ふんどし　ゲイバー

Sure, you can get a drink in gay bar most anywhere in the world. Wherever there’s a gay nightlife, there are low-key bars, pulsating clubs, cruisy joints, and just about everything in between. But does your hometown have a gay bar where everyone must wear a fundoshi? At Zakoza Bulge Bar, in the Namba district of Osaka, you can have a gay experience that is both quintessentially Japan and definitely unforgettable.

Fundoshi wearers in the in-house pool at Zakoza Bulge Bar

What is a fundoshi, you say? It’s ok to ask. A fundoshi is a thin, cotton scarf-like swath of fabric that, when contoured, tied, and tucked just right, becomes an approximation of some very short, rather revealing short pants or even underwear that just ever-so-subtly might even be diaper redolent. Zakoza Bulge Bar has fundoshi available if you don’t have your own, and if you’re not sure how to put it on, someone will be happy to help.

Entrance sign to Zakoza Bulge Bar, Namba, Osaka

Zakoza Bulge Bar’s clientele are mostly in their 30s or 40s, but don’t let that be an impediment should you fall outside of the range. There are all you can drink plans as well (figure somewhere in the 3,000 range), but there’s also a base plan of 1,800 which includes two drinks if you arrive before 7pm, and just one drink if you arrive later. Additional drinks are 500 yen and up. The owner and clientele are very welcoming towards foreigners, so don’t worry about anything, little or small.

The drink course menu at the gay Zakoza Bulge Bar

The entrance to Zakoza Bulge Bar is on the second floor (exterior staircase), which is the floor where the bar and changing area is. It’s a long bar, and home-cooked food appears on it at around 10pm. It’s also a great place to ease into conversation, be it with the bartender or other customers.

Zakoza Bulge Bar’s very laid-back lounge

Up on the second floor, there are a couple of lounge areas, one of which includes a big TV, making for an experience exactly like hanging out in someone’s living room with a bunch of people you don’t know that well. Except that they are wearing fundoshi. There are also mismatched sofas, a bit of a raunchy conversation, and drinks in everyone’s hands. It’ll all very collegiate somehow.

The fundoshi rack, Zakoza Bulge Bar

Half of the third floor is an outdoor deck, and here you will find an above ground pool big enough for probably ten people to take a dip. This of course makes their fundoshi sheer, which may leave less to the imagination than their pre-dip state. On the third floor is also another indoor lounge area. There are plenty of places to lounge. How you cross or choose not to cross your legs is up to you.

Zakoza Bulge Bar’s very own pool, Namba, Osaka

Some nights are not fundoshi nights (though Saturday always is), but some other theme that leaves you near nude. Zakoza Bulge Bar is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and is located at 2-3-23 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka.

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