Gay Japan | LGBTQ+ Travel Gui, Japan Gay Rights & Safety Tips

Contents:

• THE 10 BEST TOKYO GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS TOKYO
• THE 8 BT LGBT-FRIENDLY BARS TOKYO KABICHO, SHJU | © 思弦 張/ FLICKR LUCY DAYMAN 13 FEBARY 2018 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THOUGH JAPAN’S LGBTIQ+ MUNY SEEMS A LTLE MORE HIDN THAN S WTERN NEIGHBOURS, THERE’S STILL A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE QUEER MUNY HERE TOKYO. THE BT WAY TO GET VOLVED IS BY GOG OUT AND JOG THE MANY UNIQUE PARTI AND EVENTS THAT HAPPEN ALL YEAR ROUND. SHJU‘S NI-CHOME (ALSO WRTEN AS 2-CHOME) AREA IS THE HEART OF TOKYO’S GAY SCENE. FEATURG A DIVERSE LLECTN OF BARS AND PATRONS, ’S ONLY A TEN-MUTE WALK OM SHJU STATN. HERE’S JT A HANDFUL OF SOME OF THE BT LGBT-IENDLY BARS THE AREA. VIEW ALL TRIPS ARTY FARTY ARTY FARTY IS A LONG NNG NI-CHOME FAVOURE. IT FEATUR A STEAMY, ALWAYS BTLG DANCE FLOOR AND A VERY FOREIGNER-IENDLY ATMOSPHERE. TUCKED UP A SMALL STAIRWAY, THIS PLACE GETS PRETTY PACKED ON THE WEEKENDS, SO IF YOU’RE LOOKG TO MAKE SOME NEW IENDS OR MEET ONE SPECIAL IEND, YOU’LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME LUCK HERE. IN ORR TO KEEP GAY IENDLY, ON FRIDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT LADI HAVE TO BRG ALONG A GAY MALE CHAPERONE. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP ICELAND EGYPT SOUTH AI INDIA GREECE TURKEY ECUADOR JAPAN BALI SPA CROATIA MOROC THAILAND MEXI 2 CHOME-11-7 SHJU, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 5362 9720 - EMBED - DRAGON MEN IF YOU’RE WANRG AROUND THE AREA AND HAVE NO IA WHERE TO GO, JT HEAD STRAIGHT TO DRAGON MEN. A FAILSAFE OPTN, THIS VERY POPULAR BAR IS FILLED WH AN ECLECTIC MIX OF BOTH JAPANE AND FOREIGN PATRONS EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. THE MIC IS A SHAMELS MIX OF TOP 40 POP BANGERS AND EDM. THE WEEKENDS IS WHEN ’S REALLY HAPPENG; HOWEVER, DO N A PRETTY NICE LTLE HAPPY HOUR AL BETWEEN 6PM TO 8PM MONDAY TO THURSDAY. CARIBBEAN COLOMBIA DISVER COLOMBIA’S CARIBBEAN AST, OM CARTAGENA TO PALOMO VIA JUNGL, RIVERS AND ISLANDS. VIEW TRIP 2 CHOME-11-14 SHJU, SHJU TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 3341 0606 - EMBED - AIIRO CAFé STG ON ONE OF NI-CHOME’S MOST WELL-TRODN RNERS IS THE MALY OUTDOOR AIIRO CAFé AND BAR. HOME TO A DIVERSE GROUP OF CLIENTS OF ALL GENRS, THE BAR HAS AN CREDIBLY WELG ATMOSPHERE. OPEN OM 6PM ON, THIS IS ONE OF THE BT PLAC TO START YOUR EVENG. TO FD , JT WANR THE STREETS OF NI-CHOME AND KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THE LARGE TORII GATE THAT HOVERS OVER THE BAR’S ENTRANCE AND THE HEAVG CROWD OF GUTS HANDG AROUND THE ENTRANCE. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. 