“LGBTQ” and “Shinjuku 2chome.” These are words that have become more common in recent years.

However, I think there are still people who don’t quite understand them, so I’ll explain them simply.

“L” stands for Lesbian. A person who is female in appearance and mind, and who experiences romantic attraction to women.

“G” stands for Gaysexual. A person who is male in appearance and mind, and who experiences romantic attraction to men.

“B” stands for Bisexual. A person whose gender identity matches their appearance, and who experiences romantic attraction to both sexes. This can include both men and women.

“T” stands for Transgender. Again, this can include both men and women, but it refers to people who feel a disconnect with their assigned gender, who may appear male but identify as female, or vice versa. Their romantic attraction may be to either men or women, or both.

“Q” stands for Questioning. These are people whose gender identity is not defined and who do not fit into any specific category.
These are referred to by the acronym “LGBTQ.”
Shinjuku 2chome is located a little away from the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku, and there are many restaurants and bars run by LGBTQ people. It’s pretty much accurate to think of it as an LGBTQ “drinking district.”
I am gay, fitting the “G” in my identity.
Including my time as an employee, I’ve worked in Shinjuku 2chome for about 20 years.
For the next year or so, I’d like to share my thoughts from various perspectives on the theme of “living true to oneself.”
Incidentally, 20 years of experience in Shinjuku 2chome is just about reaching the mid-career level, considering the age of the establishments and the customers. There are energetic senior staff in every town… Yes. Really.

What image comes to mind when you think of “Shinjuku 2chome”?

Most customers visiting a bar for the first time, especially male customers, imagine that the hostesses will get too close to them during service and touch them inappropriately.
Female customers, on the other hand, are often imagined to be verbally abused or treated harshly.
However, this is mostly an urban legend.
Of course, it is a bar and part of the entertainment world, so such cases do occur, but as it is a customer-facing business, the basic principle is to be considerate of the customer’s mood and demeanor. It’s rare to go beyond reasonable limits.
Some hostesses even make fun of themselves to get laughs, or offer relationship advice, so most customers find the atmosphere different from what they imagined.
Shinjuku 2chome favors customers who are relaxed and comfortable.
However, it’s true that there are many different kinds of bars, so if you’re visiting Shinjuku 2chome for the first time, it’s recommended to go with an LGBTQ friend or be introduced by someone familiar with the area.

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI