Information from a NAFSAn in Japan
Tony OgdenWith 174 gay and lesbian bars outside my front door, life in Shinjuku Ni-Chome can be a little overwhelming. I came here in August and at first it seemed really exciting. Packed into a couple blocks here are gay bookshops, cafes, discos, karaoke houses, saunas, ramen shops, hotels and even a small cruising ground. It didn’t take long to realize that to enjoy gay Tokyo would require a great deal of money, Japanese speaking ability and sense of adventure.
One has to look outside Ni-Chome, however, to find a supportive glb community. Though it has taken me a while, I have finally discovered a thriving underground network of house parties, weekend getaways and many other social events. There are several active political groups, volunteer organizations and even an annual glb film festival!
If you have a resource library in your study abroad office, it may be useful for some to know about International Friends and Gay Network Japan.
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International Friends, C. P. O. Box 180; Tokyo 100-91; JAPAN, Tel:
(813) 5693-4569; Fax:
(813) 5694-3775, e-mail: ifin@passport.org
For over seventeen years, IF has been serving a community that until recently was largely invisible in Japan. IF was the first organization in Japan to produce and distribute AIDS information brochures and posters in Japanese and English. Today, IF sends a monthly newsletter to a mailing list of over four hundred names, and on the third Sunday of every month, forty to fifty members get together at bilingual meetings. IF holds seminars, counseling sessions, and has support groups. IF does not always focus on serious issues, however. Frequent day trips to parks, museums and aquariums as well as overnight trips to hot springs or Mt. Fuji keep members in touch with nature.Women of all nationalities living in Tokyo can get in touch with the International Lesbian Community by calling (0422) 56-3953.
- Gay Network Japan
For those interested in establishing a link with Japan before coming, this is always a good sight to check out. I hear the classifieds are most effective.
Indiana University Office of Overseas Study
Copyright 2000, The Trustees of Indiana University
site url: http://www.indiana.edu/~overseas/lesbigay
Comments: NAFSA: Rainbow SIG