Shinjuku gay area
Join me on a tour of one of Japan’s most famous gay haunts: Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ni-chome. Sapphic and gay, Japanese and expat alike swarm there every weekend for drinks, dancing and debonair strangers. Let’s party.
Pride month is nearly over. If you’re the kind of person who clicked on this article, I hope you had a chance to participate this year — by spamming your friends with Facebook pride stickers, making ridiculous memes with The Babadook or by engaging in social transform movements. Even though it’s coming to an finish, that doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate. While Tokyo actually had self-acceptance month in May, display your pride anytime in Shinjuku Ni-chome, the lgbtq+ district in Tokyo.
There, you’ll find good sustenance, drinks and atmosphere, plus open conversation and maybe even a romantic run-in or two. Whatever your goals for the overnight, here are some of my favorite spots that have all the elements for a flawless evening out.
Getting There and Meal Options
First thing’s first: you should plan to reach early-ish because of “last train” in Tokyo. So, be careful if you don’t want to clash at a cheapo treasure hotel or something unless, of course, you do want to crash at a cheapo love
A Guide to Gay Block Etiquette in Japan
Tokyo’s renowned gay district, Shinjuku Ni-Chome, has one of the world’s highest concentrations of LGBT-friendly businesses. For the most part, it’s a place where first-timers can hang out without needing to worry too much about special customs or cultural knowledge.
Ni-Chome is used to tourists but, those who want to sneak into smaller, more local LGBT bars might detect some cultural practices surprising. In Japan, manners are everything, so here are some insider tips on what to expect when visiting LGBT bars off the beaten path, and how to get the most out of the experience.
Venturing away from westernized gay bars
Photo by: Alex Rickert Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, but sometimes you gotta venture into the unknown.
Most gay bars in tourist spots prefer Ni-Chome or Doyamacho in Osaka mimic American-style bars that feature large shot bars, dance music and dark atmospheres where customers of various sexes, genders, sexualities and identities can drink and make merry. You can certainly locate these kinds of bars, especially in Tokyo, but the vast majority are similar to what is commonly referred to as a スナックバー
Best tourist-friendly gay bars in Shinjuku Ni-chome
New to Shinjuku Ni-chome, Tokyo’s legendary lgbtq+ neighbourhood? Start your nighttime at these tourist-friendly bars. By Joseph Eddy
Whether it be dancing the late hours away at a club or drinking and gathering new people in a tiny dive bar, Shinjuku Ni-chome offers some of the best nights out in Tokyo. No matter if you’re straight, male lover or non-binary, the capital’s LGBT hub will provide. If you want to experience one of the best parts of Japanese bar culture – talking with and being entertained by the staff – but don’t quite perceive where to head for English-friendly banter, these five bars will fit the bill.
Café Lavandería
Café Lavandería is the kind of place where one minute you’re drinking and the next you’re suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to smash the patriarchy and plan a revolution. Tucked away in a assist street opposite the renowned Goldfinger bar, this easy-going communist-come-anarchist café offers very reasonably priced but high-quality drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), a wide selection of books to browse, and regular events suc
Shinjuku Nichome: Stretching Your Yen in the Gayborhood
Shinjuku Nichome is known as Tokyo’s gay district. The area is home to sky-high concentration of gay bars, clubs and restaurants—but how do you choose where to go? Here are a few spots we recommend for an evening out in Nichome.
Where to eat
It’s never a good idea to leave drinking on an vacant stomach, not just for your health, but also because you might be tempted to purchase overpriced bar snacks later in the night. Here are a couple of options for reasonable places to eat in the area.
Agalico
Agalico is a restaurant that serves a variety of Asian cuisine just across the street from Shinjuku Nichome, next to Shinjuku Sanchome station exit C6. Some items on their menu are pricey, but they also have some great value for funds dishes, such as the chicken over rice, which for 1,078 yen will leave one person absolutely stuffed. They also help glasses of house red or white wine for 429 yen, and they fill those up right to the brim. Even if you’re feeling desire, a glass of sparkling wine filled to the brim will set you back just 550 yen.
アガリコ 新宿三丁目店
1F, 3 Chome−9−9, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0022
12 pm to 8 pm
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