Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shoes and slippers
little like a woman; and male (
உ
), which looks like a
chap with a box on his head.
It's customary to change into
slippers
when
entering a Japanese home or a ryokan, and not
uncommon in traditional restaurants, temples and,
occasionally, in museums and art galleries. If you
come across a slightly raised floor and a row of
slippers, then use them; leave your shoes either
on the lower floor (the
genkan
) or on the shelves
(sometimes lockers) provided. Also try not to step
on the
genkan
with bare or stockinged feet. Once
inside, remove your slippers before stepping onto
tatami, the rice-straw flooring, and remember to
change into the special
toilet slippers
kept inside
the bathroom when you go to the toilet.
Gay and lesbian
Tokyo
Gay travellers should have few concerns
about visiting Tokyo. Japan has no
laws against homosexual activity and
outward discrimination is very rare,
including at hotels and ryokan where
two people of the same sex sharing a
room will hardly raise an eyebrow.
That said, marriage remains an almost essential
step on the career ladder, keeping many Japanese
gays in the closet, often leading double lives and/or
being apathetic to concepts of gay liberation and
rights. General codes of behaviour mean that public
displays of affection between any couple, gay or
straight, are very rare - so don't expect a warm
welcome if you walk down the street hand in hand
or kiss in public. In recent times being gay has
come to be seen as more acceptable - and among
young people it's rarely an issue - but Tokyo has a
long way to go before it can be considered truly
gay-friendly.
There's a decent number of gay and lesbian
venues, particularly in the Shinjuku Nichōme area
(see p.177).
Toilets
Although you'll still come across traditional Japanese
squat-style
toilets
(
toire
or
otearai
;
τΠϨʗ͓खચ͍
),
Western sit-down toilets are becoming the norm.
Look out for nifty enhancements such as a heated
seat and those that flush automatically as you walk
away. Another handy device plays the sound of
flushing water to cover embarrassing noises.
Hi-tech toilets, with a control panel to one side,
are very common. Finding the flush button can be
a challenge - in the process you may hit the
temperature control, hot-air dryer or, worst of all,
the bidet nozzle, resulting in a long metal arm
extending out of the toilet bowl and spraying you
with warm water.
Note that public toilets rarely provide
paper
.
There are lots of public lavatories on the street or
at train and subway stations; department stores
and big shops also have bathroom facilities for
general use.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Fridae
W
fridae.com. Asia-wide site with some good Tokyo info.
GayNet Japan
W
gnj.or.jp. Local gay community site with an
English-language section.
Utopia
W
utopia-asia.com. Pan-Asian site with good Japan specifics.
Tokyo Wrestling
W
tokyowrestling.com. Tri-lingual lesbian-focused
website.
Bathing
Taking a traditional Japanese
bath
, whether in an
onsen, a
sentō
or a ryokan (see box, p.201), is a ritual
that's definitely worth mastering. Key points to
remember are that everyone uses the same water,
that the bathtub is only for soaking and to never
pull out the plug. It's therefore essential to wash
and rinse the soap off thoroughly - showers and
bowls are provided, as well as soap and shampoo
in most cases - before stepping into the bath.
Ryokan and the more upmarket public bathhouses
provide small towels (bring your own or buy one on
the door if using a cheaper
sentō
), though no one
minds full nudity. Baths are typically
segregated
, so
memorize the
kanji
for female (
ঁ
), which looks a
Kids' Tokyo
What with Japan being the land of anime,
manga and a treasure chest of must-have
toys and computer games, you'll have
no problem selling the kids on a trip to
Tokyo. It's a safe, child-friendly city that
offers a vast number of ways to distract
and entertain kids of every age. For
families who don't mind bedding down
together a ryokan or Japanese-style room
in a hotel, where you can share a big
tatami room, is ideal (see pp.134-143).
