OSAKA -- area code (81-6)

There are three major gay neighborhoods in Osaka: Doyama-cho, the easiest for visitors to find and navigate; Kabukiza-ura ("behind the Kabuki theater") in Namba, which is smaller and less international but still very friendly; and Tennoji, in the area around Tsutenkaku Tower, which is the original post-war gay neighborhood and has a reputation as being a bit dangerous. Mostly older Japanese men go to Tennoji these days, but some of its saunas are more broadly popular.

Instructions to the Doyama-cho gay nightlife area: from the JR Train Station, take the south exit, turn left and cross the street to the Hankyu Umeda Station building and continue through to the other side where you will find the large, red HEP 5 shopping center (with the huge red Ferris wheel on the roof) and to its left, adjacent to the elevated tracks, a shopping alley called EST St. Continue down EST St two blocks until it dead-ends at the main avenue with the overhead highway and turn right to the corner of the major intersection. Doyama-cho is now diagonally opposite from where you are. Cross left under the overhead highway, then turn right and cross the smaller diagonal street. You are now at the corner edge of Doyama-cho, a maze of late night bars and restaurants. Turn left at this corner and walk to the next alleyway and take a right. Take this alley straight ahead to find Lupu, Coco love hotel, and Hokuoukan sauna. Explore the alleys to the right in the vicinity for many of the bars mentioned below, which advertise their names on rows of small signs that rise vertically on the building exteriors.

Exploring Doyama-cho is easy with our map:

DOYAMA-CHO
• Bar Bacchus
  3/F Daini-Shouei Kaikan, 6-14 Doyama-cho, Kita-Ku (see map, right around the corner from Explosion, just south), 6361-2366, email. The extremely friendly owner, Chanho, welcomes gays and lesbians to his bar. He's fluent in English and a great information resource for visitors. Super inexpensive drinks and snacks. 20-40yo, international crowd. Chances are you'll feel right at home here. 大阪市北区堂山町６—１４　第二松栄会館３F

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Cheapest drinks I found, all at only Y$500 fixed price (US$4), and no cover charge. Mostly gay but I felt very welcome here as a lesbian and I wasn't the only woman on the night I visited. Everyone was warm and chatty, especially the owner." -- lezbean, Jan 13, 2006

• Bar COLT
  2/F Ad-Kamiyama Bld, 14-3 Kamiyama-chou, Kita-ku (see map, opposite the YWCA Bld and next door to Village), 6362-6022, email. Men only. Friendly and, as the name suggests, a bit of a butch crowd in their 20s and 30s. 大阪市北区神山町１４—３　アド神山ビル２F
• Barfly
  3/F Sanyo Kaikan, 8-23 Doyama-cho (see map, same bld as Explosion), 6362-0287. Gay and lesbian bar. Reasonably priced drinks, no cover. Great company and karaoke fun with Hokuto-san and his staff. Open daily 6pm-3am.
• Cafe de Jumpin' Jumpin' (Cafe J²)
  6363-3367. Friendly and relaxed place with cute staff.
• Hey! Hey! Hey!
  Suite 4 Pearl Leisure Bld, 16-4 Doyama-cho, 6362-0309. Mamasan: Waniko. Karaoke cruise bar. Type: 20s and up.
• Hysterics
  Suite 6 Kuei Dai-Ni Leisure Bld, 16-10 Doyama-cho, 6365-9996. Mamasan: Iruka. Type: 20-30yo.
• Jack in the Box
  (see map), 6361-3271. Young crowd. Closed Thu.
• Kuro
  OK Bld 16-6 Doyama-cho (see map), Kita-ku, 6313-4665, email. Located very near the entrance of Doyama-cho gay area. Confusingly there is a another bar named Kuro with a green sign nearby, but you will be very unwelcome if you go to the wrong one, so look for Kuro's BLUE sign on the inner right-hand side of a small hallway off the main street. Since the sign is in Japanese, the easiest thing to do is to call the bar and have someone meet you in front of Explosion. This oldest gay bar in Osaka frequented by middle-aged and mature gay men (30s - 70s). Owner Seiichi is incredibly friendly as are his regular guests. Expect to attract a lot of attention in this warm, amiable, and cozy Japanese-style bar. Drink menu is more limited to traditional Japanese libations like shoju spirits. English spoken. 大阪市北区堂山町１６—６　OKビル
• Leibniz
  6362-0239. Same building as Motoba and Cafe J². Leibniz sign is clearly visible from the street in the first floor corridor. Master: Hiroshi. Type: 20-40yo.

