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Shinjuku
ni-chome is an area in the special ward of Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan. Ni-chome
is approximately a ten minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station along either
Shinjuku or Yasukuni Avenues. Shinjuku-san-chome Station (M-09 or S-02)
on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line or Toei Shinjuku Line, or Shinjuku Gyoenmae
Station (M-10) on the Marunouchi Line are within a few minutes walk of
Ni-chome. Ni-chome is best known as the centre of Tokyo's gay scene.
Estimates
of the number of gay pubs, clubs and bars in this area alone range between
200-300. In fact, it is frequently said that Ni-chome has more gay bars
per block than any other place in the world. Nevertheless, the gaybourhood
("gay town," in Japanese) covers only a small area of a few square blocks
centred around Nakadai Street.
Besides
the bars, the area is also home to restaurants and cafes, shops, saunas,
hotels, 'host bars' (bars where patrons can meet hustlers), cruising spots,
massage parlours and brothels of varying sizes and legality. Establishments
vary in size, but many are limited to ten or fewer seats. There are no
gay clubs in Ni-chome that can hold more than one hundred customers. Large
gay events that attract several hundred, or several thousand people, are
held at different times throughout the year outside the area.
Bars
tend to be segregated by "scene" - for example, there are bars that cater
to the bear community and their admirers, or that "specialize" in S&M,
muscular men, young men, and so on, and usually by gender as well. Many
of the gay bars in Ni-chome do not permit female customers. The few lesbian
bars that can be found do not permit male customers. Mixed venues are few.
At most bars in this area, patrons usually sit at a counter and chat with
the bartender. Karaoke is also popular, and gay monthly and pornographic
magazines can be read at many establishments as well. Those who visit these
small bars are usually regulars; since many bars operate on the bottle-keep
system, many customers may have their own bottle at their favourite bar.
Loyalty to bars is returned by the bars organizing outings to onsen, hanami
parties, picnics, gay sporting events, and so on. Many bars maintain large
photo albums of customers, for customers, often taken at such events.
While
most bar owners ("Mamas" or "Masters") are accommodating to new customers
and to non-Japanese, the scene is largely geared towards regular, Japanese-speaking
customers, and some venues discourage or prohibit non-Japanese from entering,
regardless of their Japanese language abilities. A handful of establishments,
in contrast, specifically target foreigners with advertising and information
in English. Four bars, Advocates, Arty Farty, Dragon and GB, are particularly
popular amongst foreign men, as well as the Japanese men who are attracted
to them. Advocates in particular, though a very small bar, is known for
the large crowds, both Japanese and non-Japanese, that spill out onto the
sidewalk and surrounding street on weekends. These bars do not offer bottle-keep
service.
Cruising
does occur at some small bars and at the larger clubs, though more often
takes place at cruising spots called hattenba. Ni-chome is also the site
of some of the festivities related to Tokyo's gay pride parade and various
other gay festivals and activities. |
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