on in the UK... you aint' never been to Busaba Eathai in the SoHo.




And they have some of the most interesting restroom signage I've come across...

JP: FOOD, WORK, FRIENDS

Matt, Masa, and I bounced around JP on our way from Osaka to Tokyo. Eventually made it all the way up to Yokohama before scooting back down to Tokyo. Checked into a weekly hotel, ate, got drunk, wandered around, blacked out. Woke up and started tattooing (pine for the days when tattooing out of a hotel was no problem). Later in the evening we visited with friends and had some really amazing food. For the next five days we basically repeated the same daily routine before bouncing our way back to Osaka.













Met some new people and experienced a few entirely new tastes.
More adventure flicks here!