7TH TENKA BUILDG 1F, SHJU 2-18-1, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 6273 0740 - EMBED - NEW SAZAE FOR SOMETHG A LTLE MORE CLASSIC, YOU N’T MISS THE CHANCE TO VIS NEW SAZAE. A GAY BAR AND OLD-SCHOOL DIS HUB, THIS TOKYO STUTN HAS BEEN AROUND SCE 1966 AND IS STILL AS POPULAR AS EVER. EVERYONE IS WELE HERE, AS LONG AS YOU LIKE TO DANCE. SOUNDTRACK-WISE THE MIC IS MALY A BLEND OF ‘70S AND ‘80S DIS AND HOE. THOUGH ’S MOST POPULAR ON THE WEEKEND, THE BAR IS OPEN EVERY SGLE DAY OF THE YEAR, AND S FASCATG AND WELG OWNER SHN IS A NI-CHOME IN. SHJU ISHIKAWA BUILDG, 2 CHOME – 18 – 5, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 3354 1745 - EMBED - TAC’S KNOT FOR THOSE TERTED QUEER ART AND CULTURE, THEN MAKE YOUR WAY TO TAC’S KNOT. THIS ZY CKTAIL BAR IS ALL ABOUT GAY ART. THE WALLS OF THE TABLISHMENT FEATURE A ROTATG DISPLAY OF ARTWORK BY A DIFFERENT ARTIST EACH MONTH. THE MAN BEHD THE BAR, MASTER TAC, IS A LOL LEGEND AND AN IN THE GAY ART SCENE. A LTLE MORE LAID-BACK THAN SOME OF S NEIGHBOURS, THE BAR IS OPEN BETWEEN 8PM AND 3AM EVERY DAY. TAKANO MA STORE BUILDG, 2 CHOME – 18 – 5, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN - EMBED - CAMPY! BAR RUN BY INIC LOL CROSS-DRSER BOURBONNE, THIS Fé AND BAR IS A VERY WELG HUB FOR PEOPLE OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THE MA ATTRACTN HERE IS THE BAR’S DRAG SHOWS, WHICH TYPILLY START AT AROUND 8PM. POPULAR FOR S IENDLY AND FUN ATMOSPHERE AND IMPECBLE SERVICE, CAMPY! BAR IS A GREAT PLACE TO BEG YOUR FORAY TO THE NI-CHOME SCENE. ANOTHER BON IS, UNLIKE MANY OTHER CLUBS THE AREA, THERE’S NO ENTRY CHARGE HERE, UNLS YOU WANT TO RERVE A SOFA ON THE WEEKENDS, WHICH STS 1,000 YEN (US$9.25). TOKYO, SHJU, MASHO BUILDG, 2 CHOME-13-10, SHJU, TOKYO, +81 3 3341 4445 - EMBED - GOLD FGER LBIAN BARS ARE QUICKLY BEG AN ENDANGERED SPECI ACROSS THE WORLD; HOWEVER, NI-CHOME’S POPULAR GOLD FGER ISN’T GOG ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON. THIS LOL IN IS OPEN TO EVERYONE ALL NIGHTS OF THE WEEK EXCEPT SATURDAYS WHEN ’S STRICTLY WOMEN ONLY. HOME TO A DIVERSE SELECTN OF PATRONS OM ACROSS THE WORLD, THE BAR’S MA DRAWRD IS THE MUNAL KARAOKE SSNS – YOU ARE THE WORLD PAL OF KARAOKE AFTER ALL. 2 CHOME-12-11, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 6383 4649 - EMBED - AISOTOPE LOUNGE A LTLE B MORE OF A NEWER ON THE NI-CHOME SCENE, AISOTOPE LOUNGE OPENED 2012, BUT HAS QUICKLY GAED A LOYAL CTOMER BASE. WEAVG ACROSS TWO ROOMS, THIS IS ONE OF THE AREA’S BIGGER NIGHTCLUBS, AND AS A RULT THEY HOST A NUMBER OF SPECIAL PARTI AND ONE OFF EVENTS. FROM EDM, TECHNO AND POP, WHAT TYPE OF MIC YOU’LL HEAR PENDS ON THE NIGHT, BUT IF YOU DO MA DOWN, ’S GUARANTEED TO BE A WHOLE STACK OF FUN. 2 CHOME – 12, SHJU 2 – CHOME 12 – 16, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 6380 1504 - EMBED - VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
• WHY GAY-IENDLY TAIWAN IS A CREATIVE HAVEN FOR LGBTQ ART
• TOP 11 GAY FRIENDLY HOTELS IN TOKYO
• THE 10 BEST JAPAN GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS JAPAN