  Lupu (mixed) Kansai-Chuo Bld (see map), Bekan 1/F, 101 15-2 Doyama-cho, Kita-ku, 6364-1357. This lesbian-run mixed bar welcomes visiting gays and lesbians. Owners Yu and Rika are extremely friendly and will quickly put you at ease. Yu speaks English and both are very helpful. Inexpensive drinks and snacks. Karaoke if you like. Relaxed atmosphere to meet old friends and make new ones. They are happy to host birthday events and will organize the cake and decorations. Open 8pm-5am, closed Wed. 大阪市北区堂山町１５—２　関西中央ビル別館１F　　１０１ Utopia Member Discount.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "It was a bit of a challenge to find Lupu. The Utopia map was quite useful though I would also recommend that you check out Lupu's website, plus get a detailed map in English at Umeda Station and use it with what ever info you can get from here. Rika and Yu are a lovely, warm and friendly couple indeed!" -- locknlol, Aug 23, 2006

  "Lupu is a cozy nest and a great value. I had a high quality glass of white wine for Y$700 (US$6.) and my Japanese girl friend noted that a bottle of champagne here was only Y$5,500. (US$48.), very reasonable by Japanese standards!" -- lezbean, Jan 13, 2006

• Marriage
  401 Kyuei Leisure Bld, 16-10 Doyama-cho, 6311-1588. Mamasan: Seiko. Type: 20-30yo.
• Motoba
  6312-6363. 4/F in the same building as Leibnitz and Cafe J². Gets busy in the wee ours and stays open until morning when the trains run again. Japanese atmosphere, friendly, some English spoken. Crowd is 20-30s.
• Nagasaki
  B/F, Doyama-cho (opposite Saiyamen, see map). Small, friendly Japanese style bar for older men and their younger fans.
• Peach Pit
  3/F Daiichi Shoei Bld, 6-15 Doyama-cho, Kita-ku (right around the corner from Explosion, just south). Same floor as Bacchus and right next door to Popeye. Supposed to be a welcoming Japanese-style bar, probably with limited English.

  Physique Pride Osaka 1/F 8-23 Sanyo-Kaikan (see map), Doyama-cho, Kita-ku, 6361-2430, email. Newly renovated and always popular. Located at street level, the first bar just inside the building where Explosion disco is located. A casual, international gay bar in operation since Aug 1993. No cover charge. Hideki runs a cheerful place, very friendly for foreigners, with the emphasis on fun. He's there 7 nights a week, he says, so that he won't miss any of his customers. The music is never too loud to hamper conversation. Physique also supports AIDS/HIV awareness and human rights activities in cooperation with Osaka City and the local gay community. Younger, hip crowd, with many gaisen (Japanese who like foreigners). There are always special events planned. Ask for or pick up an event schedule flyer by the door. 大阪市北区堂山町８—２３　サンヨー会館１F

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Physique is easy to find and a nice place to take a break from the dance beats downstairs at Explosion. They also have a low fixed price of Y$700 (about US$6.) for all drinks, much less pricey than Japanese-style bars where you also have to buy a snack. "-- suzhouguy, Jan 5, 2006

• Popeye
  3/F Daiichi Shoei Bld, 6-15 Doyama-cho, Kita-ku (right around the corner from Explosion, just south), 6315-1502, email. Same floor as Bacchus and right next door to Peach Pit. The sign on the street is in Japanese, so don't bother looking for it unless you read kanji, just look for Bacchus' sign instead. Master: Hiroshi. Friendly, well-established Japanese-style bar. Young crowd. Bar sponsors group activities. Type: 20-30yo. You'll be most comfortable here if you speak some Japanese.
• Saiyamen
  B/F, Doyama-cho (opposite Nagasaki, see map), 6364-3633, email. Friendly. Some English spoken at this Japanese style bar. Cute bar captains. Crowd is 20-50.
• Studio Grip
  A-323 4 Ysuruno-cho Kitaku, Nomura Umeda. Young, college, mustache, body builders.
• System 21
  F12-15 Toganocho Kitaku, 4867-3373, email. One minute walk from Exit M14 of the Osaka Umeda underground mall. See map on their website. Tribal house, vocal house, progressive house, techno trance.
• Village
  2/F Ad-Kamiyama Bld (see map, opposite the YWCA Bld and next door to Bar Colt), 14-3 Kamiyama-chou, Kita-ku, 6365-1151. A huge club by Japanese standards! Square, central bar for easy eye contact, additional table seating, and small dance floor. Very handsome and super friendly bar staff with some English spoken. Japanese style (snack tray is served with your first drink, so go ahead and eat it because you pay for it). Karaoke is the mainstay on week nights. They also have regular party events and drag shows (sometimes the staff or customers have been known to put on their own impromptu shows!). Crowd is 20-30s and a bit fashionable. Utopia Member Discount.

  NAMBA / KABUKIZA-URA

• Town Space H2
  4-3-16 Chuo-ku, Namba (on the street behind the big old Kabuki theater) 6644-0809. Close to Namba Station and Swisshotel. The master is named Hiroshi. Very friendly small bar with a family atmosphere. Customers will chat up foreign guests out of curiosity, at the very least. Japanese style bar so a nominal a "table charge" will be added to the bill and includes a snack. Karaoke available. Crowd is in their 20's and 30's, mostly Japanese with some foreigners, especially visiting Asians from around the region who are made very welcome here. Taiwanese and Japanese-speaking staff. Some English spoken. Open daily from 8pm until late. 大阪市中央区難波4-3-16 （ＧＴタウン５Ｆ）

• Explosion
  B1 Sanyo Kaikan (see map), 8-23 Doyama-cho, 6312-5003, email. Large dance club popular with trendy gays, lesbians and visitors. Open nightly until early morning.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I visited Explosion it when a mixed party was held, but the amount of straight people was negligible. Funny show and nice atmosphere." -- RL, May 7, 2008