After visiting Japan’s first openly gay politician Taiga Ishikawa (石川大我) and erotic manga artist Gengoroh Tagame (田亀源五郎), the last episode of Taiwan’s original documentary series Queer Asia - Japan presents the secret life of gay and lesbian go-go dancers living in Tokyo. The episode was released this Friday (Dec. 28) and it is available for free on GagaOOLala.

Watch Queer Asia - Japan: Episode 3 - Go-Go Dancers

There are more than 450 gay clubs and pubs in Shinjuku, Tokyo, which makes it the highest concentration of gay bars in the world. Go-go dancers are inseparable from the nightlife of Japanese gay people. They have been invited very often to tour around the world and got a considerable number of fans in Asia and the world. In order to take a look at the most sensual scene of Tokyo’s nightlife, “Go-Go Dancers” invited Yumika, the goddess of go-go dancing, and Sasuke, one of the most popular male go-go dancers since he debuted last year, to tell us all their nightlife secrets.

Since his debut last year year, Sasuke has become one of the most popular dancers. He has tons of followers on Instagram and Twitter and has been on the cover of many LGBTQ magazines such as Badi. Along with a hot look, muscles, and short shorts that can hardly hide anything, the most important thing for a professional go-go dancer is to seduce the audience and stimulate their senses. Although his performances are always dangerously sexy, Sasuke’s life is surprisingly calm and peaceful. Living with his same-sex partner, he takes his job very seriously, “'making the audience excited makes me both happy and nervous.” His hunky body and coy smile are his biggest assets. Although he has to dance on the stage every weekend, he is quite delighted. Before dating apps, the clubs were the only place for LGBTQ people to make friends. Go-go dancers are a part of the gay club atmosphere that makes LGBTQ people feel comfortable and honest about their sexualities, and Sasuke is glad that he gets to be part of the gay ukiyo-e of Tokyo. Moreover, he wants to make the younger generation understand more about club culture.

  

“I would think about what styles women prefer. It’s like a transformation ceremony that turns you into a cute girl.” Yumika has been a dancer at lesbian club Tipsy for four years, but every time she gets on stage, she feels is like the first. With a delicate face and fit body shape and charisma, whatever Yumika does makes the girls —over 1,500 per night—go crazy. 

Tipsy is the biggest and most popular nightclub among women in Japan. Everyone is welcomed, whether straight or lesbian, whether to party or to interact with Yumika and other go-go dancers. A lot of girls want to be dancers at Tipsy, and it is not for money nor fame but a place where they no longer need to hide their sexuality. Just like what Yumika says in the episode, “I hope that LGBT won’t be a special thing in the future just like people in the future will be used to Tipsy when they hear about it. I look forward to a Japan like that."

Watch Queer Asia - Japan: Episode 3 - Go-Go Dancers

Yi-min lives alone with her son, as her husband works away from home. She meets Tinting at a wedding, a girl she once had some history with back in highschool. Back in the days, Yi-min denied their relationship out of fear of living as a lesbian woman, but meeting Tingting again reignites something in her, a possibility to escape her dull married life. Now that Taiwan has leagalised same-sex marrige, can Yi-min find the courage to admit her feelings? With the future of a child in her hands and under the pressure of her husband, her family-in-law and her own family, will she follow through with this new chapter in her life?