Aiiro Cafe

Last updated
Aiiro Cafe
Aiiro Cafe logo.png
Logo
Aiiro Cafe
Address Tokyo
Japan
Coordinates 35°41′27″N139°42′32″E / 35.69088880349383°N 139.70888216857438°E / 35.69088880349383; 139.70888216857438
Website
aliving.net/aiirocafe/

Aiiro Cafe (stylized as AiiRO CAFE) is a gay bar in Tokyo, Japan.

Contents

Description and reception

In 2015, Time Out Tokyo said of Aiiro, "The open-air café and bar, found on Shinjuku Ni-chome's main drag, is a laidback spot for an evening drink. Drag queens and 'go-go boys' perform on the weekends." [1] In 2018, Lucy Dayman included Aiiro in The Culture Trip's list of "The 8 Best LGBT-Friendly Bars in Tokyo." [2]

Frommer's contributor Beth Reiber gave Aiiro two out of three stars and wrote, "Where to start in Ni-chome? This is a good bet, right on Ni-chome's main drag, Naka-dori, and with an open facade that overflows with both gays and straights (but mostly gays) extending past the sidewalk to the street most nights. It’s a good place to gain bearings, check out the people parading past, and connect with the friendly crowd. A few drinks here, and you'll probably have a list of several places you want to hit next, but the bar’s website also gives excellent pointers." [3]

Fodor's says, "Almost every great gay night out begins at this welcoming street-corner pub with a large red shrine gate, where the patrons spill out onto the street. This is the perfect place to put back a few cocktails, meet new people, and get a feeling for where to go next. The crowd is mixed and very foreigner-friendly." [4] Lonely Planet says, "Aiiro (formerly known as Advocates) has long been a hub in Shinjuku-nichōme, and is a good place to get an evening started... The bar itself is teeny-tiny; the action happens on the street corner outside, which swells to block-party proportions when the weather is nice. Aiiro is welcoming to all and staff speak English. There's a rainbow torii (gate) out front; you can't miss it." [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay village</span> Geographical area within a city that is inhabited or frequented by LGBT people

A gay village, also known as a gayborhood, is a geographical area with generally recognized boundaries that is inhabited or frequented by many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Gay villages often contain a number of gay-oriented establishments, such as gay bars and pubs, nightclubs, bathhouses, restaurants, boutiques, and bookstores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harajuku</span> District in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular reference, Harajuku also encompasses many smaller backstreets such as Takeshita Street and Cat Street spreading from Sendagaya in the north to Shibuya in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinjuku Ni-chōme</span> District of Tokyo

Shinjuku Ni-chōme (新宿二丁目), referred to colloquially as Ni-chōme or simply Nichō, is Area 2 in the Shinjuku District of the Shinjuku Special Ward of Tokyo, Japan. With Tokyo home to 13 million people, and Shinjuku known as the noisiest and most crowded of its 23 special wards, Ni-chōme further distinguishes itself as Tokyo's hub of gay subculture, housing the world's highest concentration of gay bars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay bar</span> Drinking establishment catered to LGBT clientele

A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dōyamachō</span> District in Osaka, Japan

Dōyamachō is a district in the Umeda area of Osaka, Japan. It is close to the JR Osaka and Umeda Station, many restaurants, bars, izakaya, karaoke, massage parlors, host clubs, hotels, and shops concentrate in the area. Many salarymen, OL and students stop by Dōyamachō to have fun in the evening before they go back home. It is one of the largest entertainment districts in Japan. Dōyamachō has attracted a gay scene at a smaller scale than Shinjuku ni-chōme in Tokyo.

GayJapanNews is a web-based news service in the Japanese language specializing in LGBT issues from around the world. The service was launched in 2005 to increase the visibility of gays and lesbians, whose presence is negligible in traditional media within Japan. The site is primarily in Japanese but with some English available. It was co-founded by Tom Paine and Hiroshi Mochizuki, who serves as editor. Staff members have been asked to comment on LGBT issues in Japan by news organizations such as the Asahi Shimbun, NHK, and The Japan Times. GayJapanNews has also held workshops and advocated for LGBT issues in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiga Ishikawa</span> Japanese politician and LGBT activist

Taiga Ishikawa is a Japanese politician and LGBT activist. He was elected to the House of Councillors in the 2019 Japanese House of Councillors election, becoming the first openly-gay man to be elected to either chamber of the National Diet. Previously, he became one of the first two openly gay male politicians to win an election in Japanese history when he was elected in April 2011 to a seat in the Tokyo's Toshima ward assembly. Wataru Ishizaka, also openly gay, was elected in the same election to the Nakano ward council in Tokyo. Before he was elected to the city council, he was Mizuho Fukushima's chief of staff.

