Pop Divas Create Tourist Attraction

Date: 2004 November 14 17:24

Posted by Joe

You can't beat The Daily Mainichi's Daily News' WaiWai Section for strange headlines. But this headline - Gay neighbors bummed out by
dangers of walking on wild side surely deserves a prize. The article focuses on the problems currently faced at Tokyo's gay quarter in the Shinjuki 2-Chome district. Apparently it has become a tourist spot were people visit to observe the local gay and lesbian population unwinding. This recent phenomenon of tourists visiting is attributed to some of Japan's biggest pop divas such as Ayumi Hamasaki who is a regular at gay bars, mainly to avoid her fanbase. The article also mentions that with an increase in tourism it has also led to an increase in crime.