Sleep.
Tokyo is one of Asia’s gay capitals and there are awesome gay venues spread throughout the city, but the uncontested gay area in town is Shinjuku Ni-chome. This gay village east of Shinjuku Station has over 300 bars, clubs, and cruise bars, and is an unmissable stop for gay visitors to Japan.
Most hotels in Tokyo could be described a gay-friendly. Culturally Japan has no religious hostility towards homosexuality, and same-sex sexual activity has been legal for over 130 years. But while Japan may be culturally accepting legally same-sex marriage, equality laws are still lacking in the country. Tokyo city has made some positive steps in legalizing same-sex partnerships, providing some limited marriage benefits.
The hotels recommended on this list are located in Shinjuku, central Tokyo. Home to Tokyo’s entertainment district and also the city’s largest concentration of LGBT venues.
Many gay travelers who want to party choose to stay near Shinjuku Ni-Chome, the center of Tokyo’s gay scene. Shinjuku is well connected to the rest of Tokyo with three metro stations and Shinjuku station, the world’s busiest railway station.
All of the gay-friendly hotels in this list are within walking distance of Ni-Chome, although the higher-end ones tend to be a bit further away. Look out for hotels in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s infamous red-light district, which is just a short 10-minute walk from Ni-chome.
If you are staying at one of the hotels within the Shinjuku wider gayborhood, you should be able to reach the main gay nightlife within a 15-25 minute walk.
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♥ Stylish and modern
♥ Spacious relaxing rooms
♥ Original artwork and design
♥ Cool cafe-bar concept
This recently-opened hotel is a stylish budget option, about 10 minutes from the Ni-chome gay nightlife and 5 minutes from Golden Gai. It features contemporary industrial-style decor and original artwork, giving it a boutique feel. The rooms are spacious and well-designed, with twins, doubles, and triples available. The trendy cafe-bar serves craft coffee during the day and craft beer in the evenings, with Japanese bites available throughout the day.
♥ Directly opposite Higashi-Shinjuku station
♥ Walking distance to Ni-chome nightlife
♥ Clean no-frills rooms
♥ Cafe and convenience store downstairs
This hotel benefits from a great location directly opposite Higashi-Shinjuku station (Fukutoshin and Oedo lines) and 10 minutes from the gay nightlife. Rooms are no-frills and compact, but clean and well-maintained. There is a cafe downstairs and a Lawson convenience store on the first floor. The hotel also has a laundry room with coin-operated machines and vending machines.
♥ Couldn’t be closer to Shinjuku gay nightlife
♥ Spacious and comfy single rooms available
♥ Nice complimentary light breakfast
♥ Mini-fridge in every room
This hotel is right in the middle of the Ni-chome gay area, with venues like EAGLE, AiSOTOPE, Kinsmen, DOCK, and Campy all within a minute’s walk. Single, double, and twin rooms are available, with the Deluxe Single category being very spacious compared to similar offerings. The rooms come with all the basic toiletries, plus a mini-fridge for your personal use. The complimentary breakfast is simple, consisting of baked goods, juice, tea, and coffee, but is a welcome addition nonetheless.
♥ Quiet location
♥ Walking distance to Ni-chome nightlife
♥ Good value
♥ Friendly and efficient staff
Hotel Listel is located a few minutes from the Shinjuku Ni-chome gay nightlife, on a quiet side-street that allows for peaceful rest at night. It offers no-frills accommodation with very good value. The rooms are compact and very clean, and the staff are friendly and helpful. There is an on-site all-day restaurant.
♥ Located in the Ni-chome gay village
♥ Excellent public transport links
♥ Microwaves and washer-dryers in several rooms
♥ Tasty buffet breakfast
This hotel is popular with gay visitors to Tokyo, mostly due to its unbeatable location in the heart of the Ni-chome gay village. It is also just a minute from Shinjuku San-chome station (Fukutoshin, Marunouchi, and Shinjuku lines), making it really easy to get around Tokyo’s expanse. Rooms are simply decorated in an all-white color scheme, and many of them have microwaves and washer-dryers. Some of the rooms also have kitchenettes. A tasty Japanese and Western breakfast is served in the mornings, and there are vending machines in the lobby.
