Japanese city of Osaka launches country’s first-ever Pride Month tourism campaign
The city of Osaka is leading the charge for LGBTQ-directed marketing.
Words: Markus Bidaux
If you have never been to the city of Osaka in Japan, it will likely come as a shock that they boast the second-highest number of LGBTQ bars of any city in the world, with over 100 bars clustered in the city’s Doyama district, which started to open there in the 1970s.
A club night in Osaka (NUDE JAPAN)
This year, the city’s tourism bureau became the first in Japan to launch a campaign to celebrate Pride month. Hotels, restaurants and other businesses will sell the “One Cup Rainbow” sake produced by the Ozeki Corporation. The clear glass cup is labelled with a rainbow and the message “One Love, One Cup”.
The One Rainbow Cup cocktail at W Osaka
A portion of the sales will be donated to Osaka’s Pride event, Rainbow Festa!, which is held each October.
Drag queens promoting the One Rainbow Cup during an LGBTQ Tourism Conference at the Conrad Osaka hotel
Osaka’s tourism board is not stopping there, they have also launched the Open Arms Project, which promotes Osaka as a place that welcomes everyone regardless of gender, sexuality or nationality.
They have created a video campaign starring a gay couple, with more videos featuring a diverse cast coming soon.
They plan to work with the local travel industry to create tourism experiences unique for Osaka, which should be easy as it is famed for its culinary delights, nightlife and history – it even has its own castle.
Osaka Castle
In addition to all of this, they are now a Featured Destination on the IGLTA’s (International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association) website meaning they will reach an even wider LGBTQ audience.
For more information on Osaka go to visitgayosaka.com
For more information on the Open Arms Projectgo to openarmsproject.visitgayosaka.com