THE 10 BEST TOKYO GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS TOKYO

15 plac sorted by traveler favorDner Theaters • Gay BarsWhat travelers are saygMiguelLos Angel, CA26 ntributnsExplorg the area I ma up my list and we had the Mcle Bar Black Nu on our list, the staff is very iendly and we had a nice eveng wh them and the other ctomers even if we don’t speak Japane, we drk, we sg and left happy! MiguelLos Angel, CA26 ntributnsEagle is a pretty ol bar the gay block at Shju, the staff is very iendly and sce s a place wh a lot of ternatnal visors they speak English! In orr to keep gay iendly, on Friday and Sunday night ladi have to brg along a gay male chaperone.

A gay bar and old-school dis hub, this Tokyo stutn has been around sce 1966 and is still as popular as ever. LGBTQ+ travel expert Ed Salvato shows around the gayborhood and shar his safety tips.

THE 8 BT LGBT-FRIENDLY BARS TOKYO KABICHO, SHJU | © 思弦 張/ FLICKR LUCY DAYMAN 13 FEBARY 2018 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THOUGH JAPAN’S LGBTIQ+ MUNY SEEMS A LTLE MORE HIDN THAN S WTERN NEIGHBOURS, THERE’S STILL A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE QUEER MUNY HERE TOKYO. THE BT WAY TO GET VOLVED IS BY GOG OUT AND JOG THE MANY UNIQUE PARTI AND EVENTS THAT HAPPEN ALL YEAR ROUND. SHJU‘S NI-CHOME (ALSO WRTEN AS 2-CHOME) AREA IS THE HEART OF TOKYO’S GAY SCENE. FEATURG A DIVERSE LLECTN OF BARS AND PATRONS, ’S ONLY A TEN-MUTE WALK OM SHJU STATN. HERE’S JT A HANDFUL OF SOME OF THE BT LGBT-IENDLY BARS THE AREA. VIEW ALL TRIPS ARTY FARTY ARTY FARTY IS A LONG NNG NI-CHOME FAVOURE. IT FEATUR A STEAMY, ALWAYS BTLG DANCE FLOOR AND A VERY FOREIGNER-IENDLY ATMOSPHERE. TUCKED UP A SMALL STAIRWAY, THIS PLACE GETS PRETTY PACKED ON THE WEEKENDS, SO IF YOU’RE LOOKG TO MAKE SOME NEW IENDS OR MEET ONE SPECIAL IEND, YOU’LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME LUCK HERE. IN ORR TO KEEP GAY IENDLY, ON FRIDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT LADI HAVE TO BRG ALONG A GAY MALE CHAPERONE. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP ICELAND EGYPT SOUTH AI INDIA GREECE TURKEY ECUADOR JAPAN BALI SPA CROATIA MOROC THAILAND MEXI 2 CHOME-11-7 SHJU, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 5362 9720 - EMBED - DRAGON MEN IF YOU’RE WANRG AROUND THE AREA AND HAVE NO IA WHERE TO GO, JT HEAD STRAIGHT TO DRAGON MEN. A FAILSAFE OPTN, THIS VERY POPULAR BAR IS FILLED WH AN ECLECTIC MIX OF BOTH JAPANE AND FOREIGN PATRONS EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. THE MIC IS A SHAMELS MIX OF TOP 40 POP BANGERS AND EDM. THE WEEKENDS IS WHEN ’S REALLY HAPPENG; HOWEVER, DO N A PRETTY NICE LTLE HAPPY HOUR AL BETWEEN 6PM TO 8PM MONDAY TO THURSDAY. CARIBBEAN COLOMBIA DISVER COLOMBIA’S CARIBBEAN AST, OM CARTAGENA TO PALOMO VIA JUNGL, RIVERS AND ISLANDS. VIEW TRIP 2 CHOME-11-14 SHJU, SHJU TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 3341 0606 - EMBED - AIIRO CAFé STG ON ONE OF NI-CHOME’S MOST WELL-TRODN RNERS IS THE MALY OUTDOOR AIIRO CAFé AND BAR. HOME TO A DIVERSE GROUP OF CLIENTS OF ALL GENRS, THE BAR HAS AN CREDIBLY WELG ATMOSPHERE. OPEN OM 6PM ON, THIS IS ONE OF THE BT PLAC TO START YOUR EVENG. TO FD , JT WANR THE STREETS OF NI-CHOME AND KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THE LARGE TORII GATE THAT HOVERS OVER THE BAR’S ENTRANCE AND THE HEAVG CROWD OF GUTS HANDG AROUND THE ENTRANCE. