Bottakuri (ぼったくり) is the Japanese word for charging someone far more than something is worth. In nightlife it means a bar or club that gives a guest a bill many times higher than the price they were told. A bottakuri bar is a rip-off bar.

What the word means

The word is usually explained as a combination of boru (to charge an outrageous price) and takuru (to snatch). It is informal and appears in everyday speech, news reports and police warnings. People also use it loosely for anything overpriced, such as a tourist-trap restaurant.

How it usually happens

Most cases follow the same pattern:

1. Someone approaches you on the street, often in good English, offering cheap drinks or a “special price”.
2. You are taken to a venue you did not choose, sometimes on an upper floor with no clear sign.
3. No price list is shown, or the price you were quoted turns out to cover very little.
4. The bill arrives with charges you did not expect, and staff pressure you to pay by card.

Most bars and clubs in Japan charge exactly what their price list says. The problem is concentrated in a small number of venues in busy districts, and it almost always starts with a stranger leading you there.

How to avoid it

• Do not go anywhere with someone who approached you on the street.
• Choose the venue yourself before you go out.
• Ask for the price structure before you order: set price, extension, drinks for staff and service charge. Our guide to how the bill works lists the questions.
• Photograph the price list and keep your card in your hand when you pay.

Our full guide to avoiding overcharging covers the warning signs and what to do if the bill is wrong.

Who to call

In short

Bottakuri means being overcharged, and in nightlife it means a rip-off bar. It is avoidable: pick the place yourself, know the price before you sit down, and never follow a tout.

Also written as: bottakuri / botakuri / ぼったくり / ボッタクリ / 봇타쿠리 / 坑錢 / 宰客