3 DAYS
FIRST GAY
TRIP TO TOKYO
TIME
TOKYO
This itinerary mixes famous Tokyo, everyday Tokyo and gay Tokyo without turning the entire trip into a checklist of LGBTQ+ venues.
Use it as a framework. Stay longer somewhere you love. Skip something when you are tired. Tokyo will still be here.
THREE
DIFFERENT
TOKYOS.
ARRIVE. RESET. GO TO NI-CHOME.
Keep the first day simple. Stay in Shinjuku, recover from the flight and discover gay Tokyo after dark.
OLD. NEW. GAY.
Asakusa in the morning. Meiji Jingu, Harajuku and Shibuya in the afternoon. Choose your own Tokyo at night.
GO A LITTLE DEEPER.
See LGBTQ+ Tokyo beyond nightlife, then choose culture, wellness, shopping or one final night out.
MAKE
SHINJUKU
EASY.
For this itinerary, Shinjuku is a very practical base.
You are close to Ni-chome, major rail connections, restaurants, shopping and late-night Tokyo.
It also reduces the stress of getting home after your first night out.
SEE ALL HOTELS →KIMPTON SHINJUKU TOKYO
OPEN MAP →HOTEL GROOVE SHINJUKU
OPEN MAP →ONSEN RYOKAN YUEN SHINJUKU
OPEN MAP →
ARRIVE.
RESET.
GO OUT.
Do not fight jet lag with a twelve-hour sightseeing plan. Start with one neighborhood: Shinjuku.
CHECK IN
SHINJUKUDrop the luggage, shower, charge your phone and give yourself time to arrive mentally as well as physically.
SHINJUKU GYOEN
PARK / RESETIf time, daylight and the garden’s opening hours allow, take an easy walk through Shinjuku Gyoen. Otherwise simply wander around Shinjuku-sanchome.
DINNER
SHINJUKUEat before the bars. Shinjuku gives you everything from ramen and yakitori to department-store restaurants and small neighborhood places.
SHINJUKU NI-CHOME
FIRST GAY NIGHTBegin somewhere easy: an international bar, open counter bar or MIX venue. Once you understand the atmosphere, let the night develop naturally.
ONE MORE?
OPTIONALSmall local bar? International bar? Club? Or simply return to the hotel. You have two more days.
OLD TOKYO.
NEW TOKYO.
GAY TOKYO.
Cross the city from historic Asakusa to Meiji Jingu, Harajuku and Shibuya.
ASAKUSA
OLD TOKYOStart at Senso-ji, walk Nakamise and spend the morning in one of Tokyo’s most recognizable historic districts.
LUNCH
ASAKUSA / UENO / EN ROUTEKeep lunch flexible. Tokyo rewards the restaurant you discover because you were hungry.
MEIJI JINGU
FOREST / SHRINECross Tokyo and enter the forest surrounding Meiji Jingu. The contrast with Asakusa is part of the experience.
HARAJUKU
STREET / FASHIONWalk into Harajuku and Omotesando. Fashion, architecture, young Tokyo and global brands all collide here.
SHIBUYA
MODERN TOKYOWalk, shop, watch the crossing and let the city switch from afternoon into night.
DINNER
SHIBUYA / SHINJUKUStay in Shibuya or return toward Shinjuku. Tonight is deliberately open.
TONIGHT
IS YOURS.
GO BACK TO NI-CHOME.
Try a different style from night one: a club, smaller Japanese bar or event night.
NIGHTLIFE →BOOK A GAY MASSAGE.
Give yourself a quieter evening and explore Japanese gay massage and bodywork.
THIRD ENGLISH →DO NOTHING GAY.
Stay in Shibuya. Eat. Walk. Go to a bar. Watch Tokyo happen.
TOKYO GUIDE →
WANT
TO SLOW
DOWN?
Use THIRD to find gay massage in Tokyo.
Many gay massage businesses in Japan are small independent operators. Check the payment method when booking and prepare Japanese yen if the provider is cash only.
OPEN THIRD ENGLISH →
GO A
LITTLE
DEEPER.
On the final day, stop trying to cover the city. Choose what interests you.
SLOW MORNING
COFFEE / BREAKFASTSleep in. Have breakfast. Walk. There is no prize for being first at every attraction.
PRIDE HOUSE TOKYO LEGACY
LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY / CULTURESee queer Tokyo beyond bars and clubs. Pride House Tokyo Legacy is a permanent LGBTQ+ community space with information, community resources and an archive/library.
Opening hours vary, so check the official website before visiting.
DON’T
BOOK
EVERYTHING.
But a few things are worth arranging before the trip.
BOOK YOUR BASE.
Shinjuku makes this specific itinerary particularly easy.
HOTELS →RESERVE AHEAD.
Individual massage providers may have limited appointment availability.
THIRD →CHECK THE OFFICIAL SITE.
Popular exhibitions and ticketed attractions may require advance booking.
GO TOKYO →CHECK THE EVENT.
Entry rules, opening times and club programming can change by event.
NIGHTLIFE →
FOUR
SMALL
THINGS.
DAY
FOUR?
THREE DAYS.
ONE TOKYO?
NOT EVEN CLOSE.
You saw a shrine, a temple, Shibuya, Ni-chome and perhaps one very small bar. That is not Tokyo. It is only your first version of it.