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. 7TH TENKA BUILDG 1F, SHJU 2-18-1, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 6273 0740 - EMBED - NEW SAZAE FOR SOMETHG A LTLE MORE CLASSIC, YOU N’T MISS THE CHANCE TO VIS NEW SAZAE. A GAY BAR AND OLD-SCHOOL DIS HUB, THIS TOKYO STUTN HAS BEEN AROUND SCE 1966 AND IS STILL AS POPULAR AS EVER. EVERYONE IS WELE HERE, AS LONG AS YOU LIKE TO DANCE. SOUNDTRACK-WISE THE MIC IS MALY A BLEND OF ‘70S AND ‘80S DIS AND HOE. THOUGH ’S MOST POPULAR ON THE WEEKEND, THE BAR IS OPEN EVERY SGLE DAY OF THE YEAR, AND S FASCATG AND WELG OWNER SHN IS A NI-CHOME IN. SHJU ISHIKAWA BUILDG, 2 CHOME – 18 – 5, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 3354 1745 - EMBED - TAC’S KNOT FOR THOSE TERTED QUEER ART AND CULTURE, THEN MAKE YOUR WAY TO TAC’S KNOT. THIS ZY CKTAIL BAR IS ALL ABOUT GAY ART. THE WALLS OF THE TABLISHMENT FEATURE A ROTATG DISPLAY OF ARTWORK BY A DIFFERENT ARTIST EACH MONTH. THE MAN BEHD THE BAR, MASTER TAC, IS A LOL LEGEND AND AN IN THE GAY ART SCENE. A LTLE MORE LAID-BACK THAN SOME OF S NEIGHBOURS, THE BAR IS OPEN BETWEEN 8PM AND 3AM EVERY DAY. TAKANO MA STORE BUILDG, 2 CHOME – 18 – 5, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN - EMBED - CAMPY! BAR RUN BY INIC LOL CROSS-DRSER BOURBONNE, THIS Fé AND BAR IS A VERY WELG HUB FOR PEOPLE OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THE MA ATTRACTN HERE IS THE BAR’S DRAG SHOWS, WHICH TYPILLY START AT AROUND 8PM. POPULAR FOR S IENDLY AND FUN ATMOSPHERE AND IMPECBLE SERVICE, CAMPY! BAR IS A GREAT PLACE TO BEG YOUR FORAY TO THE NI-CHOME SCENE. ANOTHER BON IS, UNLIKE MANY OTHER CLUBS THE AREA, THERE’S NO ENTRY CHARGE HERE, UNLS YOU WANT TO RERVE A SOFA ON THE WEEKENDS, WHICH STS 1,000 YEN (US$9.25). TOKYO, SHJU, MASHO BUILDG, 2 CHOME-13-10, SHJU, TOKYO, +81 3 3341 4445 - EMBED - GOLD FGER LBIAN BARS ARE QUICKLY BEG AN ENDANGERED SPECI ACROSS THE WORLD; HOWEVER, NI-CHOME’S POPULAR GOLD FGER ISN’T GOG ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON. THIS LOL IN IS OPEN TO EVERYONE ALL NIGHTS OF THE WEEK EXCEPT SATURDAYS WHEN ’S STRICTLY WOMEN ONLY. HOME TO A DIVERSE SELECTN OF PATRONS OM ACROSS THE WORLD, THE BAR’S MA DRAWRD IS THE MUNAL KARAOKE SSNS – YOU ARE THE WORLD PAL OF KARAOKE AFTER ALL. 2 CHOME-12-11, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 6383 4649 - EMBED - AISOTOPE LOUNGE A LTLE B MORE OF A NEWER ON THE NI-CHOME SCENE, AISOTOPE LOUNGE OPENED 2012, BUT HAS QUICKLY GAED A LOYAL CTOMER BASE. WEAVG ACROSS TWO ROOMS, THIS IS ONE OF THE AREA’S BIGGER NIGHTCLUBS, AND AS A RULT THEY HOST A NUMBER OF SPECIAL PARTI AND ONE OFF EVENTS. FROM EDM, TECHNO AND POP, WHAT TYPE OF MIC YOU’LL HEAR PENDS ON THE NIGHT, BUT IF YOU DO MA DOWN, ’S GUARANTEED TO BE A WHOLE STACK OF FUN. 2 CHOME – 12, SHJU 2 – CHOME 12 – 16, SHJU, TOKYO, JAPAN, +81 3 6380 1504 - EMBED - VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Sexualy – homo or hetero – is nsired a private matter; It’s not flnted public displays of affectn or discsed.

