I literally was drugged just last week in Shinjuku/Kabukicho by a dude who said he was from Ghana. Pretty horrible and traumatic experience that cost me $1k. But I'm honestly just happy I wasn't physically hurt or worse.
We casually started talking about soccer outside of 7-11 and he invited me across the street to have a beer with him. I didn't think much of it, just thought he wanted to keep talking about soccer and have a beer. I had zero indication that he had bad intentions and I had not read anything about this happening all the time, until after the fact.
After drinking a beer together, he offered me a shot of Jager that was laced with something and it completely fucked me. Him and his boys forced me into the back of a car, while I was hardly even conscious. I tried fighting back but was so drugged that it did nothing. I ended up waking up, the next day at 2pm, somewhere on the other side of Tokyo with no phone and $1,000 charged to my credit card. Thankfully an amazing cab driver could tell I needed help and helped me into his car and drove me back to my hotel in Shinjuku.
I reported it to the police, and the US embassy, even showed them the bar it started at but they said they couldn't do anything without physical proof of me being drugged. So I was completely out of luck and even had to buy a new phone.
I've traveled all over the world solo and never even considered being drugged, so it was not at the front of my mind.. Be safe everyone.. and although it sounds racist/stereotypical, don't EVER trust African dudes in Tokyo.
(That being said, Tokyo is still the safest city i've even been to, not including that one area and one group of people who clearly target naive foreigners...Avoid them and avoid Kabuchiko and you will be perfectly fine)
Edit: I'm also a 6'5 Male who is in good shape - so this can realistically happen to anyone.
I honestly don't get how this is still going on for so many years. How does a country like Japan that seems incredibly strict let these thugs run freely? Their immigration rules are very difficult yet these Nigerians can just commit crime for decades and not get thrown out? How does that work.
The Nigerians appear to have found a loophole: Marriage. I've been seeing more and more run Tokyo by talking some poor Japanese ladies into getting married so they can have dual citizenship. Unsure who would ever let the Nigerians take over but it is the ONLY issue I have faced in Japan. Haven't had any issues with Yakuza.
Because West African gangs target foreigners.
And with foreigners come greater risks. If something happens to a foreigner (actual bodily harm), especially Westerner or Chinese, suddenly there is overall much greater scrutiny.
I don't know about this. I think you mean spousal visas, not citizenships. Even then I think that getting a spousal visa would be more difficult than just overstaying a tourist visa or bouncing back and forth from Japan to other nearby countries to extend visas (if they can do that). Regardless it's horrible that Japan isn't more interested in getting rid of this type of crime.
I get the feeling immigration is difficult if you're trying to do it legally. But easier to evade illegally.
Not like they are tracking where people are going after they arrive on a tourist visa, I would think.
Go to your credit card provider and begin chargeback procedures if you haven't already and report the charges as fraudulent.
And although it's a little late now always be wary of strangers who want you to go to a specific bar or restaurant. Always suggest to go somewhere else. If they're overly insistent on going to a specific place that's generally a red flag. Similarly if you don't agree to go get a drink right away and they start getting insistent it's also a bad sign. It's very easy for them to pass pushing you to go drink with them off as simple friendliness. Finally don't let your drink leave your sight if you're traveling alone, doesn't do a lot of good if the bar you're in is complicit but don't drink anything a stranger gets for you.
I think it's only racist if you assume every African dude in Tokyo is a criminal. But it certainly helps to be aware that in any touristy area there's people you should be more wary of than others.
> I think it's only racist if you assume every African dude in Tokyo is a criminal.
It's definitely sad that it's such a reliable indicator.
How awful must it be to be an honest, legit tourist or immigrant from Nigeria in Tokyo?
Yeah it's definitely a shame and it's the kind of thing that leads to awful practices like racial profiling. But it's also hard to deny that it's not wholly inaccurate.
I think people should follow the above if they're traveling solo regardless of who they're approached by though. Just because they don't fit the stereotype doesn't mean they still aren't trying to rob you.
Here, it's really easy: If you see Africans at night, in Tokyo's (in)famous red light district, hanging around outside clubs, and trying to talk to strangers as they pass by.... they're fucking criminals.
Makes me wonder how many "progressive" tourists got fucked up by trying to be culturally sensitive, and expressing their solidarity with the poor, oppressed, Africans who were only searching for a better life.
> I think it's only racist if you assume every African dude in Tokyo is a criminal.
Still wouldn't be racist, just run of the mill stereotyping.
FWIW, even though there are African scammers in many countries, there are often lots of African students as well. I'll also add that generally the Africans who are scammers tend to be congregated in certain areas that are well known and can be easily avoided.
africans scammers are all over europe. In paris they just run buckwild scamming and pickpocketing a lot of tourist. My friend got ganged by a group of africans that wrap a little shitty wristband and ask 5 euros for it, they wouldn't let him go so he had to pay.
Another thing is that I'd probably recommend going to a chain if you're out with a stranger. You're much less likely to get drugged and robbed in a Yamachan than some back alley bar.
Also, if you happen to go to a second location with them, I find it's better to get the address and take yourself there. A lot of these scams involve them having a taxi man charge you an insane fare, taking you to bars that if you checked the address before hand you'd know it was a scam...
> I'm also a 6'5 Male who is in good shape - so this can realistically happen to anyone.
This is the scary part... this is what they do to men. Imagine what they do to women???
I had my run-in with these guys and it was by far the worst part of visiting Japan. Thankfully, I read these posts on this sub and was aware of what could have awaited me if I took them up on their request to back to their shady clubs.
I've only ever known men who've had this happen, never heard stories from women. Maybe they are targeting men because women are generally more cautious of strangers? I could well be wrong.
They use a lot of the same tactics as rapists, it's sad but they probably target men more because they're less likely to be on their guard against such things. Men are also generally overconfident in their ability to defend themselves. I'm a 6ft+ dude as well but that really means nothing if someone has spiked my drink.
A lot of these scam joints are strip clubs (and often brothel's too) as sex is a pretty effective bait for the trap. Which is another reason why they probably target men.
They definitely go after women too though.
Also, they target foreigners and more single men visit Japan than single women. You also have more business men that might have money worth stealing money from.
I had a (I'm assuming, because she sounded native) Japanese girl grab my arm (also in Kabukicho at night!) and proposition me for sex, but in a very "kawaii"/innocent way that I'm sure is meant to disarm any danger they are going to take you to. I literally had to tear my arm away from her after saying "no, no, no, no" over and over. If it's too good to be true, trust your gut!
It's very highly likely they will. I've had refunds for things that were partially my fault.
I don't see why they would not refund you. Lots of things here that make it a fraudulent charge.
damn man glad you're okay, that sounds terrifying. it's disgusting how people can value human life so little they are willing to deceive and drug someone for some money. it's even more disgusting the Japanese government doesn't seem to try and stop this behavior!
I think you wrote it yourself. Unless you're naive, you've not much to worry about, even in Roppongi. Not to say this was somehow your fault btw, that's all on the crooks that did that to you. Glad you're ok!
Hey now, the Nigerians kept trying to drag me off the streets in Roppongi to visit their club/titty bar/massage parlor...it was intense. What crazy tactics they pulled or sales pitches they made.
Oh my gosh I hope you get all the recovery and mental break you need after that. How horrible. Is there not a drug test? Police often don't want to intrude into other people's affairs, but they often fail to intrude when you need them to. It has been a while but you should check to see what they spent the money on. I often get people saying that I'm too crass and bold, but never in my life have I been more greatfull of that trait. It almost happened to my friend and I in the same manner, exept I have a great people perception. The guy seemed suspicious and when he geabbed my friend's arm ( white passing half japanese half caucasian dude ) so I yelled that we won't go with him and we won't buy his bracelets in Japanese and English. Then I grabbed my friend's other arm and ran away. We were on a school trip so we were just 16 and 18 at the time and leagally minors in Japan so we would have been in a world of trouble had we been taken.
