As we’re gearing up for my Trip to Japan in late March (crossing my fingers hoping that we’ll be allowed to go with no quarantine time since we’re vaccinated), I’m wondering whether me and my husband will be allowed into sharing a room in a hotel.
I’ve been watching a post by expat vlogger CDawgVA https://youtu.be/MOuV-0f66Y4, where he was rejected from entering a few love hotels because he was going in with a fellow male vlogger and even though there seems to be a rule about you can’t refuse service to gay clientele but they still do. While I don’t think I booked any love hotels, my hotel choices were not major chains.
Does anyone have any experience on this or have witnessed gay/lesbian travelers being refused service in Japan?
Thanks for the help!
13 comments
Love hotels are very different from regular hotels. Regular hotels won’t ask what your relationship is, at least in my experience with traveling with a same-sex friend.
I didn’t watch the full video… But regular hotels are not going to refuse you service. Love hotels are lowkey related to sex work so they were pushing boundaries there by vlogging about it, being non-Japanese and two dudes together. If you look up lgbt love hotels then maybe you’ll feel more welcomed… Although, you can still be turned away politely for being foreigners.
Been a few years, but yeah. Wasn’t uncommon for love hotels to have signs explicitly stating they were for straight parings.
Normal hotels were all good with groups of whatever gender
To explain what love hotels are, they’re not regular hotels, many families in Japan live with three generations in the same house: grandparents, parents, children, and with paper-thin walls.
So if mummy and daddy want a few hours privacy to fuck, they go to a love hotel, which charges hourly rates for “rest”, not overnight rates like standard hotels. Some are sketchy flea pits, some are quite nice and classy, some are downright weird, I’ve even seen a video where one has a waterslide in the room (Tokidoki Traveller on YouTube posted a video of it, and she was with another woman, so you could possibly visit that one). So they’re not as bad as they sound.
However, unfortunately, yes, some love hotels discriminate against LGBT people, some places discriminate against foreigners, I think even tattoos could be a problem – similar to onsen and the association tattoos have with yakuza, but not all of them discriminate.
But generally speaking, I don’t think homophobia is much of an issue in Japan.
Speaking from personal experience, I was never barred or denied service. My friend is obviously gay(effeminate,uses feminine pronouns,etc). Where as I’m more masculine. And while traveling we went everywhere with each other. Stayed at hotels in Tokyo. As well as a traditional Ryokan(for locals not tourist) in Kyoto. All we got was alot of,”Good for you!!” looks.
Even In the case of (CDawgVA)Connor/Chris, you see most places accepted them just fine. I don’t think it’s likely a hotel will refuse your money. If so take it to another establishment. There’s plenty that aren’t stupid or rigid.
Also just want to add. That people never have/had a problem sitting next to me on trains. Even though I’m Black with very noticeable piercings and tattoos. And haven’t been kicked out of any establishments. Not that I would take it personally at all if I violated a rule or such. Just felt it needed to be said. There is alot of stories cycling the internet, about Gaijins facing adversity in Japan. Just want to emphasize that your personal experience can vary dramatically.
(If needed I can explain more in depth or give more examples)
This is going back several years, but there have been reports of Toyoko Inn (a large chain) refusing to rent double rooms to two men (although I imagine twin rooms would be okay). I don’t know what their current policy is, or even if it was a company-level policy. Other than that, I’ve never heard of anything like that.
Love hotels are a different story, but it’s very unlikely that you’ve booked a love hotel through a regular booking site without knowing it.
Many love hotels in Tokyo are designed so you don’t have to look anyone in the eye and they have a touchscreen or something like an intercom for privacy. So most of the time no one can really say anything to you. If you are worried about having a confrontation, one person can easily rent the room and text your partner the room number. Straight couples do that too if they don’t want to be seen going in or out together.
Actually, I’ve only heard of two or more men being refused from love hotels (though I don’t have any personal experience to back that up). I actually saw an article about love hotels promoting their rooms as good places for “joshikai”, or a gathering of girl friends. I suspect it has more to do with shady dealings than homosexuality, as love hotels are part of the sex industry, which is generally run by a certain group of people… But to answer your question, no, you should have no issue booking normal hotel rooms as two men.
I hit up an onsen resort hotel with my same-sex friend after we went hiking. The place was definitely catering to couples. They couldn’t have been nicer. As long as you’ve booked with actual hotels, I wouldn’t worry about a thing.
I don’t think a love hotel would even have any kind of online booking. If the place just has a regular nightly rate, it’s not a love hotel.
Not talking about experience, but yes, there is a law that say they can’t refuse people because they are gay, since 2018. [https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/02/09/japan-orders-hotels-to-stop-refusing-gay-couples/](https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/02/09/japan-orders-hotels-to-stop-refusing-gay-couples/)
And for some insight on why some refuse gay customer (but lesbian are ok) [https://soranews24.com/2016/11/03/why-do-so-many-japanese-love-hotels-refuse-service-to-gay-male-couples/](https://soranews24.com/2016/11/03/why-do-so-many-japanese-love-hotels-refuse-service-to-gay-male-couples/)
I also saw the video and was wondering why Chris did not say anything at the love hotel. I am pretty sure I’ve heard him talk on his podcast about the fact there is a law against refusing service to person of the same sex in hotel… so he knew from the start. It would have been great to see the reaction if you tell them it is against the law…
Anyway, it seems that for love hotel it is still not rare for them to refuse gay people [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/30/japans-love-hotels-accused-of-anti-gay-discrimination](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/30/japans-love-hotels-accused-of-anti-gay-discrimination)
Thanks everyone for your insights. I have heard of love hotels advertising themselves as an option for travelers and I wouldn’t want to have accidentally book one and then be refused service and you have assured me that this is not likely to happen.
Thank you!
cancel it because Japan is closed for all tourist vaccinated or not