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| Kinswomyn |
Location: 2 Chome-15-10 Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Opened: 1994
Closed: February 2014
From NandeYana:
Kinswomyn: The End Of An Era
Posted by nandeyana
on October 18, 2013
in Shinjuku Nichome
Recently I was sad to learn that one of the better known women only bars in Shinjuku’s Nichome district will be closing its doors in February of 2014. This is sad for many more reasons than just the fact that it’s my favourite bar in the area. Kinswomyn is listed in most major guide books, such as the Time Out guide to Tokyo, so it is always full of visitors of from around the world, and you can meet some real characters on most nights that you go. Another great thing about the bar is that it attracts a clientele of all ages and welcomes members of the trans community, unlike some of the other establishments. Here’s a map of the location for those too lazy to google.
The bar was founded almost 20 years ago by Tara, who I never had a chance to meet. She ran it for 10 years before passing the torch to the current owner, Tomo, whose 10th anniversary in charge is also coming up. Tomo has decided that this milestone was a good time to try something new. It’s pretty sad that there will be no one else taking over the bar, but there are still some time to enjoy it before it closes. The bar was visited by actresses Jennifer Beals and Kate Moennig when they were in Tokyo promoting the first season of the L Word. If you ask the bar staff, there’s a little photo album commemorating this.
The bar has no cover charge (You don’t have to pay an entry fee. Most bars in Japan have it.), and drinks are around 700 or 800 yen for alcoholic drinks and a little less for soft drinks. They also offer a selection of snacks that vary in price, but there are sometimes complimentary nibbles. It is a cozy venue that sits around 12-15 people, although I’ve seen many more crammed into the place when there was an event going on. There’s no karaoke, so your ears won’t be assaulted by drunken off-key crooning, and the music is mainly remixes of current Western pop artists, although they have a selection of CDs so maybe if you ask nicely they might change it for you. There’s also a little TV that usually plays the L Word or concert footage of pop stars like Pink, Namie Amuro and many others.
The bar will have its 20th anniversary party this Saturday the 19th, and a Halloween party the Saturday after (26th). Come along and make the last few months at Kins the ones to remember.