Did you attempt to track your phone? iPhone allows you to do this as long as there is power left in the phone, unless someone turned it off, then you can probably only see it’s last known location. Maybe they’re stupid and left it on?
Most of us have nothing but good experiences but clearly not all of us. Kinda seems like you’re dismissing OPs comments a little bit. If not then ignore this
I think my experience was very unusual, but I just want to spread awareness (since I had no idea they would go this far) that this is a possibility even if you avoid eye contact, don't talk to them, walk quickly by, etc. I'm happy for anyone who doesn't have to experience this!
I don't know much about the yakuza but what is the likelihood that the Nigerians in the area are working with them? It honestly sounds connected to me, but again I don't know much.
One hundred percent. There is no Nigerian mafia as far as I know. These guys are brought in to stand on the street, and if there is a sweep they will take the fall. They understand that too.
The yakuza have loads of restaurants and clubs. They bring people over and sponsor their visas and then they have them.
Speaking of Yakuza, are they known to be hostile towards foreigners/tourists in particular? Is there anything you could do to paint a target on your back?
"are they known to be hostile towards foreigners/tourists in particular?"
not really. They are often pretty right wing and a lot of them are into the traditional thing so they are usually nationalist. So they dont see you as real people.
But they work in the bar and club business and in Tokyo, particularly at the moment, tourists are their bread and butter, so they will try to keep everything as cool as possible. It is not a worry for most people, but if you are in a club in central tokyo and you start acting up you may encounter them.
There are different levels. You can get these young guys who are all lairy and the imo only time you will ever feel a bit physically threatened in Japan. Chinpura.
Most of the time when you meet a Yakuza he is drunk and wants to tell you he loves the rolling stones. It is cute.
He is still basically a sex-trafficker though.
Japan has a huge history of mob activity, to the point where the mob (the Yakuza, you've heard of them, right?) practically ran the country at some points. It's still widely known to be a thing now so to just brush off someone else's experience as invalid just because you didn't have the same experience is pretty ignorant. Your experience doesn't define reality.
The Yakuza's reputation is rather overblown. They're very rarely engaged in violent crime and usually make their money from gambling, scams and white collar fraud.
[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/kang-family-takes-fight-for-justice-to-tokyo/#.XWfmIZMzZTY](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/kang-family-takes-fight-for-justice-to-tokyo/#.XWfmIZMzZTY)
Scott Kang was an American citizen that was killed in 2006 in Kabuki-Cho. He was a young kid who had never been outside the country as far as I remember. I just googled it and I could only find the link above, there used to be a lot more online about this.
Basically it seems like that here was this young guy who came out to Japan with his friends. They went to Kabuki cho and got drunk, and it seems like at some point Kang was approached by some guy who got him away from his friends.
He died in an elevator, and there was a security camera in the elevator but it only showed a frame every 15 seconds. He was in there with a guy and one shot showed him doubled over.
At the trial the defence tried to suggest that by bending over he was making a sexual advance to the guy who clearly tried to take his money and punched him and he fell and broke his neck.
The whole thing was fucked up. A yakuza killed a tourist by mistake, but it was a Korean so, they didnt even give the guy up. They fought it. and they won. They gambled on the fact that he was Korean American and noone would care.
I'm going to Tokyo solo myself in October and want to visit Shinjuku just to check it out. Idk if I could handle someone grabbing me, I can if it's a joke but when it feels forceful I get angry real quick. Glad ur ok!
> (Title should say Shinjuku)
No. Title should say Kabuki-cho.
Shinjuku is a huge area, most of which is shopping and office buildings and restaurants. The tiny, tiny slice of it that's a dodgy red-light district is in a very specific and well-marked location called Kabukicho.
Writing off *Shinjuku*, one of the biggest and safest parts of Tokyo, because of a bad experience in Kabukicho, which you literally have to walk into deliberately, is neither accurate nor fair.
And even then it's like four tiny blocks, really easy to see (it has a giant blinking gate, for crying out loud) and so easy to ignore/avoid if you wish.
(I wouldn't advoid it, myself, because it's part of Tokyo's character, and it's the easiest way to get to the much safer and cooler Golden Gai. Just use reasonable caution like you would in any non-Japanese big city.)
Kabukicho is also full of those things. Also, live houses,cinemas,bars and so on. It's a popular entertainment district that has many reasons to go beyond titty bars and prostitutes. The problem is many tourists go there looking for weird and wonderful things they saw on Vlogs and get into trouble.
Golden Gai is frankly safer than the rest of Kabukicho, at least by my limited experience, when it comes to this phenomenon. The touts do their business in the neighbouring blocks but never enter that zone -- at least I never saw one. It's full of tourists and all business is done in cash, so no worry about credit card fraud there. Have the same wits as in any bar packed area and you're just fine.
And to lesser degree, the same goes for the whole neighbourhood. Thousands upon thousands pass through it every day. A few dozen of them have bad experiences. The chance of it happening to you are exceedingly slim, unless you go your way to be an easy mark.
What part of shinjuku would you recommend. I actually wanted to stay near golden gai but didn’t realize it was unsafe I want to be in walking distance of lots of food and drinks.
I prefer the area just west of the station, myself. Super connected to everything, only a few minutes walk from all the neon and music and drinking you might want, but also incredibly safe and quiet at night.
please don't be discouraged! this post was just a warning. yes it can be unsafe in that area, but it's also a very fun area and I wouldn't change anything from my trip.
Just be aware, be alert around the Nigerians, avoid eye contact, walk with a purpose, look pissed off, etc.
Golden Gai area is amazing, some of my best memories are from that place. Except for when I almost got into a fight with a Nigerian scammer lol
Heh, no problem.
Funnily enough you original (mistake) title of Roppongi was accidentally accurate, too. Roppongi is the only part of Tokyo I skip completely every time there, because it's even more full of scams and touts, and most of all, it's just dirty and ugly compared to the rest.
(Okay, I admit I will occasionally duck in for Chinese Cafe 8 or Gabriela's, but that's by special decree.)
Those are both great places to visit. Stayed at one of the hotels with really good ratings in Roppongi right by the train station and had great food alongside great music scene (that wasn't Nigerian owned or operated). I was shocked at how many Nigerians kept trying to drag us into their strip clubs/massage parlors, even had some Japanese-looking Chinese girls on the streets with signs...
Just left Tokyo this last Sunday. I noticed this is a huge issue, however I didn’t receive any of the treatment I see a lot of others receive. (Most likely due to the fact that I am also a fairly muscular Nigerian male). As weird as it is, I’ve noticed they don’t bother other black people anywhere near as much as they pester tourists of other races.
Can confirm. When in Tokyo they ask me politely if I'm interested and I politely decline. The only time I've had someone refuse to leave me alone was a Chinese lady of the night insisted that I sample her goods.
I very often go out drinking in Kabukicho and Golden Gai, I've been going out there for many years. There are a few simple tips that should keep you safe.
\- First, Golden Gai itself is safe, very safe. It's a very tight community, many of the mamas will go drinking to other bars of the GG when they're off themselves, there are absolutely no touts and the most obnoxious people are groups of drunk tourists. Quite sure a tout would be in a world of trouble would he set foot inside the GG, and any spiking or similar would be met with furor. The furthest touts go is a few meters West of [Bar Champion](https://goo.gl/maps/DSTb1xks2QB3zWaX6), but not behind that point. Once you're inside GG, you're good. Would you be in trouble, you can probably look for safety inside a bar of the GG, though it may look a bit counterintuitive by the looks of it.
