Campy! Bar is highly recommended not only for its amazing service, but for the fun and meaningful conversations one can have with members of the transgender, gay and lesbian community in Tokyo. Like in countless host and hostess bars throughout Tokyo, his job is to check on customers to make sure they are having a good time, keeping up a constant flow of chatter with everyone. This is one of the drag queens working at Campy! Bar.
This bar is a suitable place for an after dinner drinking and chatting with friends, but with one intriguing difference that separates it from many other Tokyo gay bars: It is a drag bar! The drag queens begin to appear around 8:00 p.m. Good luck!Īddress:Shinjuku-ku Ni-chome 13-10 Musashino Building 1FĬover charge:¥1,000 (people who want to use the sofa)Ĭampy! Bar is a mix bar that welcomes people of diverse genders and sexual preferences with open arms. Well, there you have it! This small list only scratches the surface of what’s available for the Tokyo gay community, so we encourage you to get out there and explore for yourself. Obviously there is more than one lesbian bar in the Tokyo gay scene, but knowing about even one can be the start of an interesting journey.
The multinational clientele assures meeting people of different backgrounds, while the use of song and drink as a social lubricant will make it easier to be understood-regardless of national, sexual or gender barriers.Ĭhiga-san, who has managed Gold Finger since its opening, has chosen exclusively to hire women, and all of the women who currently work here are lesbians. That’s right, this bar has a Karaoke system so the customers can break out into song whenever they desire. In addition to Japanese customers, American, British, Australian, Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean and other nationalities can be found drinking together while engaging in the most universal pastime of all: Karaoke! Every Saturday is women only, absolutely no men allowed for the rest of the time, it is basically a mix bar with a global ambiance. If asked about the best lesbian bar Tokyo has to offer, those in the know would likely mention Gold Finger. During Happy Hour, the price of all drinks drop from ¥800 to ¥500, yet another a great incentive to give this bar a try.Ĭost of drinks:Glass ¥700–800 Bottle ¥11,000–30,000īest day to visit:Saturday is Women only Monday is FtM night While there are usually chairs during the week, every Saturday Bridge becomes a standing bar. Patrons are welcome to hang out together on the balcony. An evening at Bridge offers interested people an intriguing glimpse into Shinjuku gay culture in particular and Japanese gay culture in general, one that is seldom seen on the Tokyo streets. Since being gay is anything but a straightforward issue in Japan, bars like Bridge offer a safe haven for customers to unwind and even talk about their own social and workplace struggles if they wish. Japan is open to LGBT people compared to many other countries, but alternative sexuality is still a minority issue that many still struggle with here. Customers are mostly salarymen, office-workers with a median age of 30 to 50. All of the bartenders here are Japanese gay men. Ninety percent of customers are gay men, but straight women are also encouraged to enter as well. Address:Shinju-ku Ni-chome 13-16 Sensho Building 6FĬost of drinks:Glass ¥800 Bottle ¥15,000-16,000īridge is an atmospheric gay bar in Ni-chome.