#17

When you're gay in Tokyo, Shinjuku Ni-chome is the place to party. Spread across several blocks of narrow streets and packed with bars, the capital's LGBT quarter has a reputation to rival New York's Christopher Street - albeit in more coddled surrounds. By night, it's the prime spot for the gay and lesbian crowd, who flock to clubs or watering holes; by day, the bar culture gives way to the clientele of the quirky restaurants and coffee shops. And like nearby Kabukicho, Ni-chome never seems to pause for breath: year-round, it's the neighborhood that never sleeps.

Originally an inn town on the road out of Edo, Shinjuku took on a seedier guise as the years passed; by the end of WW2, it had the dubious honor of being Tokyo's foremost red-light district. However, gay bars only started to appear in the capital after the war, first in the downtown districts of Ginza, Shinbashi, Ueno and Asakusa. These gradually spread into what's now Shinjuku-Sanchome, but it took until the second half of the '60s before they made their way into Ni-chome. One of the first, in 1966, was a place called Sazae.
Yet labelling this place a 'gay bar' doesn't quite do it justice: it's also an old-school dance club. When I first set foot there in the late '70s, at the age of 21 or 22, it was known as a 'gay disco'. Back then, if you pushed open the door in the early hours, you'd be blasted with the latest dance hits from that era. Fortunately, you'll have a similar experience today.

'It's a disco now more than ever!' enthuses Shion (pictured), its owner since 1978, whenthe club moved to its current location and became 'New Sazae'.

Shion's flamboyant personality is also a draw. A quarter French, hewas born in the Nagasaki prefecture, and lost both parents as a child. After living with his grandfather in Lyon, France, he returned to Japan to attend secondary school, and found work as a fashion model. This led to a stint as a radio host, and he was soon something of a star in Nagasaki.

Next, Shion decided to pursue further education at Tokyo's Sophia University, to guarantee his future here. Once in the capital, he fell in with the music and theatre scenes, which in turn led him and his friends to Sazae. He became a regular customer there, it wasn't long before he earned his place on the other side of the counter.

But while the disco era would prove short-lived, New Sazae endured. These days, it's particularly popular with gaisen –Japanese
guys who prefer to hook up with foreigners and vice versa. According to Shion, the ratio of gay-to- straight clientele has recently shifted. 'In the beginning, I'd say about 90 per cent of the people who came here were gay,' he says. 'But nowadays it's more like 20 to 30.' The number of straight, cross-dressing customers is also on the rise. 'We welcome everyone and encourage them to let their hair down,' adds Shion.

Open until 5am on weekdays and 7am at weekends, 365 days a year, the club is a perfect fit for the district that never stops dancing.