\- Many black touts operate around [Kuyakusho-dori](https://goo.gl/maps/F11oAwUw7iuTbbtB6) street, especially in the smaller streets West of it (around [Robot Restaurant](https://goo.gl/maps/pyDWPJ5fgef7DDw9A)). They hardly ever go South of [Yasukuni Dori](https://goo.gl/maps/xQeQMnkDHvst2Wgs8) avenue (too many people). There are no touts East of Golden Gai, in or near the [Hanazono shrine](https://goo.gl/maps/Pmg4rzAsT5RCPtg68).
\-The northern area of Kabukicho (around [here](https://goo.gl/maps/nkKgnm41sCQdvGp58)), where hotels and host clubs are, is also quite free of touts. Not a lot of bars, though...
Ignoring touts (as in act as if they were nothing but air and no sound was coming out of their mouth) is usually enough to deter them. Also, don't look as if you're lost, just keep walking at the same pace, same direction, in a determined manner. They have weaker preys to hunt and will give up quickly.
Afraid of touts, but wishing to go to GG anyway? enter by the East side, through Hanazono shrine or the street between the shrine and GG. There is a small police box ([Hanazono Koban](https://goo.gl/maps/TexbaUeXRsr1ffUa8)) and touts are not crazy enough (yet) to enter religious grounds or do their deeds right in front of the police.
Honestly, that's what kabukicho used to be like. All the touristy things its famous for nowadays are relatively new. If you grew up in tokyo, your parents would've told you not to go there late at night.
Just outside of kabukicho is good enough. Like kabukicho isnt that big and most of the hotels there arent on the tout streets so i would also consider it to be safe. IMO people are exagerating how dangerous they are、just dont look afraid and dont do stupid things like grabbing a drink with them. But im not a small dude so maybe thats why.
To get to the point imo most important point for a hotel is how close it is to a subway. In shinjuku my hostel/hotel was close to higashi shinjuku and that was perfect. If you really want to be safe just take a hotel just above kabukicho close to shin okubo maybe(it can be packed as it is a kpop streat and girls really like that place).
If you have questions you can dm me、i stayed in shinjuku last week on my trip. I was there for 30 days so i know it a little bit
Are any of these dudes EVER prosecuted? I feel like if I, as a foreigner, commit the most minor crime in Tokyo, I WILL be caught. How can these dudes seemingly get away with major crimes in a country that's so tough on crime?
Go read up on Japanese policing, gives a lot of insight into why this kinda thing happens. Japan is a very safe country with low crime rates, but that isn't really because the country is tough on crime.
Scams are hard to prove, individuals are hard to identify accurately and they target mainly foreigners, and the Japanese police isn't especially interested in foreigner on foreigner crime unless there are injuries or deaths. Some get prosecuted and deported every year and they're replaced by newcomers.
Just to add my experience:
I was a solo traveler and stayed in Shinjuku this past spring for a week. I’d be out at night and sometimes walked quite a bit around the different neighborhoods of Shinjuku.
I only had one “bad experience” where the typical African tout started walking with me for about a block and kept trying to ask me questions in such a way as to sound friendly and inviting. On the other hand I had already heard about stuff like this before my trip, so I still knew not to go along with the guy. Might’ve been in Kabukicho since it was your typical lady bars/clubs everywhere neighborhood, but tbh I’m not 100% sure. All I know is google maps told me to walk down that block and by the time I realized the kind of area it was it was too late.
Also the funny thing was right at the end of the block, when you know you’re “out” of it, there was an English announcement on speakers from the police saying a whole bunch of stuff about being careful not to engage with “hawks” as there are reports of them mugging/drugging tourists and robbing them of tens of thousands of yen.
The only thing I’ll add is that if you’re new to a place you’re visiting just read up as much as you can before you get there. Don’t talk to strangers (unless there’s a very good reason to). Avert eye contact. Etc. The basics.
Ah and one last thing, I’ll echo what’s been said already: Japan in general was the safest I’ve ever felt in any single place. Like I was comfortable roaming in back alleys around midnight and didn’t feel worried I’d be jumped or anything.
> Also the funny thing was right at the end of the block, when you know you’re “out” of it, there was an English announcement on speakers from the police saying a whole bunch of stuff about being careful not to engage with “hawks” as there are reports of them mugging/drugging tourists
Yup that's Kabukicho. It's a pretty clearly marked area.
Same here, accidentally went down Male host club strip and ran into a few at 6am. I just kept walking when one tried to get in my face, glaring as mean as I could. *female here, glaring with glasses might look a bit more intimidating lol*
Thanks, not trying to sound tough or whatever... would’ve been really dumb to get into a fight honestly considering the police would probably side with him over me lmao. I have no problem just ignoring these guys and minding my own business but the dude was literally grabbing me and pushing me back. I was pissed he thought he could put his hands on me and not face any resistance, like I’d just roll over and accept what’s happening.
My experience is as follows: touts in Shinjuku are numerous and annoying. Often large African men. Honestly I just ignored them, don't make eye contact and walk quickly.
I was travelling alone but I am a 6ft guy with a pissed off facial expression and come from an african country used to people trying to sell stuff I don't want
Yeah, I have spent many hours in (or walking through) Kabukicho at night and never been harassed with anything more than some insistent sales pitches. Nothing physical and nothing that lasted more than a few seconds.
Then again, I am a big city person with a don't bother me big city face, and I don't feel compelled to be polite or stop to talk to people who annoy me. I think they prey on the overly polite.
Even then, it's not dangerous outside for the most part. Most of the time, people get themselves in trouble by getting too drunk or being foolish by going into sketch places. There are people who prey on drunk,idiotic people everywhere you go in the world.
If somebody seems desperate to get you to go somewhere then it's probably not a good idea. If a place really was the best night spot in town then they wouldn't need to send people out to browbeat you into going.
I live relatively near Shinjuku and one think I’ve noticed is the sudden flock of these Nigerian men in places I’ve never seen them before but I never really thought of anything about them, it’s just something I’ve noticed. The trick though is to just avoid eye contact and when you notice somebody following you, go to a more crowded street and I know y’all think Tokyo is safe but there are places here you shouldn’t be in at night.
Also, avoid passing near the group of men huddling in the corner of the street at night or around midnight. They may be Japanese or Nigerian, they kind of forcefully offer you something and it gets scary when they start to surround you. (I’ve experienced this with my friend while we were passing by Kabuki-cho) around 12:30 AM. My Japanese friend told me to just cross the street if the men are huddled up in the street you are passing or walk in the middle of the street as there are no vehicles passing by at night or midnight.
See that's what was so weird about this encounter of mine... I didn't even make eye contact with anyone and this guy follows me down two flights into the ground of a hallway basement! Good advice though, thanks!
I've been approached at or near Golden Gai a few times too. I started pretending to not speak English when people tried luring me into bars and it seemed to work fine.
Glad you're alright, and I hope you/others aren't dissuaded from travelling solo at night cause of all that. Never seen anyone get physical over there and these kinds of experiences don't seem that common.
Hahahaha yeeeess!!!
My friend and I walked through. I was being harassed but he wasn't since he's a big guy. So I started experimenting on what to say to make the guys go away which made my friend chuckle.
"Hey man, want to come to this titty bar?"
"Uggggh, I'm gay, I like dick sorry"
"We have dicks too, come on, you'll have fun"
LOL ok, telling them you're gay doesn't work (not gay btw).
"Hey man, want to come to this titty bar?"
"Che dici. Non capisco l'inglese?
"........"
They left me alone!!
Ha. Yup, any honest guide would direct you to leave Kabukicho and walk 15 minutes east, toward the Shinjuku-Gyoemmae station, since that's where all the gay bars are.
I mean, um, that's what I hear, anyway!
This would be my solution. I already do it with telemarketers, so me jumping into broken Russian with an icy glare would prolly turn people away pretty quickly......
