Gay tokyo district
Gay Shinjuku: Exploring Tokyo's vibrant LGBTQ+ hub
Introduction to Shinjuku Ni-chōme: Tokyo's male lover district
Shinjuku Ni-chōme, often referred to as simply Ni-chōme or Nichō, is Area 2 in the Shinjuku District of Tokyo. This small yet lively neighborhood is the epicenter of Japan's gay subculture, boasting an estimated 300 queer bars and nightclubs within just five blocks. Located within walking distance from Shinjuku Station, the world's busiest train station, Ni-chōme is easily accessible and a must-visit destination for LGBTQ+ travelers and allies.
The area offers a diverse range of establishments, including bars, restaurants, cafes, saunas, love hotels, gay identity festival boutiques, and even cruising spots known as hattenba. This concentration of LGBTQ+-friendly venues creates a safe and welcoming environment for the community to communicate themselves freely. Ni-chōme's distinct atmosphere is characterized by its bustling energy, colorful signage, and the affectionate camaraderie among patrons and staff alike.
Rainbow Flag at Gapan Cafe, Shinjuku 2-Chome, Tokyo
History and evolution of Shinjuku's gay scene
The history of Ni-chōme as a gay neighborhood dates help to the Shinjuku Nichome is known as Tokyo’s gay district. The area is residence to 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. It’s never a good concept to go 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 sensible places to dine in the area. 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 money dishes, such as the chicken over rice, which for 1,078 yen will leave one person absolutely stuffed. They also provide glasses of property red or pale 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 Read I’ve been going to Ni-Chome, in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, long before writing Frommer’s Tokyo. It had a very stylish reggae bar there called 69 that I loved; it was no larger than a subway compartment and was often just as jam packed. There were usually people there I knew, and I remember more than one occasion when the whole place was dancing in one rhythm as though one living organism, belting out the words in unison. There was another bar there called Birdland, eclectically decorated with antiques and a bunch of weird decor and run by a very Zen-like Japanese couple, she with the shaven head of a Buddhist monk, he with long hair. Kinsmen, a sophisticated gay bar, is still there, welcoming people of all persuasions, and Advocates across the street spills out onto the sidewalk like a approachable block party almost every night. In any case, I’ve seen Ni-Chome grow over the past couple decades into what is probably the largest gay nightlife district in Asia. My updated account of Ni-Chome appeared in the December/January 2014 issue of Element, a magazine for gay Asian men published in Singapore. To get a handle on what’s new, I enlisted the aid of Tokyo’s famous male lover district, Shinjuku Ni-Chome, has one of the world’s top concentrations of LGBT-friendly businesses. For the most part, it’s a place where first-timers can suspend out without needing to worry too much about particular customs or cultural knowledge. Ni-Chome is used to tourists but, those who wish to sneak into smaller, more local LGBT bars might find 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 defeated path, and how to get the most out of the experience. Photo by: Alex Rickert Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, but sometimes you gotta undertaking 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 tune 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 Shinjuku Nichome: Stretching Your Yen in the Gayborhood
Where to eat
Agalico
A Guide to Lgbtq+ Bar Etiquette in Japan
Venturing away from westernized lgbtq+ bars