For anyone visiting Nichome for the first time, there is a veritable wealth of welcoming, interesting, and fun bars and clubs to visit. But if you want a night – and some stories – that are more than a little different to the norm, or if you’re already au fait with many of Tokyo’s gay bars, these watering holes could be just what you’re looking for.
KINGDOM TOKYO
A part of the King Group and sister bar to the famous King Tokyo, Kingdom recently opened as a place for people who like to experience things on the wilder side of life. Breaking the bonds of its predecessor, Icon, the newest bar/club in Nichome not only offers extremely good drinks deals, with a ¥1,500 nomihodai from 6pm to 9pm, but also has some extremely affordable drinks after its happy hour, especially for a top spot in the center of Tokyo’s premier gaybourhood.
But even those more attuned to vanilla sensibilities won’t suffer whiplash when they walk through the formidable wooden doors. Kingdom has an expansive dance floor for people of any gender, sexuality, or orientation to get their groove on as well as get their freak on.
Bar Blacknude
Club Blacknude could be straight out of a classy gay erotic manga. As soon as you enter, you’ll see the kind of spotless, checkered floor tiling that puts one in the mind of an old-world gentleman’s club. The decor is completed with leather sofas, glittering chandeliers, and the main attraction: the buff bartenders.
Each of the bartenders has been specially chosen for their chiseled, muscular bodies, that they are far from shy about showing off. Clad only in tight boxer shorts, these burly butlers add more than a little eye candy to the sweet words that they employ to charm the guests here. Customers should note that, though the gentlemen at Blacknude are here to serve, they still deserve your utmost respect: that means no touching without permission! So long as you ask politely, though, you have a good chance of getting a feel of a bulging bicep – and offering the staff a drink certainly won’t hurt your chances.
The club, on the basement floor, is a swanky affair that comes with the chance to buy your own bottle to keep for future occasions. While this snack bar style set up initially takes a little bit of cash, it can end up being cheaper in the long run.
The owner, ‘Papa’ says,
When I started Blacknude ten years ago, Nichome had changed from when I was younger, and there were a lot of different kinds of gay bars and clubs.
By then it had acquired more of a mainstream vibe. So I wanted to make a gay bar with a real out-there feeling, like the good old days.
A sexy club with more than a touch of class, this is the place if you want your servers to be as strong as your liquor.
Boiler Room
A true hidden gem, Boiler Room is the place for those who like things hot and heavy. Located on the basement floor of a Nichome sidestreet, this club has a very strict dress code: all guests are only permitted to wear their underwear. No shirt, no shoes, no shame. The club encourages Japanese fundoshi style underwear, giving a local flare to the old-school vibes of darkened gay bars abroad where you can meet anyone, and anything can happen.
The owner describes how, in his time living in the US, Asia, and Europe, he was captivated by the openness of the gay scene compared to that in Japan, and endeavored to bring some of that raunch and passion to the hub of Tokyo’s gay culture. Be under no illusion: Blacknude is not like your normal shot bar, and things can and do get touchy feely.
The owner says,
Gay culture is very sexual, and that’s not a bad thing. Sex is natural, like eating or sleeping.
This makes us popular, and because we can speak English as well, we’re a good choice for tourists.
From the more than a little suggestive artwork outside the club to the fundamentally horny nature of the interior, Blacknude is a gay club for partying like it’s your birthday – in as close to your birthday suit as you can get.
Campy! Bar
Not everyone is looking for a totally wild time, of course. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a quieter, more relaxing drink in the laid back company of some beautifully dolled-up drag queens. If that’s your style, Campy! Bar is the place for you. A small establishment with plenty of history, the main branch in Nichome was opened twelve years ago, and also has a subsidiary branch in Shibuya Parco.
The interior has a bright, almost 50s diner-style aesthetic, and it leans into this simplicity in all aspects of its business. With the exception of the hostess’ outfits, this is a no-frills queer cafe bar: what you see is what you get. There is no cover charge, and drinks are paid for as you buy them, as in any mixed bar, making it easy for tourists to visit. It’s prime location, just minutes from major clubs and bars in Nichome, makes it a fabulous option to start your night before venturing further afield, or to have a sit down and a cool down by having a quiet cocktail and a conversation after a long, fun night.
Campy Corporation’s Minoru Kouchi says,
Our target audience is: everyone. We welcome anyone to our bar, including people who have never been to Nichome before.
Anyone can come in at any time. Even when famous people have visited, we treat them just like anyone else.
Friendly staff, a welcoming atmosphere, and a potential launch pad for a Nichome pub crawl make Campy! Bar anything but a drag.
Rocinante
A real hidden gem in Nichome, Rocinante is situated on the third floor of a small building just around the corner of major establishments like King Tokyo and Gold Finger, but feels almost like another world. This unusual, cave-like bar specializes in being a music bar, and while it doesn’t have a dance floor as other mixed bars do, it does have instruments like drums, guitars, and even a grand piano for visiting musicians to play live music. Visiting musicians are regularly present, so first-timers and regulars can enjoy their performances. As one regular said, “in the evening, you’ll often hear Rocinante before you see it”.
But it is also a haven for people who like to dry exotic drinks. As well as standard beer and cocktails, Rocinante has a wealth of unusual liquors in stock that the staff are eager to show off and recommend. These include watermelon liquor, snake liquor, cilantro liquor, crab liquor, and even wasp liquor! These out-there concoctions mean that you can have a story for your friends in your drink choice alone.
It’s also a great place for people with more nerdy tastes: the bar has a selection of manga, including the full set of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira manga, a selection of anime on Blu-Ray, and the staff are knowledgeable and eager to discuss anything from mainstream hits like One Piece to more niche titles like Kill La Kill.
The owner Dai says,
This place actually started as a bar known by people in the publishing industry, but when I bought it I noticed he piano, and in no time at all we became a music bar, and started celebrating subcultures.
I want to make a bar that embodies a world of liberty for all.
A bar as cozy as it is friendly, Rocinante is a place where anyone can feel like they’re home.
This article highlights additional places to visit in Nichome.
