Dive into the heart of Nichome, Tokyo’s biggest LGBTQ+ district, with our carefully designed guide to the best spots in town. Whether you’re craving delicious eats, artisanal coffees, or lively bars and clubs, Nichome has something for everyone. From trendy izakayas and charming cafes to energetic dance clubs and welcoming bars, discover the top venues to enhance your visit. Explore our recommendations to experience Nichome’s unique blend of culture, nightlife, and inclusivity.
Nichome, located in Shinjuku, is Tokyo’s vibrant LGBTQ+ district, renowned for its extensive list of bars, clubs, and eateries. This lively area, easily accessible from Shinjuku Sanchome and Shinjuku Gyoenmae stations, boasts over 300 LGBTQ+ venues within a compact radius. Known for its inclusive and friendly atmosphere, Nichome offers everything from late-night parties to cozy cafes. For a complete guide on navigating Nichome, including how to get there and local customs, read the article below.
Best Spots in Nichome
Restaurants/Izakaya
Nichome is not just a great place to imbibe sweet liquors, but a terrific place to eat. Even if you’re primarily going for the night life, it’s good to get something in your stomach before you get down to drinking. Or, if you’re here for the afternoon, why not check out these places for a spot of lunch?
Donden
A charming, modern izakaya with a nevertheless classic, old-school design, and mere moments from some of the friendliest bars in Nichome, Donden is perfect for those who want to get something to eat before they start their night proper, but don’t have room for a full meal.
As with many izakaya, you can order small, affordable dishes, both sweet and savory. You can also sample Japanese sake, or umeshu plum wine. Why not ask the waiter for a drink that pairs best with your food choice?
Mr. Tokyo BURGER’S Cafe
Just a two-minute walk from Shinjuku Sanchome Station, this burger joint has a welcoming, modern interior, and friendly staff who serve food and drink promptly. The food itself is, naturally, focused on burgers, though you can also get sandwiches, such as BLTs.
The burger menu is extensive, with offerings from standard cheese burgers to jalapeño cheese burgers, avocado burgers, and Gorgonzola burgers. They also offer a great value lunch meal, where your burger comes with crunchy fries, salad, and soft drinks are just ¥110 per glass.
Shinjuku Buan
Shinjuku Buan is more on the high-end side of restaurants in the district, and is ideal if you’re looking for somewhere to impress your date.
The cuisine is Japanese, and it prides itself on using organic ingredients sourced from around the country, from vegetables that originated in Miura in Kanagawa to fresh fish from Takatori prefecture. It also offers a huge selection of Japanese wines. A great choice for a delicious and authentic Japanese meal.
Cafes
If you want to make the most of your day, you’ve got to get up, out, and about early… but especially if you’re jet-lagged or had a late night, this can feel like hell without a caffeine boost. Luckily, Nichome has several cafes you can go to for a bitter or sweet pick-me-up. To keep things interesting, we’ve avoided big chains in favor of smaller places for you to give your time and yen.
KiboKo
A cafe with an absolutely charming interior (and even encouraging signs that say, “you’re almost there!” as you make your way to the fourth floor of the building), KiboKo is a woman-owned cafe that has a focus on creating a relaxing, almost spiritual space for working people.
The menu is composed of entirely organic food and drink, and you are encouraged to make a reservation the day before if you’re hoping for a meal, so that the exact amount of food can be made, cutting down on waste.
Shinjuku Dialogue
Not your typical cafe, Shinjuku Dialogue is well-regarded for its extensive veagan menu, a real treat and something of an oasis in Tokyo, where meat is almost mandatory in most eateries.
It is also very focused on bettering the world around it. The cafe not only serves up ethically sourced food and drink, but also allows customers to make donations to SDG causes to help tackle climate change. The owner says, “we’re very proud of our SDG-related work, and proudly display our SDG diorama to educate people on why they are important.”
All Seasons Coffee
A small, cozy cafe not far from bars like King Tokyo or eateries like Donden, All Seasons Coffee envisages itself as a bubble of calm in the midst of busy Shinjuku. It is in this bubble that, even before you order, you can start to let your cares melt away as you take in the aromas of freshly brewed coffee and tasty pastries.
As the name suggests, the cafe serves seasonal foods and treats to go along with its impressive menu of coffee, tea, and other drinks. If you’re visiting at the end of a hard day, you can even add a shot of liquor to your cup of Joe to help take the edge off.
After reading all the fun you can have and you’re looking to spend the whole day in Nichome, this article will come in handy.
