Battered but unbowed by coronavirus, Tokyo's gay district forges stronger ties

"events are held live again"

Not a good idea. Not now.

It sounds like the early days of the AIDs crisis; bars in my home-town did the same thing. The LGBT Community rallied and came back stronger than ever.

I guess that's one of the good things about being Gay - we have a stronger sense of Community and we're used to working together to overcome adversity.

It's good to see that spirit is still alive.

30-40 bars linked to cases that they know of... super speaker area for sure!

And with all the “secrecy and hiding” to avoid family shame stopping proper tracing..

Koike should lock down the whole area.

Super spreader district with all these events and gatherings.

And where do you get this information? Seems to me that the article itself says otherwise.

Officials don't have data on Ni-chome coronavirus cases, but bar owners have heard of a dozen or so. Futamura said maybe 30 to 40 establishments had been linked to cases, in the summer.

And with the close knit community that it seems to be, the owners themselves would have a fairly decent idea of what they are talking about. Not to mention that it was from the summer time, and not now.

All these years here and I didn’t know about there! I don’t wear masks, but if I could go there, I would give in and wear one. Unfortunately when I asked my partner if I could go, they said “over my dead body”.

@Goodlucktoyou

All these years here and I didn’t know about there!

Same here! First time that I hear abut that area.

Yuta said profits are back to 65 percent from a year ago.

Tamashiro says his business is back to about 70 perent.

That is good to hear.

I hope for a vaccine soon.

That is what we are all doing. But I guess in japan, we have to wait until at least next year summer.

All kinds of subcultures and underground communities have been hit hard by this. Clubs, live houses, cosplay events, reggae bars, non-mainstream theatre, you name it. These scenes give some people meaning to their lives, and without them, cities are just big collections of grey office buildings and shops. I hope they can bounce back.

Totally gay gokai has been going there since the mid-90s when he was a high school student. That was near the end of its peak period and places were packed. Now days there are more straights than gays there. Most of the bars have plastic sheets hanging between staff and customers and between customers, which is pretty typical now everywhere. And with few people going, I don't think it is dangerous to go there. And there are so few people, I don't see how ni-chome could be a "super-spreader" area.

Wow. You've changed your tune. Where was all the criticism against the super spreader events held by baby Trump? Or are only republicans allowed to spread the dread and dead? What happened to 'freedom'? Is there another word I can use instead of hypocrisy?

Whose hypocrisy? Where was your criticism of literally hundreds of super spreader BLM and Antifa protests and riots over the last six months? Let the ni-chome crowd make their own choices. If you think it’s against the science to hang out indoors in tiny bars for hours at a time - follow the science and stay at home. It’s called freedom.

stronger ties

I would say deep connections...

Outside public means of transports, any community is a larger spreader than a non community. Common-sense.

Stop making think LGBT is superior just because they understand each other.

Everyone is the same in front of that virus, rich or poor, foreigner er or not, etc.

Apply due protectiin and self-restrain for a few more months please.

I would say deep connections...

And why would you say that?

Stop making think LGBT is superior just because they understand each other.

Who is saying that? Usually, we're being told or hinted at that we are inferior/need therapy/can't get married/have our venues destroyed...

Apply due protectiin and self-restrain for a few more months please.

Interesting, when the very same poster is all for free for all sex in public toilets -

Having sex in a multipurpose toilet, what is the problem if adults both consents ???

LOL. Show self restraint, dont go to bars... but have sex in public toilets?!

You can imagine the fuss they’d kick up if a straight made rules for them.

Try being gay in japan for a week. It’s hard enough for straight people to kiss in public, but impossible for us. These social norms are created by straights.

You can imagine the fuss they’d kick up if a straight made rules for them

Can you imagine what it's like to be spat on, refused accomodation, discriminated against at work because of your sexuality, told not to hold hands in public, told to out yourself, told not to out yourself, told you're not normal, you're damned to eternal fire, go to therapy etc...

"Plus it's where we LGBT make the rules; straights who come here have to obey."

What does this even mean? We suffer from a growing, vocal minority in society that is utterly obsessed with, and whose identity appears to be defined by, sexuality. Why the need to broadcast to the known universe that you harbour a predilection for shagging x, y, or z. Very few of us care. You are making yourselves victims and then reveling in the victimhood.

I don't go around telling all and sundry that my life is defined by "dat ass". Oh wait...

PLEASE keep up the good work.

Why the need to broadcast to the known universe that you harbour a predilection for shagging x, y, or z.

A fine example of the kind of prejudice we face whether we remain quiet or speak up. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Very few of us care.

And yet, some feel the need to make negative, disparaging comments on each and every thread dealing with or even remotely connected to LGBT life and issues.

You are making yourselves victims and then reveling in the victimhood.

Never asked to be victims. But people will insist on calling us out for all manner of things, how we react, how we don't react, what we wear, what we look like, how we speak, where we eat, drink and dance, who we get married to etc.

Why the need to broadcast to the known universe that you harbour a predilection for shagging x, y, or z.

I know, right?? Every time I see a husband and wife kiss in public, I box their ears but good and say “Hey! Stop broadcasting your heterosexuality to the known universe! No one needs to know your predilections for shagging the opposite sex! C’mon now, there might be children around.”