First, that it is prohibitively expensive (great values for travelers do exist and it's even possible to have a fabulous budget vacation here) and secondly, that Japan is an unfriendly place for foreigners. Two popular stereotypes exist about Japan. Major corporations, banks and department stores have begun to sponsor the annual Tokyo Rainow Pride in recent years. Most recently, some young gays and lesbians have become decidedly more visible (there is even a guidebook for the general public, called 'Gift of Gay', which details gay and lesbian influences in popular culture and history) participating in gay pride events and declaring a holiday on April 4, midway between Girl's Day and Boy's Day, wittily named 'New Half Day'.
In a country where 98% of the population gets married, many homosexuals and bisexuals express their same-sex desires only within the anonymity offered by maze-like night life districts, the lingering wisps of Edo's incense-perfumed ukiyo (floating world). Gay liberation and activism have only recently emerged from the shadows, urged into the spotlight by AIDS and a young generation of homosexuals dissatisfied with widespread ignorance and stereotypes. While uniquely fascinating, and offering a staggering variety of sexual outlets, modern Japan's gay scene can also be frustrating, discriminatory and oppressed.