♥ Very good Japanese and Western breakfast
♥ Clean comfortable rooms with all the basic amenities
♥ Good value for solo travelers
♥ Great location for Kabuki-cho and Ni-chome nightlife
As the name indicates, this hotel is located in the red light area of Kabuki-cho, 10 minutes from the main gay nightlife. Like its sister hotel (see above), it offers clean, comfortable, and good value accommodation in the form of simply-decorated rooms. The “Cloud Fit” beds are super comfy, and the single rooms are perfect for solo travelers on a budget. There is an onsen on-site, and the breakfast buffet – with both Japanese and Western options – is fantastic. Plus like it’s sister hotels ( see above APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae) is one of the most popular gay hotels in Tokyo Shinjuku.
♥ Perfect location for Ni-chome gay village
♥ Simple comfortable rooms
♥ Good-value single rooms for solo travelers
♥ Traditional onsen spa
This gay-friendly Tokyo hotel is located right next to the gorgeous Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, while also being just a couple of minutes from the Ni-chome gay nightlife. It features comfortable, simply decorated single and double rooms, with great beds and all the basic amenities. The single room is fairly spacious, and very good value. There’s an on-site restaurant that serves a good Western breakfast in the mornings and traditional onsen facilities where you can also book massage treatments. APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae is one of the most popular gay hotels in Tokyo Shinjuku.
♥ Awesome location for nightlife
♥ Recently renovated rooms available
♥ Big windows and great views
♥ Really helpful staff
This hotel benefits from a great location: 5 minutes from Shinjuku station, 10 minutes from the gay village, and next to the lantern and neon-lit nightlife of Kabuki-cho and Golden Gai. The decor is a bit dated, but some of the rooms have been renovated to a more contemporary standard. Many of the rooms have big windows overlooking the city. There’s a cafe-bar, an all-day interactive restaurant, and a Japanese bar-restaurant with panoramic city views. The staff are exceptionally lovely and helpful, giving the place a boutique feel.
♥ Cool decor in every room
♥ Awesome four-person rooms available
♥ Nice chilled-out bar-restaurant
♥ Brand-new Shinjuku hotel
This Kabuki-cho hotel is brand new, having opened in 2019. L’agent blends Edo period design with a contemporary feel, and it features really cool rooms with Japanese-inspired wall art ranging from manga panels to traditional motifs. The Deluxe Twin Rooms sleep up to four people and are great for groups, with a spacious layout, a deep soaking tub, a traditional Japanese seating area. The on-site restaurant is a laid-back spot that plays sports throughout the day.
♥ Perfect gay location
♥ Stylish contemporary city apartments
♥ Kitchenette and sofa-bed in every room
♥ On-site gym
Citadines Shinjuku (not to be confused with Citadines Central Shinjuku) is located less than 10 minutes from the main Shinjuku gay area, and three minutes from popular cruise club BodyBreath. Each serviced apartment is decorated in a fun and contemporary style, with pops of bright color offsetting a relaxing white color scheme. They all come with a kitchenette and a compact living area, with a sofa that can accommodate an extra person as a bed. There is a small gym on-site, as well as a launderette.
♥ Top-notch Shinjuku location
♥ Cool Godzilla room
♥ Varied and tasty breakfast
♥ Comfy single rooms available
This skyscraper hotel offers relaxing rooms in nature-inspired tones of green and light wood. Single rooms are available at a relatively spacious 18m2 for Tokyo, and the doubles and triples are also very comfortable. The Godzilla View Room, with a window directly facing the head of Shinjuku’s iconic Godzilla statue, is a particularly fun option. There’s a pizza restaurant and a cozy lounge on-site, and the breakfast buffet is generous and varied. The location, about 10 minutes from the Ni-Chome gay village and a stone’s throw away from the red light district of Kabuki-cho, is excellent for food, shopping, and nightlife.