Therefore, you need to do some searching to find the gay venues as there is usually no indication on the outside that it’s not just another little Japanese-style izakaya bar. The fact is that the gay scene in Kyoto is pretty low key, and apart from the monthly “Diamonds are Forever” drag night at Club Metro, it is not really advertised. The tolerance towards the LGBT community may be partly due to the fact that Japan does not have any history of religious prohibition or violence towards homosexuals, and various polls suggest that most Japanese people have no problem with the gay community.Īlthough there are many places to mingle with the LGBT community in Tokyo, what about in Kyoto? This city is famous for its temples, shrines, ancient traditions, and beautiful geisha girls, but most people don’t think of gay bars when Kyoto is mentioned. There are also parades, such as the annual Tokyo Rainbow Pride, that are easily accessible. In Tokyo, there is an openly gay street, 2-Chome in Shinjuku with various gay bars. Japan is becoming increasingly open-minded about the LGBT community and is arguably very progressive compared to other Asian countries, although gay couples still cannot legally marry.
