Clubs to Steal Your Heart
Nichome, the gay hub of Tokyo in the city’s Shinjuku ward, is famed for its nightlife, and specifically its LGBTQ-oriented bars. However, while there are a huge number of queer bars in the area – estimates put the number at around 300 in just a five block area – there are inevitably fewer clubs. So if you want to shake your money maker, where should you go? Take our hand, and JGG will take you for a spin on some of Nichome’s hottest dance floors.
Read about more places to visit in Nichome!
Top Five Gay Clubs in Shinjuku Nichome
Kingdom
Kingdom is at once the new kid on the block and the heir to a Nichome, Shinjuku legend. It stands now where there once was Icon, a gay club that for years served the local queer community. Now, Kingdom has risen to take its place both physically and spiritually.
Although it is the newest club in Nichome, barely open for a month at the time of writing, it has already established itself as a popular spot thanks to its very reasonable prices, and for occupying a niche as a kink or fetish bar, for people who are sweet on the streets but spank in the sheets.
AiSOTOPE Lounge
Possibly the most popular club in Nichome, AiSOTOPE Lounge has long been known as one of the wilder, more enjoyable clubs in Japan, gay or not. It has two floors that play different music, so you have some choice about what you want to dance to. It also has specific smoking areas for those who need a nicotine fix. In addition, clients enthusiastically highlight the kind and helpful staff.
It is also very active in hosting fun and creative events. From celebrating birthdays or anniversaries of staff to themed nights around Niconico (a website akin to a Japanese YouTube) actors and characters. It’s worth checking the website before you go to know what is going on that night, not just because it hosts events almost nightly, but also to ensure that there are no restrictions on attendance. Though usually a mix club that allows anyone to join the fun, some nights are men-only, or women only. This is especially important for queer women, as while there are lesbian club nights at other clubs, there is no dedicated club for lesbians, bisexual, or pansexual women. This makes AiSOTOPE Lounge a key place for LGBTQ women to keep an eye on.
New Sazae
If you’re looking for a time capsule to Nichome’s earliest days as a gay club and gay bar Mecca, you’ve found it. With origins dating back to the 1960s, New Sazae is the sole survivor of the many clubs that opened and thrived when Nichome rose to prominence as Shinjuku and Tokyo’s gay capital. That history is palpable as you enter the club, as it retains its 1970s decor and furnishings, making you feel like you’ve gone back to the era of bell-bottoms and mini skirts.
To really cement these retro vibes, New Sazae is the place to go for vintage music, and especially disco. Popularized in the 70s as a reaction to the dominance of rock, disco was hugely popular among gay communities worldwide, and New Sazae is keeping its spirit alive in Shinjuku today. Although it remains dedicated to serving Nichome’s gay community, the nostalgia that the club induces has made it popular with straight clients as well, and New Sazae welcomes anyone suffering from a bad case of night fever.
Boiler Room
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the artwork outside of two barely dressed men in a deeply erotic embrace. Boiler Room is not shy about its identity as a place to get some, ahem, hands-on experience in Nichome. Its taboo vibes are enhanced by its location in the basement of a building, though you can tell as soon a you enter that this is a clean, safe, and well cared for environment. Nevertheless, this is a club with a dress code: underwear only.
Traditional Japanese fundoshi underwear is preferred, but boxers or Y-fronts are also fine, just so long as you leave your other clothes at the door. The creator of the club not only wants to keep the raunch of gay clubs of the past and overseas alive, but also create a level playing field among guests. Even if you’re a millionaire with the fanciest Savile Row suits, everyone is equal when they’re down to just their skivvies. This is a terrific club if you won’t just want things to get hot, but want to bring them to a boil.
Dragon Men
A highly recommended location for newbies coming to Nichome, it’s often the first place that people find as they enter the neighborhood if they’re headed from Shinjuku station. It is well known for being a laid-back bar with good drinks deals during the week, but on the weekends it shifts gears into becoming a nightclub. It retains the good drinks deals, including two free drinks for men included in the entry fee, but also adds in live DJs and gogo boy dancers, to keep your ears and your eyes happy.
For people from abroad looking to dip their toes into Nichome’s gay club scene, this is a wonderful place to start your swim. With friendly staff from all across the world, non-Japanese speakers are welcome, and this also attracts other tourist and resident foreigners to increase your chances of hitting on people when they hit the dance floor. No need for this explanation to drag on: check out Dragon Men for a fun, easy, weekend gay club experience.
Clubbed to Life
So now you know where to get your groove on in Shinjuku’s gay district of Nichome. But while these gay clubs definitely stand out, they’re far from the only options. There are other bars that also take on a club vibe on certain occasions, and one-off or regular club night events that target specific audiences. No matter where you end up showing off your moves, you’re sure to have a (disco) ball.
Do not miss this article below for the best gay spots in Shinjuku Nichome!