That said, homosexualy is legal Japan, wh small protectns for gays, lbians and even transgenr people enacted mostly on a lol level. As openly gay travelers (who ed the word hband, but didn’t hold hands public), we felt pletely fortable and wele. This is where you’ll fd the gay neighbourhood and the most ncentrated dose of queer travel Japan offers.

5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)

Near the seedy red-light district is Ni-chome district, a clter of olr low-rise buildgs wh hundreds of tablishments oriented towards gay men. Dpe the hundreds of gay bars Tokyo, there are only a few optns for non-Japane speakg ctomers.

OutAsia Travel offers night tours of Shju — basilly a gay gui to brg you to two or three of the bars that wele foreigners, and generally show you around. Dancg was banned Shju’s gay clubs startg Augt of 2012, wh signs and tabl stalled on the dance floor to ter dancg. For the most extensive and up-to-date bar, club and sna listgs, the bt reference is A prtout of their gay map is also very eful.

Full-erary planng assistance: In our search for assistance and rmatn, all gay roads Tokyo led to Shtaro, the owner of OutAsia Travel.

WHY GAY-IENDLY TAIWAN IS A CREATIVE HAVEN FOR LGBTQ ART

Visors to Tokyo the send half of July n enjoy the Rabow Reel Tokyo, Internatnal Lbian & Gay Film Ftival which has been an important cultural event sce s tablishment 1991! Vis Gay Osaka was created to velop unique experienc foced around staabily, diversy, and valy wh the aim of makg Osaka an LGBTQ-iendly space for visors. The lol gay district, Doyama, wh s bars, clubs, and vibrant nightlife - pecially remend on weekends, is a proof of that.

From Vis Gay Osaka’s betiful promotnal vio, to Osaka Conventn & Tourism Bure's recently lnched a seri of experienc that visors n enjoy the pany of geo Drag Queens, Osaka has somethg for everyone.

TOP 11 GAY FRIENDLY HOTELS IN TOKYO

An English speakg gui will take you to some of the bt gay bars around where you n enjoy drkg the pany of Drag Queens.

In an attempt to help terme the worst plac for gay travelers, the duo created the 2019 LGBTQ+ Danger Inx, rankg the world’s most dangero—and saft—untri for gay travelers. The uple also updated the list wh the bt and worst plac for gay travelers 2021, which n be viewed here.

The journalists looked at the top 150 most-vised untri the world by the number of g tourists, then ranked them g eight factors, cludg laws agast gay relatnships, legal protectn agast discrimatn and more. Toppg the LGBTQ+ Danger Inx is Nigeria, which is nsired the worst untry for vlence agast gay travelers. There, people n be put prison for up to 14 years jt for beg gay, and some stat even have the ath penalty unr Sharia law.

THE 10 BEST JAPAN GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS JAPAN

In almost all s, the laws outlawg nsensual gay sex were put to place unr Brish le and were left place followg pennce. “In 2018, India managed to annul Sectn 377, a Brish lonial-era law prohibg ‘unnatural acts, ’ orr to legalize nsensual gay sex, ” says Fergson, who pots out that ancient Indian lerature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many referenc to LGBTQ+ hero cludg transgenr warrrs and two queens who ma love orr for one queen to get pregnant wh an heir for their kgdom.