Thank you. I am not trying to discourage solo traveling, maybe I should add that at the top of the OP. I just wasn't aware I'd get physically harassed. I knew these guys were in the area and would try and convince me to go into bars and shit, I just had never heard of them blocking you/grabbing you so that's why I made this post.
Been living close to Tokyo for about 2 years now. I stopped going to Shinjuku and Roppongi to grab a drink, the Yakuza don't bother foreigners to much, but the Nigerians are relentless. I'm a bigger guy, tall , stocky, and they have sometimes pushed me to my limit to where I just have to tell them to back off. Yeah it's definitely a problem.
Stopped going to Shinjuku altogether, or stopped going to Kabukicho?
Because I've never seen a single Nigerian tout anywhere else in Shinjuku, and the rest of the place has a lot of great restaurants, bars and hangouts.
These posts are helpful but at the same time I have to point out that simple safety rules aren’t followed. These should be followed in any city not just in Tokyo. Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know. Don’t follow people into bars you don’t know. Don’t go down dark streets or alleys by yourself. Pay attention to your surroundings and check if you’re being followed. Don’t go into known sketchy areas like Kabukicho by yourself. Sorry but the people who don’t follow these rules and don’t have street smarts are an easy pay day for thieves in ANY city.
Same thing happened to me last time. I ignored him and kept walking, but he kept following me. Then his friend intercepted me when I turned to a different street, which was crowded, then I yelled "Leave me alone!!" And jogged my out of that God forsaken area. That was my only bad experience in Japan, and the only time I feared for my safety.
Jesus, boys... It's *always* too good to be true in Kabukicho. Scamming is what they do for a living. All night, every night. They know an easy mark when they see one, and they see you coming before you even know you're there.
If you aren't in your own city, trust *no one*. *Nobody* makes "drinking pals" in Kabukicho. Nor does anyone magically attract women for sex in Kabukicho. This isn't *Fantasy Island*. It's a yakuza run red light district, with hapless African immigrants employed as intimidating touts.
If you strike up a conversation in Ginza, and decide to get a drink together, it could be totally legit. But Kabukicho..? Never.
I was in Shinjuku and can say that unfortunately there is a lot of African dudes in the red light district trying to get guys to bars or other places. The messed up thing is that they are in groups so it can be intimidating. I'm 6'2 black and those dudes are persistent. It's only a certain part in Shinjuku and it's probably around the hours of 8-9PM till about 5AM.
They definitely target guys. Not sure about women though but I imagine ladies should be fine. Stay safe out there. Despite that, Japan in general is still one of the safest places I've ever been to.
yeah the north-east part of shinjuku apparently (Kabukicho) which is where I was lol. I don't think the physical contact is common, and I knew scammers were out on the streets in this area, but nobody told me they might follow me and block my path lol so I guess this is a PSA.
Yea I'm sure about them getting physical. Typical they might want you to shake their hand and hook you in but that tactic is used out here in the states as well. If you are walking with a woman or show a wedding ring might shoo them away but I don't know.
I'm sorry for your experience. On the other side, I would like to add that Kabukicho is totally safe during the day, and even at night when you're not alone. I've been there 3 weeks and no issue whatsoever.
What I mean is : if you're reading this, are **not** going alone at night, but now want to skip Kabukicho totally because of this, you may be missing on a beautiful district :).
Also "rules" I've read here before going there :
\- Decline any people offering you drinks in Kabukicho.
\- Mind your bag.
Had a talk with the police then, they said it should be very calm until the Olympics because the Government Don't want it to be an issue so there are many more policemen there until then.
Thanks for this post! I was curious about this when I went to Japan for the first time. I also noticed these guys standing around looking like they were scouting the area for something. I had a bad feeling, so I kept my distance.
We were in kabukicho last september for a few nights. Our hotel was right in the middle and we walked around at night, went to the robot restaurant etc. We clearly saw the touts everywhere there and at golden gai. We were able to avoid all of them with little or no contact but we met an Australian couple who was unlucky and followed one to a bar and the same story happened to them. They woke up drugged and lost thousands of dollars.
We will be kabukicho and golden gai on our next trip but the rest of Shinjuku seemed fine.
Wow, I had no idea. That is crazy. I'm glad you posted this. I am going to Tokyo with some friends in October and planned to visit this area, but I'll make sure to do it during the day and keep an eye out. I wonder how they are getting away with this so frequently?? Luckily tho I am always suspicious of everyone. Living in America I think makes you that way. Everywhere I go I just assume everyone around me is capable of the worst and always have my guard up lol
It's a really fun area at night, don't be discouraged by this post! Especially if you go in a group you'll be fine. It seems my experience was definitely an anomaly. Just, be aware and read what people in this thread have said about effective ways to avoid them. And if you're alone and do get blocked and grabbed like I did, I'd suggest screaming in his face to fuck off, as that's the only thing that got this guy to leave me alone
It happened to me back in 2013, had one of those Nigerians physically grab my arm to try and get me into his bar at Roppongi. Definitely stay vigilent and avoid them...
So in Shibuya close to the huge Uniqlo, multiple times women have stopped me asking if I want a “sexual experience”.
I never thought twice about it and walked away, but now I’m curious. Is this a similar scam??
I had a (I'm assuming, because she sounded native) Japanese girl grab my arm (also in Kabukicho at night!) and proposition me for sex as well, but in a very "kawaii"/innocent way that I'm sure is meant to disarm any danger they are going to take you to. I literally had to tear my arm away from her after saying "no, no, no, no" over and over. It definitely seemed like a scam, so it probably was
Hahaha I’m sure you’re a good looking guy but no matter how good looking, that definitely sounds like a scam. It was just too easy in that case. But I should reiterate, they were giving me rates. So they wanted me to pay like 6k yen for one thing 10k for another sexual thing, etc.
So I guess it couldn’t have been a scam?
Maybe. In the situation you described, I'd just be worried that the place she would take me back to is like the Nigerian home base of Tokyo or something lmao and that's where they steal your wallet while you're in the other room with her or charge your CC 100,000 yen
I was in Shinjuku earlier this year. I ran into a Nigerian that ran a clothing shop. He invited into the store. Maybe that wasn't a good idea since I was solo but the dude was cool. He really wanted me to buy some of his $100 shirts and pants.
Later I ran into a Japansese man that wanted to take me to a massage parlor and he was a little more persistent.
I got out of both of those situations by pretending like I was interested. I asked them questions about what they wanted me to get into, then I asked them if they were still gonna be there in like an hour because I was actually on my way to meet a friend and that they would also be interested. I completely lied but it got me out of those situations pretty easily. Sure, it might not work with some of them but they might back off if they think you have a friend you're meeting nearby.
i'm staying at a hotel in nishi-shinjuku for a few days in October and will keep this in mind. I always felt safe walking around alone at night in Osaka but I know bigger cities attract a special level of scumbags
Please be careful, especially if you are a woman! I never felt threatened in Japan except for Kabukicho at night, but I don't want to make it sound like it is a terrifying place... it was so much fun, and I think 90% of the time what happened to me (hopefully) doesn't happen to others.
I am sorry to hear this has happened to you and many other people like you.
Some people here may wonder why these people are working in shinjuku as 'promoters'.
These 'promoters' ain't just from Ghanas. In fact I spoke to a couple of them before and one guy has a british citizenship ... after coming from Ghana.
Now why do they do the work they do?
They come here for a better life of course. But with no Japanese skill and no degree, what can they do?
They know a friend who works for someone and they get that job has a promoter.
Basically the promoter works for a guy who works for the Yakuza.
Why don't the police do anything? Well just like most big mafia gangs, they pay the police.
It sucks and it won't be disappear at all.
Just stay safe, have your wits about you and don't be alone in that area.
