Gay life in Japan?
I am from India and will probably be moving to Japan in few months because of my next job. I would like to know how is it to live as a Gay man in Japan? From what I have read online, it seems to be quite safe, no one is gonna hit you for being gay or something. But, somehow I'm worried as there isn't much stuff on the web about gay life in Japan, good or otherwise. So, if anyone over here has any story or opinion to share, please do.
As such, I don't have any problem or worries about the Japanese culture or society. Rather I feel excited about exploring some culture very different from mine. My only concern is the level of homophobia, attitude of gay community towards foreigners, etc.
Posted May 18, 2018, 5:21 PM UTC
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I lived in Japan for six months and spoke near-fluent Japanese without any foreign accent, so much so, that Japanese natives thought I was half. I also look half-Japanese. I dated a Japanese girl for almost two years before moving to Japan on my own.
When I was there in 2010, there were only a few bars in nichōme where foreigners could go. I went one night to a bar on my own and met a guy, easy. I just sat down had a drink and within 10 minutes a cute Japanese guy sat next to me and struck up a conversation. We ended up hanging out for a month. I'm sure I could have done that any night if I was looking for it.
It is quite safe for gay men in Japan. That being said, you most likely would not know who is gay and who is not, out in the public realm. I don't know how it is in India, but there aren't tell-tale signs for gay guys like there are here in the U.S. However, even that is changing here. I don't mean to dash your hopes, but if you're hoping to hookup or date it will be a bit tougher for you.
I will let you know that most Japanese can be xenophobic, but you wouldn't know it up front. They'll be nice to your face, but who knows what they'll be saying when you're not around. There used to be a whole section of nichōme that was only for Japan natives, but I read that even that is changing. In a city with that many people, cultural norms are changing so rapidly.
I've linked this article for your reference: http://www.littleslices.net/what-its-like-being-gay-in-japan/. It was published in Oct 2016 and is still fairly relevant, I confirmed it with my Japanese friend still living in Tokyo when I first read it. It's also a look at LGBTQ life for Japanese people, not foreigners.
I wouldn't worry about the issues that you mentioned. Remember, in Japan, they judge on how well one fits in. Just be prepared. Enjoy your time there!
Thanks for the elaborate reply. I also read that things are changing there pretty quickly with legalisation of marriage in some cities which I can't imagine happening in India for some decades. But, yeah, as you mentioned, overall its about how good you fit in there.