The Ni-chome of today does not look like the Ni-chome of 10 years ago.
Tokyo’s queer scene has, for most of its history, been almost exclusively confined to an area of Shinjuku Ward known as Ni-chome (basically, neighborhood division No. 2). This “gay village” was a safe space that queer folk here created to have a bit of nighttime fun, even if it often excluded those who fell outside of specific definitions of “gay” and “lesbian.”
Change came in 2019, however, after Elin McCready, a transgender woman, was denied entry to a “women only” club event being held in Ni-chome, despite her passport indicating her gender was female. The club’s owner eventually apologized, but the episode caused a lot of discussion and resulted in new club events taking place that put inclusion at the center of their philosophies.
Springing almost immediately from the 2019 incident was Waifu, a party established by McCready and the people there at the time of the incident. Taking place at Aoyama Hachi in Shibuya Ward a mere 10 days later, the event was an effort to create something other than the “men only” and “women only” ethos of traditional Ni-chome.
“Ni-chome was never a place where I felt very comfortable, like a lot of queer people,” says McCready, 49, adding that even the spaces there that maintained open-door policies played mainly pop hits and rarely served those searching for reputable dance music — the kind you hear at the city’s best clubs but in a queer-friendly space.
Waifu’s aim is to provide “a femme-forward, antiracist and antifascist queer space with good music.” To ensure accountability on this promise, the group drew up an anti-discrimination statement — an action that is typical for clubs overseas but, at the time, still rare for Japan. The description that read, “Everyone has the right to feel safe, supported and respected, regardless of their race, sexuality, gender or physical appearance,” was also later refined to include: “This is a space for everyone with an open heart.”
In addition to typical club offerings, Waifu events often include LGBTQ-centric stalls that spotlight art, zines and information on issues that affect the community.
“I had people coming up to me in tears thanking us for starting it,” McCready says. “They felt they finally had a place to go.” The event itself is also looking for “a place to go,” searching for a permanent home. In the meantime, punters can stay informed by checking the event’s website.
A scene appears
Since Waifu began, other queer club nights have launched, and inclusivity goals have become more common in clubs across Tokyo. Venues such as Forestlimit in the neighborhood of Hatagaya and Club Asia in Shibuya have released anti-harassment policies in the wake of a Waifu-led campaign for safer dancefloors.
Switch, a queer, sex-positive party that began at the end of 2020, currently has its own inclusive club rules pinned to its Instagram account. One of these includes the rule “No Photos,” in order to give people the freedom to undress if they wish. At Switch parties, latex and leather abound, and the DJs play music that’s as hard as can be. Organizer and resident DJ, Mariya Myronenko, 28, says Switch aims to create a “free and loving environment with an excellent music experience.”
“I think it’s amazing to see more young people ... exploring their sexuality,” she says.
Elsewhere, Ether, which has also been running since 2020, took the politicized nuance of the first Waifu event to its heart. Ether parties are unique in that, music-wise, anything goes — from electronic to hardcore band music. Co-founder Yiqing Yan, 24, says the thing that unites their community is fluidity and openness.
“We always prioritize artistic freedom and space, against the capitalist process you might see elsewhere,” she says.
It’s worth noting that, prior to Waifu, there had been a couple of options for alternative partygoers. Motorpool, for instance, launched in 2016 when veteran DJs Mayudepth and DSKE, noticed how closed the LGBTQ scene was.
“We wanted to start a new type of party that united different communities,” the pair said in a statement. Motorpool was then held around three times a year before its regular venue, Contact in Shibuya Ward, closed last year. Upon entering the club, punters would be greeted with heavy, pounding beats from world-class DJs, as techno-heads mingled with drag queens, who would be strutting their stuff around the venue, glamming up the hard-hitting nights.
Looking to the future
The promoters looking to inject new sensibilities into the Tokyo club scene are pleased with the reaction to their efforts.
“Now there are more queer spaces, from study groups to art events,” Yan says. “It didn’t feel like this diversity of groups was there before COVID. Now, it’s easier to be queer in Tokyo, even if you don’t advocate for it on social media.”
Yan touches upon an important subject. The growth of social media has helped queer people find each other and, consequently, that has helped them form communities that were missing before. In the case of Waifu, the incident that started everything first gained traction online before leading to a change.
That’s why these days Waifu has evolved from a party into a collective, adding an outdoor spin-off event series and a radio show on the New York-based Lot Radio that invites predominantly Japan-based female and nonbinary DJs to showcase their talents to a global audience. It has even indirectly spurred a queer book club, run by a cross-generation team, including McCready and other promoters.
“There is obviously still a very long way to go, in the Tokyo club scene and in Tokyo and Japan more generally,” McCready says. For now, though, if you’re living in Tokyo or just visiting, the options you have for a night out have expanded markedly.
Keep tabs on Tokyo's best parties through Instagram
The new LGBTQ-friendly party scene in Tokyo tends to use Instagram to keep clubbers informed of new events:
- Club Skin (@clubskintk): A long-running party that is held almost monthly at Ni-chome venue, AiiRO Cafe.
- Ether (@ether.tokio): A roving party series and collective that transcends genres and mediums.
- Motorpool (@motorpoolparty): An electronic party incorporating electronic dance music and drag queens, run by veteran DJs Mayudepth and Dske.
- Slick (@slick.tokyo): A cross-generation outdoor rave series that holds guerilla style events around Kanto.
- Switch (@switch.party666): A Berlin style hard-techno party that promotes sex positivity.
- Waifu (@waifu_party): A cross-generation queer party run by Japanese and non-Japanese femmes and activists.
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