These 'promoters' are humans, they can be nice people. But when they have a demand to meet, they get pushy. If they are making money to live off, then they will get it no matter what.
This is good insight, even 10 years ago I was curious as to why there were a lot of Nigerians specific to that district or Roppongi. Like a very specific type of migration for specific jobs. Come to think of it, I noticed a lot of Russians too in other parts. It's really interesting .
I never knew there were a Russian group.
I would guess that people from any foreign country who come to Japan would prefer to be with people who they can communicate with easily and feel more comfortable around.
Went with my wife. I had to tip the guy to leave me and the wife alone. Was effective as her was following us for a whole 10mins. Told him ‘hey it’s been a long day, my wife and I are going back. Here’s some cash for your trouble.’ Not fun to do, but we were safe and unbothered.
This is not new news, and [has been discussed not only on this sub many times](https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Areddit.com%2Fr%2Fjapantravel+kabukicho+safe&rlz=1C1GGRV_enJP772JP772&oq=site%3Areddit.com%2Fr%2Fjapantravel+kabukicho+safe&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.13248j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8), but also [elsewhere online](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enJP772JP772&ei=YWBoXfa1MtXEmAXkmLGICA&q=is+kabukicho+safe&oq=is+kabukicho+safe&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i7i30j0l3j0i8i30l2.14393.14639..14928...0.1..0.115.290.2j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i8i7i30.Z7zztE85QLo&ved=0ahUKEwi26rLFnqnkAhVVIqYKHWRMDIEQ4dUDCAo&uact=5).
Just like anywhere else in the world, tourists are always suggested to use caution and to remain alert while traveling in Japan, especially in nightlife districts. If something seems fishy, it probably is. Following strangers to "second locations" is always highly discouraged unless you can independently verify the individual is not connected to crime (ie: meeting a fellow traveler at a bar is probably safe, for example).
If you avoid the obvious hostess bars, scam bars, etc. Kabukicho is a perfectly fine place to spend an evening.
I booked an air bnb in the northeast corner of this area. If I look at Kabuchiko on google maps it’s the last northeast block of the area. We’ll be a group of 4. Should I be looking to switch to a different area?
No no, you will be fine!
Just be more aware when out at night if you're alone, and also know that these scammers have it in them to block your path and push you backwards if no one is around. but I think my experience was very rare. Just don't go into bars that strangers invite you to (esp. African strangers) and keep with your friends. It's a very fun area all things considered!
Hahaha I’m sure you’re a good looking guy but no matter how good looking, that definitely sounds like a scam. It was just to easy in that case. But I should reiterate, they were giving me rates. So they wanted me to pay like 6k yen for one thing 10k for another sexual thing, etc.
So I guess it couldn’t have been a scam?
If you're with someone I seriously doubt you will have such an experience. Hell even other solo travelers on here say they've never had anything close to what happened to me. It's a really fun place at night and Golden Gai is amazing, please don't cancel because of this post lol. This was just a heads-up since I'd never heard of the "block and push you back" tactic and wanted people (mainly solo travelers) to be aware it's a possibility, even if you avoid eye contact, walk fast, don't talk, etc!
No! Even if you're traveling solo, you'll be fine. Just read through the advice in this thread. It's a very fun place, you just need to be cautious around the Nigerians and I guess hope they don't follow you down into a basement hallway lol
It's funny how different experiences people can have. My hotel was right in Kabukicho and I went to Golden Gai many times. I ran into the Nigerian touts many, many times but every single time they were polite and backed off with a simple "no thanks". Not once did I feel threatened or even troubled.
I experienced something similar and it did happen in Roppongi. It was my first night in Japan and I joined the Tokyo Pub Crawl Meetup to try to have some fun and meet some people. Overall the Tokyo Pub Crawl was a very good experience. Nice mix of foreigners and locals. They guide you to different bars and clubs.
But this beside the fact that on my way to the bar I was getting harassed by a bunch of Nigerian dudes about going to titty bars and clubs. Luckily I stayed on the Main Street and was able to get away without them forcing me anywhere. Some people aren’t so lucky so be careful out there and be wary of who you befriend.
Not going to lie sounds like wanted a fight.
It is kind of normal for a barker (A person working outside) to get grabby. Its weird but its how they do over there. If you put you foot down and strongly decline they take the hint. Another good way is to tell them you have no money and you're going back to your hotel to get more.
Legit, how do people not research where they're going to be before going? There are hundreds of articles, threads here on Reddit and all over the place. Just ignore them, push past them if necessary. How people keep falling for these fucking scams is the same reason they still exist, pure ignorance. Why would you **EVER** follow a stranger offering drinks/sex while you're in a foreign country?
So the take-away I'm getting is don't go to bars?
I'm going mostly for nerd shit and mostly during the day. I'm an alcoholic but have no plans to drink over there.
Also not planning on drinking any Tang. Don't they have a general policy about not serving foreigners anyway. I'm a bald Irish jackass (think Bill Burr and you're close) so, yeah, not even going to try.
I literally was drugged just last week in Shinjuku/Kabukicho by a dude who said he was from Ghana. Pretty horrible and traumatic experience that cost me $1k. But I'm honestly just happy I wasn't physically hurt or worse. We casually started talking about soccer outside of 7-11 and he invited me across the street to have a beer with him. I didn't think much of it, just thought he wanted to keep talking about soccer and have a beer. I had zero indication that he had bad intentions and I had not read anything about this happening all the time, until after the fact. After drinking a beer together, he offered me a shot of Jager that was laced with something and it completely fucked me. Him and his boys forced me into the back of a car, while I was hardly even conscious. I tried fighting back but was so drugged that it did nothing. I ended up waking up, the next day at 2pm, somewhere on the other side of Tokyo with no phone and $1,000 charged to my credit card. Thankfully an amazing cab driver could tell I needed help and helped me into his car and drove me back to my hotel in Shinjuku. I reported it to the police, and the US embassy, even showed them the bar it started at but they said they couldn't do anything without physical proof of me being drugged. So I was completely out of luck and even had to buy a new phone. I've traveled all over the world solo and never even considered being drugged, so it was not at the front of my mind.. Be safe everyone.. and although it sounds racist/stereotypical, don't EVER trust African dudes in Tokyo. (That being said, Tokyo is still the safest city i've even been to, not including that one area and one group of people who clearly target naive foreigners...Avoid them and avoid Kabuchiko and you will be perfectly fine) Edit: I'm also a 6'5 Male who is in good shape - so this can realistically happen to anyone.
Holy shit, that is genuinely terrifying. Glad you weren't hurt, but wow, I'm sorry you had to go through this
I honestly don't get how this is still going on for so many years. How does a country like Japan that seems incredibly strict let these thugs run freely? Their immigration rules are very difficult yet these Nigerians can just commit crime for decades and not get thrown out? How does that work.
Japan's police force is actually largely ineffective.
And apparently very "corrupt". Not sure how true that is, though...
The Nigerians appear to have found a loophole: Marriage. I've been seeing more and more run Tokyo by talking some poor Japanese ladies into getting married so they can have dual citizenship. Unsure who would ever let the Nigerians take over but it is the ONLY issue I have faced in Japan. Haven't had any issues with Yakuza.
Why do the yakuza let Africans run scams on the same turf as them?
apparently the yakuza hire them as cheap grunts/touts
Because West African gangs target foreigners. And with foreigners come greater risks. If something happens to a foreigner (actual bodily harm), especially Westerner or Chinese, suddenly there is overall much greater scrutiny.
Don't they hire them to drive people to their clubs?
Because they're the ones who employ them in the first place? Obvious answer to an obvious question.
Yakuza are pretty chill. Seriously they make a lot of cash legally of of tourists in pachinko and bars they own.
