Me: Does 遊びたい ( asobitai ‘I want to play’) mean he wants to have sex with me or just hang out?Ĭo-worker: Could we not do this during work? Getting out there Nightlifeīut, let’s say you want to put yourself out there. #9monsters #2016version #aisianboy #asianboys #asianguy #asianguys #asianhunks #gayappĪ post shared by A Photography on at 10:29am PDTĪs a matter of fact, I became literate while chatting with singles in my area (if I wanted to communicate enough with them to get them to meet.) I’m sure I traumatized one of my work colleagues with all of the messages I showed her. Since many people on the app won’t speak English, you might even practice your Japanese. Also, it’s indispensable for meeting gay people in your area, as it has the largest Japanese user base. It has an English interface and an adorable level-up system in which you can evolve your “monster” through chatting with people and “breeding” (ignore the terrible innuendo). I also recommend 9monsters, a gay dating app that originated in Japan and is popular across Asia. After all, we’re looking for relationships not just one night stands, right? Since it has been gaining popularity as a means of international exchange in Japan (despite its reputation as a hookup app in other parts of the world) you may even run across a match only to find out that (s)he is straight and just wanted to be friends. If both of you have “swiped right,” then Tinder notifies you both and you can begin chatting. If you’re not familiar, it’s an app that shows you pictures of people in your area (and their profile descriptions – but who reads those?!).Ī post shared by BassSick on at 9:57pm PDTīased on whether or not you’re “interested,” you can swipe their photo to the right to show that you would talk to them or swipe their photo to the left to damn them eternally to the abyss. I, along with several of my friends, have found Japanese partners through it. The best universal dating app in Japan I’ve found is Tinder.
If you’re looking for a little bit more than just a friend, then it’s time to bite the bullet and download a dating application - especially if you’re shy, awkward, live in a rural area or some unfortunate combination of the three.
Whether or not you are in certain programs, AJET (Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching) has Facebook groups open to anyone, and sometimes even has online information about queer life in your area (such as Hokkaido, where JETs created an entire PDF about their gay community). The benefit of this system is that you often have a community of (usually) LGBTQ-friendly foreigners nearby. For example, the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme has associations of language teachers for each region in the country.
Speaking of ALTs, if you’re coming to Japan to teach, you might also have a look at resources targeting teachers. They even made an appearance at my Tokyo orientation when I arrived in Japan as an ALT (assistant language teacher) and guided a group of us to the gay district, where I spent an incredible first night in Japan. There, you can introduce yourself to people around Japan and find out about nearby events. If you’re looking for community, I recommend Facebook pages such as Stonewall Japan. Social media, though time-devouring, is a godsend for us shy queers in Japan. I’m here to show you that it’s very easy to get out there in a country where, for several reasons, you may choose not to be entirely “out.” Finding Community Resources for making friends As is the case in many developed countries, the climate for us queer folk is generally improving.īut, if you’re hoping to spend your time in Japan enjoying your freedom as an LGBTQ individual as richly as possible, you’ll still face plenty of difficulties. Saitama, the prefecture I live in just north of Tokyo, has even elected its first transgender official. Civil unions have been legalized in cities across the country, and LGBT couples are slowly winning the right to adopt in places like Osaka. The LGBTQ presence in Japan has started to make itself known recently (beyond the various gay manga and anime of varying sexual explicitness that we all know and love).