Shju Nichome: Stretchg Your Yen Tokyo's Gay District | Tokyo Cheapo

Contents:

• GAY TOKYO
• SHJU NICHOME: STRETCHG YOUR YEN THE GAYBORHOOD
• GAY TOKYO · CY GUI
• TOKYO GAY NIGHT TOURS WH TOKYO HANDSOME BOYS

GAY TOKYO

Rints range om outrageoly out-there, alien, and genr-bent to culturally tradnal and polilly nservative (though 's worth notg that the past few years have seen LGBTQ activists elected to ernment offic cludg Kanako Otsuji, the first openly gay member of the Hoe of Reprentativ, and 2019, Taiga Ishikawa to Japan's Hoe of Councillors). To w, some of the most popular genr of manga and anime are gay-themed "yaoi" and "BL" (short for "boylove") romanc, which sell like gangbters among Japane femal and have spired dozens of live-actn movi the same ve.

" about a gay uple and the wonrful food they nsume (which has spired viewers to create those dish at home). The center of Japan's gay universe his pla sight, smack dab the 7-square-e district (or ward) of Shju, Tokyo. A 10 or 15-mute walk om btlg Shju Statn brgs you to a quieter, more rintial feelg sectn of the cy lled Shju Ni-chome, which is home to at least a hundred LGBTQ bars and clubs, a sna plex, and gay-centric shops brimmg wh clothg, accsori, paraphernalia, and adult goods.

2, " which offer a ep dive to Shju Ni-chome's history and how beme the "gayborhood" is today, wh glimps behd the closed doors.

SHJU NICHOME: STRETCHG YOUR YEN THE GAYBORHOOD

And 2019, Queer Eye dispatched s Fab Five to Tokyo for a season to dig to the culture and gay life. Queer men n also get the si sop on Tokyo gay life, and possibly make a iend (or more), via the app 9Monsters: s chat functn nveniently to translat English to Japane and vice versa, and there's a b of Pokemon cutens to the way assigns a kd of creature (or Monster) to the er and the type of guy they seem to like. GaijPot Travel, a webse for English-speakg expats (and would-be expats, also featur a helpful page of Tokyo LGBTQ plac to check out, om f to nightlife, pl Japane gay bar etiquette and other helpful cultural hts.

), and Shju Ni-chome's 24 Kaikan Shju adds a whole lot of gay cisg and actn to the mix, wh eight floors of facili cludg steam room, dark rooms, and private bs (for a premium). Kick thgs off wh the misleadgly named New Sazae, which is actually Tokyo's olst gay bar— opened 1966—and pays plenty of homage to s past wh s r and "funky dis" and soul mic nights.

AiSOTOPE Lounge, possibly the district's biggt gay venue, boasts two dance floors, a stage, and mix thgs up wh men-only (and very cisy! For more sual fare, some gay bars and f also offer food cludg Alamas Cafe and women-only Dorobune.

GAY TOKYO · CY GUI

Shju Ni-chome offers a taptry of gay bars, clubs, and diverse spac and is also the se of the cy’s annual pri para. Shju Nichome is known as Tokyo’s gay district.

TOKYO GAY NIGHT TOURS WH TOKYO HANDSOME BOYS

The area is home to high ncentratn of gay bars, clubs and rtrants—but how do you choose where to go? Which brgs on to the next pot of gettg your money’s worth the gayborhood—htg up the happy hours! Wh a populatn of 13 ln, the cy has been scribed as one of the three "mand centers" for the world enomy, along wh New York and cy is also renowned for s exceptnal range of excellent rtrants wh The Michel Gui awardg Tokyo far more Michel stars of any other ci the Rights JapanCurrently, there are currently no laws homosexualy, but there is no legal regnn of same-sex relatnships.

Sex among nsentg adults private is legal unr Japane law, regardls of sexual orientatn and/or Rabow BridgeGay SceneA cy of vast ntradictns, Tokyo's gay scene is both of rtraed and is separated to different wards, wh Shju beg the most well-known and the most crowd. The gay muny is ntuoly growg wh the nf of Shju Ni-chome (Area 2) neighbourhood. Seemgly straight by day, Ni-chome turns gay by is believed to have the hight ncentratn of gay bars anywhere the world bee of s small, nse area - a few small blocks tertwed to Shju's by bs, shoppg and nightlife centre.

Though most bars wele non-Japane patrons, the scene primarily ters for s Japane gay men still feel rtraed by Japan's strict yet unspoken mand for social nformy that is only now begng to soften when to same-sex relatnships. In a culture where homosexualy is ignored more than accepted, and where people are expected to marry to tradnal marriag, many gay men choose to anonymoly exprs their sexualy at Gay Bars Shju Ni-chome. However, Tokyo's gay scene is not limed to Ni-chome.