I’m a trans woman traveling to Japan for the first time in January. I’m staying with a friend at first, but after they have to return to work I was planning on doing a couple of weeks of solo traveling, primarily a week in Tokyo and a week in Osaka. Some of the cheapest and most centrally located accommodations are hostel type arrangements that are gender segregated and I was wondering if any trans person has experience with them, as I can’t find much online about this particular aspect. I generally feel pretty safe and confident about the experience outside of this one aspect.
I present as a woman and pass pretty well in America (5’4″, two years on hormones, breasts, long hair, dress pretty femme, etc. etc.) outside of not really doing any voice training. All of my documents reflect my correct gender and name as well. I definitely wouldn’t be able to stay in a male only dorm situation.
Haven’t done anything in the realm of bottom surgery so of course going to avoid onsens, but that doesn’t seem like it’ll be an issue if the showering situation is relatively private.
I’m honestly more worried about other foreigners than the Japanese people running the hostels. Any experience with this or a similar situation? Would it be better to just stay at a less centrally located mixed gender dorm situation?
6 comments
I do not remember much hostel being gender segregated other than sometime having a female only dorm and maybe seen one that was female only, would be a bit curious about the places you found. If you do not want to share the hostel publicly, feel free to contact my by chat or PM and I can check and maybe help you find alternative, I usually stay in hostel and I have traveled all across Japan.
Generally hostel should not be a problem because the shower are usually individual showers, but if you go in capsule hotels for example, some would have a public bath style bath/shower.
Avoiding worry and potential, if maybe not likely, complications, cheap private hotel rooms are not that much more than guest houses especially if you were going to book a whole week. Might be worth it to avoid the anxiety and hassle of having to check each individual place.
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I’ve stayed in numerous hostels in Japan and honestly, I can’t say I ever saw another traveler naked, nor did I (or anyone else, it seemed) care what people looked like under their clothes. I would stay in whatever room you feel comfortable in. That being said, your best bet if you want to keep things simple and as cheap as possible would probably be a mixed gender dorm. That way, you don’t have to worry as much about where you fit in. Are you checking the hostels’ individual websites? They usually have a better run-down of their rooms and facilities than Booking.com and other such sites. You could also email them and ask.
Or if you have a bit of extra money, you could pay for a private hostel room, which are usually still cheaper than regular hotel rooms
Transgender is not accepted in Japan. It’s not supported by any laws or customs. As a trans man, I avoid anything that has to do with gender besides toilets. Those, I use the woman’s ones, because I haven’t had top or bottom surgery. If you want cheap places to stay, try capsule hotels and manga cafes. Avoid any group living, especially ones separated by gender! The last thing you want is to create some peeping tom scandal that winds you deported or worse, in jail!
In Japan there is no trans gender laws, so by the eyes of the law you are a dude even if you had your dick removed, so be careful by entering women toilets o baths in Japan you can go end up in jail and then deported.