Yi ShaoMaybe you’re gay and you’re looking for a place to hang out. Perhaps you are here to check out the best music in Tokyo’s nightlife (quite a few people claim that gay club music is better than the music at straight clubs). Or you would just like to make friends in the bar, both locals and foreigners.
Whatever your reasons, gay bars are a great place to hang out and we have listed some of the best gay bars in Tokyo for you to enjoy the best that Tokyo’s nightlife has to offer. Just remember to show respect for gay partygoers, let your hair loose and have fun!
1. AiiRo Cafe
Image Credits: AiiRo Cafe
A mere 3 minutes walk from Shinjuku’s 3-Chrome station, AiiRo Cafe is one of the most foreigner friendly gay clubs in Tokyo. The club has a lively, welcoming atmosphere so you will feel right at home even though you are a first time customer. Come here early on in the evening to make friends from all around the world! Also, the Torii gate at the entrance of the club is an excellent place to take a snapshot to show your friends back home.
2. Aisotope
Aisotope is one of the larger gay bars in Tokyo. With not one but two dancefloors, partygoers who are looking to dance are in the right place. Of course, you can also head to the lounge floor when you get tired of dancing. With better drinks than most izakayas, Aisotope is the place to stop by to enjoy a good drink (or three). All potential partygoers, be warned that the cocktails at Aisotope tend to be quite strong.
Image Credits: Aliving.net
The bar hosts a party every weekend so take a look at their website to check what kind of parties there are available and select those that are of interest (or those you can go to since they have men only and women only nights)!
Also read: Tokyo Bucket List: 20 Challenges For Your Next Trip
3. Arty Farty
Image Credits: Arty Farty
Arty Farty welcomes both female and male customers to dance on the floor and the floor of this club is always packed. Come by Arty Farty later in the evening, when the party really gets started.
Image Credits: Cloganese
Should you start earlier in the day, you can request for songs from the DJ between 9pm to 12am.You should try their house speciality, mint flavoured beer. In this bar, price for drinks average about 700 JPY. Please note that you will have to buy a drink before gaining admittance onto the dance floor.
Admission to Arty Farty’s dance floor includes admission to Arty Farty’s sister club, The Annex.
4. Bar Gold Finger
Image Credits: Bar Gold Finger
Bar Gold Finger is a ladies-only bar most days although men are allowed into the bar on Thursdays. This bar has a more relaxed atmosphere so it might not be the best fit for someone who likes loud music and lots of people at their nightlife spots. That said, Bar Gold Finger is a fantastic place to simply take a drink and unwind after a hard day at work. It also offers free popcorn for all visitors to this bar so don’t be shy! Bar Gold Finger is friendly to foreigners, with a bilingual menu available for English speakers. Prospective visitors should remember that Bar Gold Finger is a smaller bar so you should aim to grab a seat by 10pm.
5. GB
GB is a gay bar that is foreigner friendly, attracting mainly foreign nationals and Japanese men who are interested in foreigners.The crowd in GB tends to be less relaxed than most places, so you should avoid GB for a relaxing night out. However, GB is the bar for people who love bustling crowd and those who want to do some pre-drinking before heading out to another bar.
6. Shangri-La @ ageHa
Image Credits: ageHA
While ageHa is not a bar that is strictly a gay bar, they do host one of the best (and largest) gay parties in Asia, the Shangri-La @ ageHa which attracts patrons from all over Asia. With four dance floors, an excellent audio setup, multiple bars and even a pool on the premises, the Shangri-La @ ageHa is every dancer’s dream. This gay party also has some of the best DJs in town so partygoers who are looking for great music should make a trip down.
7. Tac’s Knot
Image Credits: Tac’s Knot
If you would like to learn more about the gay scene in Tokyo, take a gander down to this gay bar.
With a gallery featuring the work of local gay artist each month on the walls of the bar, you can immediately tell that the bar caters to patrons who love culture.
Image Credits: YC Lo
The owner of this bar, Tac, is a local gay community leader and writes for gay publications as well so he will be able to tell patrons about the gay scene in Tokyo. Though Tac’s Knot is a bar that is smaller than most other bars on this list, you will find yourself in good company in this bar should you be an art and culture lover.
8. The Annex
Image Credits: Cloganese
The sister bar to Arty Farty, The Annex is considered one of the most fun venues in Tokyo. Head down before 8pm to get the most bang for your buck, as that is the time when you can get drink-all-you-can promotions. That said, the drinks in this bar are still reasonably priced without promotions.
Also read: Top 15 Cafes To Visit in Tokyo
This bar normally attracts a crowd in their twenties to thirties so it might not be the best location for older patrons. Nonetheless, it is still one of the most exciting bars for younger partygoers.
So this is our list of the most happening gay bars in Tokyo! Would you ever visit one of these bars? Tell us in the comments below. Are you thinking of heading to one of these bars soon?