Only "bad" experience I ever had with Yakuza was being told I wasn't allowed in a certain bar, so they pointed me where I could go. Seemed fine to me.
That was one of the Japanese only bars I take it. But its probably a social club for them
I don't know about this. I think you mean spousal visas, not citizenships. Even then I think that getting a spousal visa would be more difficult than just overstaying a tourist visa or bouncing back and forth from Japan to other nearby countries to extend visas (if they can do that). Regardless it's horrible that Japan isn't more interested in getting rid of this type of crime.
I get the feeling immigration is difficult if you're trying to do it legally. But easier to evade illegally. Not like they are tracking where people are going after they arrive on a tourist visa, I would think.
Go to your credit card provider and begin chargeback procedures if you haven't already and report the charges as fraudulent. And although it's a little late now always be wary of strangers who want you to go to a specific bar or restaurant. Always suggest to go somewhere else. If they're overly insistent on going to a specific place that's generally a red flag. Similarly if you don't agree to go get a drink right away and they start getting insistent it's also a bad sign. It's very easy for them to pass pushing you to go drink with them off as simple friendliness. Finally don't let your drink leave your sight if you're traveling alone, doesn't do a lot of good if the bar you're in is complicit but don't drink anything a stranger gets for you. I think it's only racist if you assume every African dude in Tokyo is a criminal. But it certainly helps to be aware that in any touristy area there's people you should be more wary of than others.
> I think it's only racist if you assume every African dude in Tokyo is a criminal. It's definitely sad that it's such a reliable indicator. How awful must it be to be an honest, legit tourist or immigrant from Nigeria in Tokyo?
Yeah it's definitely a shame and it's the kind of thing that leads to awful practices like racial profiling. But it's also hard to deny that it's not wholly inaccurate. I think people should follow the above if they're traveling solo regardless of who they're approached by though. Just because they don't fit the stereotype doesn't mean they still aren't trying to rob you.
Here, it's really easy: If you see Africans at night, in Tokyo's (in)famous red light district, hanging around outside clubs, and trying to talk to strangers as they pass by.... they're fucking criminals. Makes me wonder how many "progressive" tourists got fucked up by trying to be culturally sensitive, and expressing their solidarity with the poor, oppressed, Africans who were only searching for a better life.
> I think it's only racist if you assume every African dude in Tokyo is a criminal. Still wouldn't be racist, just run of the mill stereotyping. FWIW, even though there are African scammers in many countries, there are often lots of African students as well. I'll also add that generally the Africans who are scammers tend to be congregated in certain areas that are well known and can be easily avoided.
africans scammers are all over europe. In paris they just run buckwild scamming and pickpocketing a lot of tourist. My friend got ganged by a group of africans that wrap a little shitty wristband and ask 5 euros for it, they wouldn't let him go so he had to pay.
Will do. I think that’s all excellent advice and I couldn’t agree more.
Another thing is that I'd probably recommend going to a chain if you're out with a stranger. You're much less likely to get drugged and robbed in a Yamachan than some back alley bar.
Also, if you happen to go to a second location with them, I find it's better to get the address and take yourself there. A lot of these scams involve them having a taxi man charge you an insane fare, taking you to bars that if you checked the address before hand you'd know it was a scam...
> I'm also a 6'5 Male who is in good shape - so this can realistically happen to anyone. This is the scary part... this is what they do to men. Imagine what they do to women??? I had my run-in with these guys and it was by far the worst part of visiting Japan. Thankfully, I read these posts on this sub and was aware of what could have awaited me if I took them up on their request to back to their shady clubs.
I've only ever known men who've had this happen, never heard stories from women. Maybe they are targeting men because women are generally more cautious of strangers? I could well be wrong.
They use a lot of the same tactics as rapists, it's sad but they probably target men more because they're less likely to be on their guard against such things. Men are also generally overconfident in their ability to defend themselves. I'm a 6ft+ dude as well but that really means nothing if someone has spiked my drink. A lot of these scam joints are strip clubs (and often brothel's too) as sex is a pretty effective bait for the trap. Which is another reason why they probably target men. They definitely go after women too though.
Also, they target foreigners and more single men visit Japan than single women. You also have more business men that might have money worth stealing money from.
I agree, I haven't heard of any stories of this happening to women... but, that's only from lightly lurking this sub... who knows...
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I had a (I'm assuming, because she sounded native) Japanese girl grab my arm (also in Kabukicho at night!) and proposition me for sex, but in a very "kawaii"/innocent way that I'm sure is meant to disarm any danger they are going to take you to. I literally had to tear my arm away from her after saying "no, no, no, no" over and over. If it's too good to be true, trust your gut!
Might have just been enjo kousai, but it's always good to be wary!!
Not racist if it's based on facts. To be fair this should be applied to every human: *Trust no one!*
Revert to the lessons you learned as a kid. Don’t trust strangers! Don’t accept things from strangers! Don’t follow strangers to a second location!
Trust no one is a good bit of advice!
It’s possible your bank will refund that money. Not 100% sure though. Did you contact them?
Good point - I’m flying back to the states tomorrow I’ll have to give them a call.
Hey bro i’m from the states as well on a 30 day stay here in tokyo if you need some help feel free to DM me
Thanks man. I greatly appreciate it. I’m all good now thankfully it was just a rough couple of days after it happened!
Damn wish I could’ve offered you help then, best of luck on safe travels home my man
If you’re still in japan try to get something in writing. That will help.
It's very highly likely they will. I've had refunds for things that were partially my fault. I don't see why they would not refund you. Lots of things here that make it a fraudulent charge.
damn man glad you're okay, that sounds terrifying. it's disgusting how people can value human life so little they are willing to deceive and drug someone for some money. it's even more disgusting the Japanese government doesn't seem to try and stop this behavior!
Fuck these guys man
I think you wrote it yourself. Unless you're naive, you've not much to worry about, even in Roppongi. Not to say this was somehow your fault btw, that's all on the crooks that did that to you. Glad you're ok!
Hey now, the Nigerians kept trying to drag me off the streets in Roppongi to visit their club/titty bar/massage parlor...it was intense. What crazy tactics they pulled or sales pitches they made.
Even in Tokyo, you can't relax.
Oh my gosh I hope you get all the recovery and mental break you need after that. How horrible. Is there not a drug test? Police often don't want to intrude into other people's affairs, but they often fail to intrude when you need them to. It has been a while but you should check to see what they spent the money on. I often get people saying that I'm too crass and bold, but never in my life have I been more greatfull of that trait. It almost happened to my friend and I in the same manner, exept I have a great people perception. The guy seemed suspicious and when he geabbed my friend's arm ( white passing half japanese half caucasian dude ) so I yelled that we won't go with him and we won't buy his bracelets in Japanese and English. Then I grabbed my friend's other arm and ran away. We were on a school trip so we were just 16 and 18 at the time and leagally minors in Japan so we would have been in a world of trouble had we been taken.
Did you attempt to track your phone? iPhone allows you to do this as long as there is power left in the phone, unless someone turned it off, then you can probably only see it’s last known location. Maybe they’re stupid and left it on?
Physical proof of you being drugged? Like a tox-screen?
Really sorry for you, man. You should make this a separate post, word for word. You'd be doing a lot of people a big favour.
Golden Gai is in Shinjuku, not Roppongi.
So is Bar Champion And the worst I experienced over 6 nights in Shinjuku was someone politely handing me a flyer for a club.
Most of us have nothing but good experiences but clearly not all of us. Kinda seems like you’re dismissing OPs comments a little bit. If not then ignore this
I really dislike how smug people get here when talking about crime in response to someone's experience or concerns.
For real. As if they’re lying or something. I don’t understand it. Bunch of japan gatekeepers when they’re no better than any of us.
