Drag queen Velma Belle reveals her favourite LGBTQ+ bars in Osaka
Osaka is abuzz as it plans to host the upcoming 2025 World Expo, open Asia’s first Time Out Market and, this October, host the world assembly of IGLTA, a travel industry organisation established in the United States to promote LGBTQ-friendly tourism. Serving as the first Asian host of the IGLTA gathering, Osaka is strengthening its claim to being Japan’s most LGBTQ-friendly city.
Also in October, Osaka will host Japan’s leading international drag show for the first time, with Opulence Volume 5 being held on October 27 at Zepp Namba. In the run-up to this glamour and glitz extravaganza, we asked Velma Belle, an Osaka-based queen originally from the US, to point the way to some of the best LGBTQ-friendly spots in the city. Here are some of the top bars in Osaka worth visiting after the show.