Bars
Nichome has the highest concentration of gay bars in all of Tokyo, so no matter what your taste in terms of crowd, drinks, or atmosphere, you’ll find somewhere for you. But we can’t possibly list over 300 bars here, so instead, here are just three to wet your whistle.
King Tokyo
Found right at the front of Nichome as you arrive from either Shinjuku Station or Shinjuku Sanchome Station, this bar is royalty in the LGBTQ+ scene. A mix bar that accepts anyone and everyone, it offers very affordable drinks deals and plays music to get you moving.
The staff are fun, chill, and the decor shows off the nerdy, artistic, and creative vibes that they all possess. The perfect place for a first-timer.
Bar Gold Finger
Another Nichome institution, Bar Gold Finger is a welcoming mix bar, but is primarily aimed at lesbian, bisexual, and queer women. It offers a number of interesting drinks deals (including shots becoming cheaper the more of them you buy) and free popcorn flavored with “lesbian spice,” it’s an easy recommendation for lady visitors to Nichome.
“Many lesbian bars in Nichome are small, Japanese-style establishments. Gold Finger instead is a place for people from all over the world to meet,” says one employee. “We also have special nights on Mondays, where the bar is staffed entirely with FTM trans men, creating a safe space for other trans men, but welcome to all.”
Bar Private
Bar Private is a snack bar: that means that, unlike the other bars on this list, where drinks are pay-as-you-go, here you pay a cover charge each time you visit and, while you can pay for individual drinks, you can also pay for a bottle of liquor that can be kept behind the bar for a later date.
The bar has a slightly Mediterranean style to it, which lends it an almost vacation-like vibe. “We’re a gay bar that wants to create a fun environment for all of our guests,” one bar staff member says.
Clubs
Now that you’ve gotten yourself a little lubricated, it’s time to put those freshly oiled-up limbs to good use and get on the dance floor. As with bars, there are too many to list, but here’s a short selection of three of the grooviest.
Kingdom
Opened in July 2024, the newest club in Nichome pitches itself as an open-minded kink and fetish club, with regular events to let those who want to let their fantasies run wild.
Like its sister bar, King Tokyo, it has very good drinks deals for early birds, as well as “one coin” ¥500 beers until midnight.
“Establishing Kingdom has been hectic, but a lot of fun,” one staff member says. “Clients are having a good time, especially at the weekends, when we hold events. People really come out for the queens and the dancers.”
New Sazae
First opened in 1966, this club – that prefers to label itself a ‘disco’ – has been going strong for over half a century, and is one of the community’s strongest links to its past when Nichome established itself as the home of Japan’s LGBTQ+ scene.
These nostalgic links to yesterday can be seen and heard as soon as you step into New Sazae, where it feels like you’ve slipped into a time warp. The interior maintains its 70s stylings, and the music has a distinctly retro feel, rarely venturing beyond the mid-90s, and it keeps 70s and 80s bops on regular rotation. A hugely diverse space, it is beloved by gay, lesbian, straight, transgender and cisgender dancers and drinkers.
AiSOTOPE Lounge
Possibly the most famous club in Nichome, AiSOTOPE Lounge has two floors, each with a different DJ, so that you have a choice of music to dance to.
It also regularly hosts live events, and it’s wise to check the website before you go, as while it’s normally open to all, some events are men-only or women-only, which makes it a must-go for queer women when it’s ladies’ night, given the paucity of women-only clubs in Japan.
Bears Camp
The clue is in the name: this sauna is looking for muscular, bulky, jock-esque bears. Long hair is a no-no, as are chubby bears or twinks, and the age limit is 49. If you tick all these boxes, this is a great place for cruising with other macho men.
It is paired with the twink sauna, BodyBreath!, and they share a space for mingling. Whether you’re a bear looking for a cub, or instead hoping for a skinny little thing to hibernate with, this is the cave for you.
Gay Saunas/hotel/cruise
Dancing isn’t the only way to work up a sweat. If you’ve met someone, or you’re looking to cruise, Nichome has a variety of places for people to get intimate, and get clean after getting down and dirty.
24 Kaikan
There’s no other place in Shinjuku like 24 Kaikan. This is a public sauna made up of eight floors of baths, saunas, and private rooms for you and your partner.
But if you don’t mind being a bit more public, however, you’re still in the right place. 24 Kaikan and its clients delight in the freedom to explore all sorts of fetish and kink, from bondage to impact play, from voyeurism to water sports. Open 24 hours, welcome to the sauna that never sleeps.