<i>Shinjuku Boys</i> 1995 British film

Shinjuku Boys is a 1995 film by Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams. It explores the lives of three non-binary or transgender men who work at the New Marilyn Club in Tokyo, Japan. The term they use for themselves is onabe, and the three protagonists discuss their romantic relationships, their relationships with their parents, their gender presentations, how they understand their own genders, and their different outlooks on life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CC Slaughters</span> Pair of gay bars and nightclubs in Portland, Oregon and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

CC Slaughters is a gay bar and nightclub located in Portland, Oregon, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Portland bar is located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and the Puerto Vallarta bar is located in Zona Romántica.

The LGBTQ community in Tokyo is one of the largest in Asia. While Japan does not assign as much moral or social weight to sexuality as in the West, it is still difficult for Japanese people to come out in society as being LGBT; the community reportedly experiences homophobia even amongst those in the community. Only 5% of Japanese people report they know somebody who is LGBT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture in Paris</span>

Paris, the capital of France, has an active LGBTQ community. In the 1990s, 46% of the country's gay men lived in the city. As of 2004, Paris had 140 LGBT bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants, shops, and other commercial businesses. Florence Tamagne, author of "Paris: 'Resting on its Laurels'?", wrote that there is a "Gaité parisienne"; she added that Paris "competes with Berlin for the title of LGBT capital of Europe, and ranks only second behind New York for the title of LGBT capital of the world." It has France's only gayborhoods that are officially organized.

The city of Shanghai, China, a global center for finance, technology, manufacturing, and transportation, has a presence of LGBT people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesbian bar</span> Drinking establishment catering to lesbians

A lesbian bar is a drinking establishment that caters exclusively or predominantly to lesbian women. While often conflated, the lesbian bar has a history distinct from that of the gay bar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industry Bar</span> Gay bar and nightclub in Manhattan, New York City

Industry Bar, or simply Industry, is a gay bar and nightclub in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Owned by Bob Pontarelli, it is a sister establishment to Barracuda, a gay bar, and Elmo, a restaurant. Industry opened in 2010 and caters primarily to a crowd of young gay men and tourists. Its musical selection is mostly pop, and its live entertainment consists of a number of weekly drag shows, many of which are hosted by internationally recognized drag queens. New York City nightlife journalists frequently note Industry as one of the top gay venues in Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JR's Bar and Grill</span> Gay bar in Houston, Texas, U.S.

JR's Bar and Grill is a gay bar in Neartown, Houston, in the U.S. state of Texas. Charles Armstrong is the owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon Men (Tokyo)</span> Gay bar in Tokyo, Japan

Dragon Men is a gay bar in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

The Fountainhead Pub is a gay bar in Vancouver's West End, in British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighbours Nightclub</span> Nightclub in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Neighbours Nightclub is a nightclub on Seattle's Capitol Hill, in the U.S. state of Washington. Neighbours is the city's "oldest LGBTQ+ club currently operating".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT history in Atlantic City, New Jersey</span>

Atlantic City, New Jersey has a long association with the LGBT community, particular in the areas of nightlife and drag performance.

References

  1. "Aiiro Cafe". Time Out Tokyo. Archived from the original on 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  2. Dayman, Lucy (13 February 2018). "The 8 Best LGBT-Friendly Bars in Tokyo". Culture Trip. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  3. "AiiRO Café in Tokyo - Nightlife | Frommer's". www.frommers.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  4. "Aiiro Cafe Review - Tokyo Japan - Nightlife | Fodor's Travel". www.fodors.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-19. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  5. "Aiiro Cafe | Tokyo, Japan Nightlife". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2021-06-16.