Being Gay In Ehime
To be or not to be? In Japan , this is indeed a serious question. Because everyone is different, it is difficult to say what your experience will be like. As always, there are no guidelines or magic key words. Should you let people around you know? How to tell them? How will they react? Where are the gay bars? Are Japanese good lovers?
Homosexuality in Japan is still taboo. Hence, the closets here are big enough for you and your lover to sleep inside. Even if the younger generation is more open-minded, you will probably encounter a lot of ignorance and misunderstanding in the rural areas of Ehime. For many, a gay person is a witty comedian who dresses up as an old grandmother on TV to make people laugh. It is therefore not surprising to see their bewildered faces when you tell them the big news.
What you do have to ask yourself is "why tell them?" Can you survive without them knowing? What will you gain and what will you loose? Unless you intend to kiss on the street, what goes on in your bedroom stays in your bedroom. Just make sure you lock the door and don't forget to close the blinds.
Now, are there only grandmas and grandpas where you live and you wonder where all the people your age are? Well... they are still probably in university or climbing up the work hierarchy in the big cities. In Matsuyama , there are a couple of bars. Unfortunately, they are only for guys. They are very laid back and mostly Japanese speaking. A short list of resources follows. We have yet to find a dancing floor! If you are looking for more action, you will definitely need to travel to Hiroshima, Okayama, Osaka or even Tokyo .
Meeting people in Ehime is an arduous task. The rainbow flag is absent here and if you see it, it's probably only someone who likes all those nice colors. With a frantic taste for handbags, Hello Kitty, plastic jewelry and fur covers in their car, straight guys have something to confuse you. For more safety, surf the internet and go for a drive. By the way, Japanese just love to go for a drive without any specific destination so don't go paranoid if that's what you do on your first date, you are not being abducted.
Finally, a word of caution. The number of AIDS infections is growing rapidly in Asia, mainly in Cambodia, Myanmar, China and India. It's not because you live in the 'boonies' that the risk is inexistent. In Ehime, it is possible to get tested for at a low cost. See a list of AIDS testing center in appendix for more information. What ever you do, don't forget to play safe and use condoms.
Stonewall Japan ? AJET GLBT Interest Group
If you have a chance, sign up for this interest group in Tokyo or at your local AJET. They have a lot of resources available and publish a monthly magazine, The Brix. You can also join their listserv on Yahoo! by visiting the following page.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stonewalljapan
JGuyUSGuy and KissJapan
These two websites provide online support for the GLBT community living in Japan. Both sites can be accessed from you PC or Keitai; in English or Japanese. There, you will find info on gay life, classifieds, chat, useful Japanese sentences, etc.
http://jguyusguy.org/
http://www.kissjapan.com/
Ehime Gay
This website is only for men and it is in Japanese. This might be a little difficult at first, but it is ultimately the best website to meet other guys in Ehime. It can also be accessed from your PC and your Keitai.
http://www.ehimegay.com
Bars
BarSeek
Nice bar with comfy chairs and good music. Most people are in their 20's and only speak Japanese. So practice your self-intro, take all of your courage and open the door. You'll spend a nice evening there. From the entrance of Okaido, go down to the first traffic light and turn left. Second street on your right, keep on your left and you'll see the neon sign. It's on the 3rd floor. (Men only)
3F Ishikawa Build. Ni-Chome 6-5, Nibancho, Matsuyama-city
Tel.: (089)945-5539
http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~barseek/
Obsession
The place is a bit difficult to find and it is not very crowded, which makes silences a bit uncomfortable. Nonetheless, the barman ?B.B' is very friendly and speaks a little bit of English. Good place to go if you want to break the ice without risking the embarrassment. From the tram street in Matsuyama (Laforet, Starbuck, Haggen Das), find Yasaka Street - a street with tons of neon signs East from Okaido. Go down and turn on your left at the parking tower. Obsesion is a few blocks on your right ? 4th floor. (Men only)
4F Avenir Kobe Build. 1-5-18 Nibancho Matsuyama-city
Tel.: (089)947-6311
http://www.home.cs.puon.net/obsession/einformation.htm