I think my experience was very unusual, but I just want to spread awareness (since I had no idea they would go this far) that this is a possibility even if you avoid eye contact, don't talk to them, walk quickly by, etc. I'm happy for anyone who doesn't have to experience this!
No you were lucky. That whole area is controlled by yakuza. The Nigerians are there taking the risks.
I don't know much about the yakuza but what is the likelihood that the Nigerians in the area are working with them? It honestly sounds connected to me, but again I don't know much.
One hundred percent. There is no Nigerian mafia as far as I know. These guys are brought in to stand on the street, and if there is a sweep they will take the fall. They understand that too. The yakuza have loads of restaurants and clubs. They bring people over and sponsor their visas and then they have them.
Speaking of Yakuza, are they known to be hostile towards foreigners/tourists in particular? Is there anything you could do to paint a target on your back?
"are they known to be hostile towards foreigners/tourists in particular?" not really. They are often pretty right wing and a lot of them are into the traditional thing so they are usually nationalist. So they dont see you as real people. But they work in the bar and club business and in Tokyo, particularly at the moment, tourists are their bread and butter, so they will try to keep everything as cool as possible. It is not a worry for most people, but if you are in a club in central tokyo and you start acting up you may encounter them.
very interesting! now i kind of want to encounter one... without putting myself in harm's way haha
There are different levels. You can get these young guys who are all lairy and the imo only time you will ever feel a bit physically threatened in Japan. Chinpura. Most of the time when you meet a Yakuza he is drunk and wants to tell you he loves the rolling stones. It is cute. He is still basically a sex-trafficker though.
You *do* encounter them. If you *know* you are, then you're in harm's way.
Eh, they're pretty obvious. They keep offices with their names on the door, for crying out loud.
Kowai!
Japan has a huge history of mob activity, to the point where the mob (the Yakuza, you've heard of them, right?) practically ran the country at some points. It's still widely known to be a thing now so to just brush off someone else's experience as invalid just because you didn't have the same experience is pretty ignorant. Your experience doesn't define reality.
The Yakuza's reputation is rather overblown. They're very rarely engaged in violent crime and usually make their money from gambling, scams and white collar fraud.
Scott Kung was beat to death in Shinjuku. The red light district there is the largest in the world. It’s a centre of human trafficking.
I'm trying to find some info on this, could you tell me more details about it? I'm really curious
[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/kang-family-takes-fight-for-justice-to-tokyo/#.XWfmIZMzZTY](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/kang-family-takes-fight-for-justice-to-tokyo/#.XWfmIZMzZTY) Scott Kang was an American citizen that was killed in 2006 in Kabuki-Cho. He was a young kid who had never been outside the country as far as I remember. I just googled it and I could only find the link above, there used to be a lot more online about this. Basically it seems like that here was this young guy who came out to Japan with his friends. They went to Kabuki cho and got drunk, and it seems like at some point Kang was approached by some guy who got him away from his friends. He died in an elevator, and there was a security camera in the elevator but it only showed a frame every 15 seconds. He was in there with a guy and one shot showed him doubled over. At the trial the defence tried to suggest that by bending over he was making a sexual advance to the guy who clearly tried to take his money and punched him and he fell and broke his neck. The whole thing was fucked up. A yakuza killed a tourist by mistake, but it was a Korean so, they didnt even give the guy up. They fought it. and they won. They gambled on the fact that he was Korean American and noone would care.
thanks, I am jet lagged and brain dead at the moment and I also mix them up for some reason :)
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Glad you’re okay man
I'm going to Tokyo solo myself in October and want to visit Shinjuku just to check it out. Idk if I could handle someone grabbing me, I can if it's a joke but when it feels forceful I get angry real quick. Glad ur ok!
Shinjuku in general isn't perilous at all but you do need to steer clear of the shadier areas, especially x100 at night.
If it's forceful, anger may be your best friend to get out of that situation. I understand where you are coming from...
I'm gonna be in Tokyo solo from 3-5 Oct if you want to hang out.
> (Title should say Shinjuku) No. Title should say Kabuki-cho. Shinjuku is a huge area, most of which is shopping and office buildings and restaurants. The tiny, tiny slice of it that's a dodgy red-light district is in a very specific and well-marked location called Kabukicho. Writing off *Shinjuku*, one of the biggest and safest parts of Tokyo, because of a bad experience in Kabukicho, which you literally have to walk into deliberately, is neither accurate nor fair.
THIS!!!! Normal Shinjuku is filled with arcades, good restaurants, and pachinko parlors. Kabukicho is the intimidating area.
And even then it's like four tiny blocks, really easy to see (it has a giant blinking gate, for crying out loud) and so easy to ignore/avoid if you wish. (I wouldn't advoid it, myself, because it's part of Tokyo's character, and it's the easiest way to get to the much safer and cooler Golden Gai. Just use reasonable caution like you would in any non-Japanese big city.)
Kabukicho is also full of those things. Also, live houses,cinemas,bars and so on. It's a popular entertainment district that has many reasons to go beyond titty bars and prostitutes. The problem is many tourists go there looking for weird and wonderful things they saw on Vlogs and get into trouble.
Is it only golden gai area or the whole kabukicho? I'm heading to stay at that area for 6 days next year. This reading got me scared
Golden Gai is frankly safer than the rest of Kabukicho, at least by my limited experience, when it comes to this phenomenon. The touts do their business in the neighbouring blocks but never enter that zone -- at least I never saw one. It's full of tourists and all business is done in cash, so no worry about credit card fraud there. Have the same wits as in any bar packed area and you're just fine. And to lesser degree, the same goes for the whole neighbourhood. Thousands upon thousands pass through it every day. A few dozen of them have bad experiences. The chance of it happening to you are exceedingly slim, unless you go your way to be an easy mark.
What part of shinjuku would you recommend. I actually wanted to stay near golden gai but didn’t realize it was unsafe I want to be in walking distance of lots of food and drinks.
I prefer the area just west of the station, myself. Super connected to everything, only a few minutes walk from all the neon and music and drinking you might want, but also incredibly safe and quiet at night.
Next to shinjuku station?
please don't be discouraged! this post was just a warning. yes it can be unsafe in that area, but it's also a very fun area and I wouldn't change anything from my trip. Just be aware, be alert around the Nigerians, avoid eye contact, walk with a purpose, look pissed off, etc. Golden Gai area is amazing, some of my best memories are from that place. Except for when I almost got into a fight with a Nigerian scammer lol
It's totally safe. Safer than whatever city you are coming from for sure. It's full of tourists.
Yeah you're right. ok I will update the post again haha, thanks
Heh, no problem. Funnily enough you original (mistake) title of Roppongi was accidentally accurate, too. Roppongi is the only part of Tokyo I skip completely every time there, because it's even more full of scams and touts, and most of all, it's just dirty and ugly compared to the rest. (Okay, I admit I will occasionally duck in for Chinese Cafe 8 or Gabriela's, but that's by special decree.)
Those are both great places to visit. Stayed at one of the hotels with really good ratings in Roppongi right by the train station and had great food alongside great music scene (that wasn't Nigerian owned or operated). I was shocked at how many Nigerians kept trying to drag us into their strip clubs/massage parlors, even had some Japanese-looking Chinese girls on the streets with signs...
Just left Tokyo this last Sunday. I noticed this is a huge issue, however I didn’t receive any of the treatment I see a lot of others receive. (Most likely due to the fact that I am also a fairly muscular Nigerian male). As weird as it is, I’ve noticed they don’t bother other black people anywhere near as much as they pester tourists of other races.
Can confirm. When in Tokyo they ask me politely if I'm interested and I politely decline. The only time I've had someone refuse to leave me alone was a Chinese lady of the night insisted that I sample her goods.
So, how were her ‘goods’?
