Behind every stoic Japanese businessman face there is a secret, thus one aspect of "honne tatemae," which loosely translates to something along the lines of keeping the publicly acceptable face forward, and the true face within. This, combined with Japanese culture's general disdain for public affection, might make Tokyo seem to not have as vibrant an LGBT presence as hoped. Worry not: In a city as big as Tokyo, there is of course a thriving gay scene -- if you know where to look. Tonight, you'll not only see Japan's largest gayborhood, Shinjuku 2-chome, but Asakusa in the evening as well. You'll also get a solid primer in Japanese gay society, both past and present. We'll stop along the way for a local Japanese meal (veg options available), and a couple of drinks too. Get ready for a well-rounded adventure into the heart of homosexuality in Japan, led by a friendly native (or equivalent) speaker of your selected language who knows what it means to be gay in Japan.
Posted By : S197WHtammyl
I took many day tours during my visit to Japan and Cecilia is the absolute best guide. This tour covered historical sites, traditions, cultural insight, sampling of local bar food, and vibrant night scene. My other tours were interesting, but this one delved deeper in explaining the customs and culture which became alive with Cecelia's life experience and stories. After touring the area you aren't shuttled into the same place that everyone visits and actually get to pick which bar you want to visit. I highly recommend this experience to everyone, and a special thanks to Cecelia for her warm and personable guidance.
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Posted On : 2024-03-11 20:11:25 
Posted By : Scott_S
This was a nice little tour. Our guide, Mayo, did an excellent job pointing out various places and providing information as we walked. They answered all of the questions we had as they shared a bit of the local scene…which was a lot larger than we had imagined.
We had a nice stop for dinner and went to a bar for a drink. I do wish we had been able to do the tour on a weekend instead of a Tuesday night because there would have been more venues open and active. I would recommend the tour for a snapshot of the local LGBT+ areas.
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Posted On : 2024-02-28 04:34:33 
Posted By : Richard_N
Our guide was Mayo. Fantastic! Very knowledgeable, articulate, helpful and friendly. A great evening. We we’re having such a great time we ran overtime. Highly recommended.
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Posted On : 2023-09-11 19:49:40
Posted By : Adam_A
Since it was a Tuesday, it was just me and Lukas my friendly Belgian guide. Took me out and about, explained Japanese gay culture and how it all works. Learned a ton, and eventually wound up at fun spot popular with ex-pats. Highly recommend to see the gay side of things around town and decode a lot of the area and things you may see.
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Posted On : 2023-08-24 04:40:27
Posted By : Jack_L
Lucasz was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we toured -- as a European who has been living in Japan for a number of years, he had a unique perspective on the Tokyo community. I wish we had booked this tour toward the beginning of our trip, rather than on our last night there.
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Posted On : 2023-07-05 07:47:24
Posted By : nickcI3200GC
We had a fantastic time with Lukas who was insightful and knowledgable about LGBT life in Tokyo! We got to see a side of queer life we wouldn’t otherwise experience as tourists. The small group was friendly and the food and drink options were great. Would recommend!
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Posted On : 2023-06-28 09:37:35
Posted By : Sammi_F
I was looking forward to this tour, but found myself disappointed. After about 15 minutes, the tour deteriorated into pointing at buildings as opposed to anything historical or in-depth. Some comments were made about trans people and lesbians that made it clear the tour guide did not understand politically correct terminology or appropriate language. This tour was incredibly expensive for what was offered as well, so my suggestion is to save your money and look elsewhere.
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Posted On : 2023-04-24 14:09:50
Posted By : Cruiser67460335594
We just finished our LGBTQ+ tour last night with Lukas. We are glad to have booked it! We were able to see a lot of unique and out of the way places in the Tokyo area (Asakusa and Shinjuku) that would have been hard to know about without someone who knows the area. It was well worth the time and money!
Thanks Pinpoint Traveler and Lukas!!!
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Posted On : 2023-04-23 15:46:13
Posted By : Marvin_F
Being a week day, I was the only person on the tour and guide Luke was very knowledgeable and engaging. This is a walking tour so wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately.
I enjoy learning about the LGBT history in Tokyo's Asakusa and Shinjuku districts. We stopped by numerous establishments primarily from curbside (we did 'peek' into a few), had a ramen dinner break, and continued walking around while being told about protocols and etiquette in the LGBT community. We ended the tour visiting a lively bar that was partially 'open air' during the late spring.
I highly recommend this tour if you would like to learn about the LGBT culture and establishments in Tokyo. It was a fun evening!
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Posted On : 2023-04-20 16:31:35
Posted By : 229leviw
This tour was awesome. We got to see the real side of the Tokyo gay scene in the various places we visited. Lukas did a fantastic job taking us to various sights along the way. We got to see a variety of gay bars and ended up spending the rest of the evening at a few of these places. This was by far one of the most fun nights we experienced on our trip to Japan. We made new friends and partied the night away. I would definitely recommend this tour to others looking to have a fun experience.
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Posted On : 2023-04-10 02:09:51
