Japan is a safe country, and most bars and hostess clubs charge exactly what their price list says. A small number of venues in busy nightlife districts make their money by presenting visitors with a bill many times higher than expected. In Japanese this is called bottakuri. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has, in past years, warned its citizens about spiked drinks and inflated card charges at bars in Roppongi and Kabukicho.

The pattern is predictable, which means it is avoidable.

The most common route in: a street tout

Most overcharging cases start on the street. Someone approaches you, often speaking good English, and offers a cheap all-you-can-drink deal, a “special price for foreigners”, or a club with beautiful women just around the corner. Once you are inside, the price you were quoted turns out not to cover anything.

Street solicitation for bars and hostess clubs (kyakuhiki) is restricted by prefectural nuisance-prevention ordinances and by ward ordinances in districts such as Shinjuku. Legitimate venues do not need you to follow a stranger off the street.

Rule one: do not go anywhere with someone who approached you on the street. If you are heading to Shinjuku, read is Kabukicho safe at night? for district-specific tips.

Warning signs before you order

• No written price list, or staff will not tell you the set price, extension price or service charge.
• A price that sounds too low for the area, such as a very cheap all-you-can-drink offer in Roppongi.
• Pressure to order quickly, especially bottles or drinks for staff, before prices are explained.
• No visible name or sign at the entrance, or a venue reached by a lift to an unmarked floor.
• Staff take your card to “open a tab” before you have ordered.

If any of these appear, leave before you order. Leaving before you have consumed anything is far easier than disputing a bill afterwards.

Habits that protect you

• Choose the venue yourself before you go out, from a source you trust.
• Photograph the price list or menu when you sit down.
• Ask the five questions in our guide to how the bill works and note the answers.
• Keep your drink in sight and do not accept drinks you did not see poured.
• Pay attention to how much you drink. Most disputed bills involve a guest who cannot remember what was ordered.
• Keep your card in your hand when you pay and check the amount on the terminal.

If the bill is far higher than you agreed

1. Stay calm and do not sign or pay a bill you did not agree to. Ask for an itemised bill.
2. Compare it with the price list you photographed. Point to the difference.
3. If staff refuse to discuss it or try to stop you leaving, call the police on 110. Police will usually come to the venue. They may treat a price disagreement as a civil matter, but their presence often changes how staff behave, and they can record what happened.
4. Call your card issuer if you paid by card for an amount you did not authorise. Ask about disputing the charge.
5. Get advice afterwards. The resources below can help in English.

Who to call

Save these numbers in your phone before you go out.

The simplest protection

Most problems disappear if you decide where you are going before the night starts, know the price structure, and walk in yourself. If you would like help choosing a venue with a clear price list, message us and we will tell you the full structure, including the service charge, before you go.