If you’re waltzing up to a smaller, more local bar, they may not be used to serving non-Japanese people. Photo by: strondh Unless a queen is onstage serving looks like this, it’s probably not a good idea to be live streaming on Insta. Obviously, the mama in gay snack bars is usually a man, although in true LGBT fashion, some are staffed by drag queens. Gay snacks tend to appear more often in cities outside of Tokyo, due to the more community-driven atmosphere they offer. the “mama”) chat more intimately with the customers, serving them drinks and, well, snacks.
Snack bars - or “snacks” for short - are small, intimate bars where bartenders (led by the owner, i.e.
Obviously, the mama in gay snack bars is usually a man, although in true LGBT fashion, some are staffed by drag queens. You can certainly find these kinds of bars, especially in Tokyo, but the vast majority are similar to what is commonly referred to as a スナックバー (snack bar). Most gay bars in tourist spots like Ni-Chome or Doyamacho in Osaka mimic American-style bars that feature large shot bars, dance music and dark atmospheres where customers of various sexes, genders, sexualities and identities can drink and make merry. Photo by: Alex Rickert Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, but sometimes you gotta venture into the unknown.
