Onabe

Onabe (お鍋, おなべ, literally "cooking pan") is slang referring to transgender men and trans-masculine non-binary people within Japan. Originating in the 1970s, onabe used to refer to a "maid servant", but later came to be used as a female counterpart for okama, a derogatory term for gay men and transgender women.^[1]

Historically, the definition of the word is disputed.^[2]^{[clarification needed]}

Host culture

The term onabe is often associated with host club culture. They^[who?] act like normal host clubs targeted towards women and are paid to flirt, socialize and drink with woman patrons.^[3] These host clubs are called "onabe bars" or "nabe bars".

References

↑ Valentine, James (1 August 1997). "Skirting and Suiting Stereotypes: Representations of Marginalized Sexualities in Japan". Theory, Culture & Society. 14 (3): 57–85. doi:10.1177/026327697014003003. ISSN 0263-2764.
↑ McLelland, Mark J.; Dasgupta, Romit, eds. (2005). Genders, transgenders and sexualities in Japan. Asia's transformations. London New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-40585-0.
↑ "We can't be erased: 30 years on, the legacy of the Shinjuku Boys". QueerAF. 21 February 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.

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[1] Valentine, James (1 August 1997). "Skirting and Suiting Stereotypes: Representations of Marginalized Sexualities in Japan". Theory, Culture & Society. 14 (3): 57–85. doi:10.1177/026327697014003003. ISSN 0263-2764.

[2] McLelland, Mark J.; Dasgupta, Romit, eds. (2005). Genders, transgenders and sexualities in Japan. Asia's transformations. London New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-40585-0.

[3] "We can't be erased: 30 years on, the legacy of the Shinjuku Boys". QueerAF. 21 February 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.

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