Ace Hotel Kyoto
Hotel
Free corridor photo exhibition on queer everyday life. Check the current programme.
4.6(1,524 reviews)
Club Metro
Night Club
Monthly drag and queer nights, ~¥2,000.
4.2(235 reviews)
カルシウムハウス
Night Club
Mixed, Gion-style, pricey (¥5,000+ cover).
3.7(47 reviews)
BAR LOOK ME 京都
Bar
Women-only, ¥500 cover, 7pm–2am, English OK.
4.4(80 reviews)
bell KYOTO
Bar
Modern and stylish, locals and travellers. Closed Tuesdays.
4.4(59 reviews)
Barcode
Karaoke
Small lively karaoke bar, mixed, English spoken. Best first stop in Kyoto.
4.5(726 reviews)
Takarazuka Grand Theater
Performing Arts Theater
The Revue's home theatre, 30 min from Osaka on the Hankyu line.
4.6(5,825 reviews)
Cafe LA
Cafe
Coffee, cocktails and board games. On Time Out's LGBTQ-friendly Osaka list.
4.8(1,000 reviews)
プライドセンター大阪
Community Center
Osaka's LGBTQ community centre, opened 2022. Consultations and events.
4.5(8 reviews)
Lu・Pu
Bar
Lesbian-couple-owned, welcomes everyone, cheap drinks and snacks.
4.6(33 reviews)
Osaka Gay Bar FrenZ-FrenZY
Karaoke
'Mixed reviews, but every single night I met someone fun.' — Reddit
4.3(219 reviews)
Village
Karaoke
18 years running: karaoke, drag shows, cabaret.
3.5(57 reviews)
EAGLE OSAKA
Night Club
Opened 2024. English easy, no cover, drinks from ¥700.
4.6(223 reviews)
Explosion
Night Club
The big Doyama club. Mixed on event nights, Fri–Sun 8pm–5am.
3.8(85 reviews)
DUCKS! OSAKA
Bar
Mixed LGBTQ+, English easy, no cover on regular nights. Start here in Osaka.
4.0(25 reviews)
24 Kaikan Hotel and Sauna Shinjuku
Spa
Gay sauna, the Shinjuku branch.
3.7(256 reviews)
Tokyo Takarazuka Theater
Performing Arts Theater
All-female revue since 1914; the male-role stars have a huge queer-women fanbase.
4.4(3,680 reviews)
Kabuki-za
Performing Arts Theater
Onnagata go back to the 1600s. Single-act tickets under ¥1,500, English audio guide.
4.3(10,375 reviews)
Tac's Knot
Bar
Queer-run café: drag trivia, readings, weekly Loneliness Books pop-up on Mondays.
4.2(35 reviews)
Irregular Rhythm Asylum
Art Gallery
Anarchist infoshop: LGBTQ+ and feminist books, small exhibitions.
4.7(65 reviews)
Taisō-ji
Buddhist Temple
The neighbourhood's own temple — its deity was worshipped by the Edo brothel quarter that became Ni-chome.
4.1(591 reviews)
Ashiyu cafe & bar Donyoku
Cafe
Hammocks, craft beer, footbaths. Dog day Wednesdays.
4.6(159 reviews)
Pride House Tokyo Legacy
Community Center
Japan's first permanent LGBTQ+ centre: 1,400-book library, counselling, pop-ups. Free walk-in.
4.6(66 reviews)
Arty Farty
Night Club
The big dance club, foreigner-heavy. Annex next door.
3.9(210 reviews)
Dragon Men
Bar
Gogo dancers and big weekend club energy.
3.9(314 reviews)
EAGLE TOKYO BLUE
Cocktail Bar
Bears, artwork, yearly Drag Race screenings.
4.6(375 reviews)
Kamari
Bar
Tiny, all gender identities, bartender uses a translation device.
4.2(27 reviews)
Diamond Holic
Bar
Gothic-interior lesbian bar. 'Must visit' per Japan Gay Guide.
4.2(16 reviews)
Dorobune Lesbian bar
Cafe
Women (and dogs) only. Sake, umeshu, vegetarian okonomiyaki, board games.
4.7(70 reviews)
agit
Bar
Small karaoke lesbian bar. Habu sake and protein shakes on the menu.
4.6(47 reviews)
ADEZAKURA 艶櫻
Bar
Lively shot bar, DJ nights Saturdays. Women-only until 2am, everyone after.
4.6(133 reviews)
BAR GOLD FINGER
Bar
The legendary women's bar and monthly party. Reddit's #1 answer for lesbian Ni-chome.
4.4(458 reviews)
KING TOKYO
Pub
Make international and Japanese friends. ¥1,500 all-you-can-drink 6–9pm daily.
4.8(756 reviews)
QUEEN TOKYO
Bar
New lesbian-friendly mix bar, international staff. Sun–Thu to 3am, Fri–Sat to 5am.
4.9(370 reviews)
Campy! Bar
Bar
Drag-run, loud, fun. Also a Shibuya branch.
3.8(166 reviews)
New Sazae
Bar
Legendary since the 60s. Go late.
4.4(108 reviews)
ALAMAS CAFE
Bar
Chic cafe-bar. Japan Gay Guide's 'first night in Tokyo' pick.
4.4(150 reviews)きゃんせ
Bar
Cosy L-shaped counter, no entrance fee, karaoke. Everyone welcome.
4.8(5 reviews)
AiiRO CAFE
Bar
The first stop in every Reddit thread — corner bar, spills onto the street, mixed crowd, no cover.
4.3(271 reviews)
Queer-friendly Japan — Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
39 places · by @leila
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