A very famous place that gay people hang out in Japan is a place well known as 2 cho-me (pronounced as nichome), located in the Shinjuku entertainment district in Tokyo.   This section of Shinjuku is frequented by salarymen, and cool Japanese people, including a lot of young women, who can go to several entertainment establishments in the area.  There are several highly-regarded clubs in this area and are even popular among western tourists.

The tough road for gays

The word "Gay" is used in the Japanese language too and the meaning is the same as in English, though we might use the same term for even bisexual.  "Okama" is the term used for someone who dresses up like a woman, but doesn't have any surgery on his body and typically likes other men.  "New-half" is a new term that we have coined for a man who has had gender reassignment surgery on his body to become a woman and continues to like men.

Japanese gays have taken a long time to come out of the closet and they still do not seem to have the same freedom that they enjoy in some of the western countries.  Like anywhere else in the world, the gay community is very diverse.  A visit to 2-chome is a testimony to this diversity.  Interestingly enough, some pubs and clubs for gay men have recently started to employ only ‘new-half hostesses’ on lines of what is common in regular clubs.  Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get surgery for gender change in Japan.  Many of these people save their money and have their surgery done in a foreign country.

Have you ever heard of a woman who likes gay men? In Japan, the slang for these kind of women are "okoge".  Some of these women date "straight" men, but have friends that are gay.  Women in the west might just happen to have male friends that are gay but it is unlikely that will actively seek gay friends – which is the case in Japan.

Here's a list of some Japanese celebrities that are rumored to be gay. I've put a "*" sign on the people which many people believe they are gay.  I've also listed some comments on the people by gay men that I spoke to as part of a random survey.  

*Daisuke Asakura (Synthesizer player and member of the duo "Access")

“I think he is really cute.  I don't know how old is he, but he looks very young.  I've heard that he also is only 167 cm and weighs 50kg, so he sometimes wears women's clothing” – Yuuto, 22

“I've heard that the members of Access are gay.  I mean, the way they act, the way they pose in the booklets of their CDs.  I bet they're definitely gay” – Tsuyoshi, 28

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*Hiroyuki Takami (Singer and member of the duo "Access")

“The way he looks and the way he sings, I think.  It's just also a feeling like I think this person is gay” – Satoshi, 19

“On the booklet that came with this Access CD, there was this picture of Hiroyuki Takami and Daisuke Asakura kinda hugging.  Daisuke's hand was over Hiroyuki's hand and Hiroyuki's other hand was around his waist or whatever that place is” – Yuuya, 30

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Tsuyoshi Domoto (Member of the group "Kinki kids")

“He actually said that a guy actually approached him and said, "I wish I could marry you".  He says some gay men want to flirt with him often.” – Yosuke, 37 

“Some people think he's cute, including me” – Ken, 29  

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*Amon Miyamoto (Actor and dancer)

“I haven't heard any rumors about him dating anybody” Takuya, 33

“He looks like a gay – we can tell” Hiroaki, 41

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Tetsu (Member of the rock band "L'Arc-en-Ciel")

“I'm not sure if he's gay or not, but he looks kinda fem-boyish.  I've heard that the designer label he likes for clothing "Hysteric Glamour" doesn't make a lot of men's clothing” – Kota, 23

“He looks a little fem-boy, that's why I chose him.  He's kinda cute” Naoya, 30  

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