Hotel Queen Annex
Located mere minutes from the main gay bars and clubs, this love hotel is open for guests 24 hours a day, and has a variety of different rooms, from budget all the way to the Imperial Suite.
Like many love hotels, the Hotel Queen Annex offers a variety of times to stay, from 90 minutes if you just want a quickie, all the way to an overnight stay if you’ve stayed up past the trains’ closing times.
If you want to know more about Nichome’s top spots, read this article!
Navigating Nichome
Now that you’ve gotten an idea of what’s out there, you’ll know that there are plenty of things to do and places to go. Next, Japan Gay Guide is proud to present a short whistle-stop tour of attractions and places to visit in Nichome, both in the day and in the evening.
A Day Out to Remember
photographers’ gallery
Located very centrally in Nichome, next to many of the bars and clubs, this photography gallery run by volunteers of different ages and experience is a mainstay in the Shinjuku art scene. Opened in 2001, it has been running with a rotating group of member photographers for over two decades.
photographers’ gallery doesn’t only showcase the work of its members, though, and regularly promotes the work of guest photographers. In addition, it hosts lectures and seminars to promote understanding of photographic art and instill a sense of empathy between artist, subject, and audience.
Pride House Tokyo Legacy
One of the most recent cultural and educational organizations to emerge in Nichome, Pride House Tokyo Legacy elevated itself beyond the status of a temporary Pride House that came as part and parcel of the 2020 Olympics by establishing a permanent base in Nichome.
It boasts a library of over 1,500 books relating to LGBTQ+ issues, and is staffed by enthusiastic volunteers happy to tell you more about the history of LGBTQ+ activism in Japan, as well as educate you on the local area. It also lets visitors book counseling sessions for anyone who is experiencing trouble as a result of their gender or sexual identity in Japan.
Irregular Rhythm Asylum
Just a few minutes from Pride House Tokyo Legacy, this combined bookstore, music store, discussion space, and cafe is the place to go for people looking to get their fix of radical politics, literature, or discussion.
It sells a wide variety of books, periodicals and zines that explore left-wing politics and interpretations of current events, including a number of works in English. It also has a sofa space where visitors can rest, take in a cup of coffee, and maybe even have a conversation or debate with others on the issues of the day or the nuance of ideology. Definitely a place for the left and the right-on.
A Beginner’s Night on the Town
Alamas Cafe
Had your fill of washoku Japanese food? Want a Western meal, but burgers aren’t doing it for you? Well, right in the midst of Nichole’s exciting bars and clubs lies Alamas Cafe, which serves highly-rated Mexican food for anyone looking for a light meal or a delectable dinner.
Alamas Cafe serves a wide range of tacos and taco rice (a Mexican-Japanese fusion dish that originated in Okinawa), as well as burritos and nachos. It’s the perfect spot to make sure your night gets off to a spicy start.
AiiRO Cafe
Just a short walk from Alamas Cafe, AiiRO Cafe is a veritable legend in Nichome, and is a highlight for many tourists in their visit to Tokyo. You’ll know it by its colorful rainbow torii shrine gate, and, later in the evening, by customers drinking on the sidewalk just outside.
You see, AiiRO Cafe is a tachinomi standing bar, with no seats inside. This means that there are no seats, which encourages customers to talk to each other rather than scroll on their phones. The limited indoor space means that many choose to drink outside, giving a visit an almost party-like feel.
Dragon Men
A first port of call for many visitors to Nichome, Dragon Men has what could be called a dual-identity. During the week, it markets itself as a gay bar (though it welcomes any and all guests), where you can take it easy and enjoy some drinks in a laid-back atmosphere.
But on weekends, it transforms the vibe to become a club, where DJs spin hits to get patrons onto the dance floor and out of their inhibitions. It enhances the party atmosphere by introducing its famous gogo dancer boys, adding eye-candy to its sweet mixer drinks, sold at affordable prices.
Nichome: the Ultimate Destination for LGBTQ+ Tokyoites and Tourists
Thank you for making it to the end of this article! As you now know, Nichome isn’t just Tokyo’s gayborhood. This district, where fun comes first and love is love, has a deep and rich history of activism, a variety of unique night spots, is a hub of cultures and counterculture, and a welcome so warm that it can heat up even the coldest winter nights. It might be a coincidence that “Nichome” incorporates the word “home”, but it doesn’t make it less true.