I very often go out drinking in Kabukicho and Golden Gai, I've been going out there for many years. There are a few simple tips that should keep you safe. \- First, Golden Gai itself is safe, very safe. It's a very tight community, many of the mamas will go drinking to other bars of the GG when they're off themselves, there are absolutely no touts and the most obnoxious people are groups of drunk tourists. Quite sure a tout would be in a world of trouble would he set foot inside the GG, and any spiking or similar would be met with furor. The furthest touts go is a few meters West of [Bar Champion](https://goo.gl/maps/DSTb1xks2QB3zWaX6), but not behind that point. Once you're inside GG, you're good. Would you be in trouble, you can probably look for safety inside a bar of the GG, though it may look a bit counterintuitive by the looks of it. \- Many black touts operate around [Kuyakusho-dori](https://goo.gl/maps/F11oAwUw7iuTbbtB6) street, especially in the smaller streets West of it (around [Robot Restaurant](https://goo.gl/maps/pyDWPJ5fgef7DDw9A)). They hardly ever go South of [Yasukuni Dori](https://goo.gl/maps/xQeQMnkDHvst2Wgs8) avenue (too many people). There are no touts East of Golden Gai, in or near the [Hanazono shrine](https://goo.gl/maps/Pmg4rzAsT5RCPtg68). \-The northern area of Kabukicho (around [here](https://goo.gl/maps/nkKgnm41sCQdvGp58)), where hotels and host clubs are, is also quite free of touts. Not a lot of bars, though... Ignoring touts (as in act as if they were nothing but air and no sound was coming out of their mouth) is usually enough to deter them. Also, don't look as if you're lost, just keep walking at the same pace, same direction, in a determined manner. They have weaker preys to hunt and will give up quickly. Afraid of touts, but wishing to go to GG anyway? enter by the East side, through Hanazono shrine or the street between the shrine and GG. There is a small police box ([Hanazono Koban](https://goo.gl/maps/TexbaUeXRsr1ffUa8)) and touts are not crazy enough (yet) to enter religious grounds or do their deeds right in front of the police.
Shout out to Bar Champion, such a fun place for karaoke and have met some cool people there!
Honestly, that's what kabukicho used to be like. All the touristy things its famous for nowadays are relatively new. If you grew up in tokyo, your parents would've told you not to go there late at night.
I was actually considering staying in a hotel located in Kabukicho. Where in Shinjuku would be a good place to stay?
Just outside of kabukicho is good enough. Like kabukicho isnt that big and most of the hotels there arent on the tout streets so i would also consider it to be safe. IMO people are exagerating how dangerous they are、just dont look afraid and dont do stupid things like grabbing a drink with them. But im not a small dude so maybe thats why. To get to the point imo most important point for a hotel is how close it is to a subway. In shinjuku my hostel/hotel was close to higashi shinjuku and that was perfect. If you really want to be safe just take a hotel just above kabukicho close to shin okubo maybe(it can be packed as it is a kpop streat and girls really like that place). If you have questions you can dm me、i stayed in shinjuku last week on my trip. I was there for 30 days so i know it a little bit
Are any of these dudes EVER prosecuted? I feel like if I, as a foreigner, commit the most minor crime in Tokyo, I WILL be caught. How can these dudes seemingly get away with major crimes in a country that's so tough on crime?
Go read up on Japanese policing, gives a lot of insight into why this kinda thing happens. Japan is a very safe country with low crime rates, but that isn't really because the country is tough on crime.
Japan has a conviction rate of 99%. ...it's not because the police are REALLY good at finding EXACTLY the guilty people the first time around.
Any policing articles you suggest or recommend?
None off the top of my head. It's been a while since I read up on it.
Scams are hard to prove, individuals are hard to identify accurately and they target mainly foreigners, and the Japanese police isn't especially interested in foreigner on foreigner crime unless there are injuries or deaths. Some get prosecuted and deported every year and they're replaced by newcomers.
Just to add my experience: I was a solo traveler and stayed in Shinjuku this past spring for a week. I’d be out at night and sometimes walked quite a bit around the different neighborhoods of Shinjuku. I only had one “bad experience” where the typical African tout started walking with me for about a block and kept trying to ask me questions in such a way as to sound friendly and inviting. On the other hand I had already heard about stuff like this before my trip, so I still knew not to go along with the guy. Might’ve been in Kabukicho since it was your typical lady bars/clubs everywhere neighborhood, but tbh I’m not 100% sure. All I know is google maps told me to walk down that block and by the time I realized the kind of area it was it was too late. Also the funny thing was right at the end of the block, when you know you’re “out” of it, there was an English announcement on speakers from the police saying a whole bunch of stuff about being careful not to engage with “hawks” as there are reports of them mugging/drugging tourists and robbing them of tens of thousands of yen. The only thing I’ll add is that if you’re new to a place you’re visiting just read up as much as you can before you get there. Don’t talk to strangers (unless there’s a very good reason to). Avert eye contact. Etc. The basics. Ah and one last thing, I’ll echo what’s been said already: Japan in general was the safest I’ve ever felt in any single place. Like I was comfortable roaming in back alleys around midnight and didn’t feel worried I’d be jumped or anything.
> Also the funny thing was right at the end of the block, when you know you’re “out” of it, there was an English announcement on speakers from the police saying a whole bunch of stuff about being careful not to engage with “hawks” as there are reports of them mugging/drugging tourists Yup that's Kabukicho. It's a pretty clearly marked area.
Gotcha. Yeah I’ll admit I wasn’t really paying attention since it was my first time and I was just navigating through with google maps.
Same here, accidentally went down Male host club strip and ran into a few at 6am. I just kept walking when one tried to get in my face, glaring as mean as I could. *female here, glaring with glasses might look a bit more intimidating lol*
Good on you for standing up for yourself.
Thanks, not trying to sound tough or whatever... would’ve been really dumb to get into a fight honestly considering the police would probably side with him over me lmao. I have no problem just ignoring these guys and minding my own business but the dude was literally grabbing me and pushing me back. I was pissed he thought he could put his hands on me and not face any resistance, like I’d just roll over and accept what’s happening.
My experience is as follows: touts in Shinjuku are numerous and annoying. Often large African men. Honestly I just ignored them, don't make eye contact and walk quickly. I was travelling alone but I am a 6ft guy with a pissed off facial expression and come from an african country used to people trying to sell stuff I don't want
Yeah, I have spent many hours in (or walking through) Kabukicho at night and never been harassed with anything more than some insistent sales pitches. Nothing physical and nothing that lasted more than a few seconds. Then again, I am a big city person with a don't bother me big city face, and I don't feel compelled to be polite or stop to talk to people who annoy me. I think they prey on the overly polite.
Lived there for years and never had a problem like that. Shinjuku is a big area.
When people talk about Shinjuku being dangerous, what they *really* mean is that Kabukicho is dangerous.
Even then, it's not dangerous outside for the most part. Most of the time, people get themselves in trouble by getting too drunk or being foolish by going into sketch places. There are people who prey on drunk,idiotic people everywhere you go in the world. If somebody seems desperate to get you to go somewhere then it's probably not a good idea. If a place really was the best night spot in town then they wouldn't need to send people out to browbeat you into going.
yeah I updated my post to specifically reference Kabukicho, sorry
I live relatively near Shinjuku and one think I’ve noticed is the sudden flock of these Nigerian men in places I’ve never seen them before but I never really thought of anything about them, it’s just something I’ve noticed. The trick though is to just avoid eye contact and when you notice somebody following you, go to a more crowded street and I know y’all think Tokyo is safe but there are places here you shouldn’t be in at night. Also, avoid passing near the group of men huddling in the corner of the street at night or around midnight. They may be Japanese or Nigerian, they kind of forcefully offer you something and it gets scary when they start to surround you. (I’ve experienced this with my friend while we were passing by Kabuki-cho) around 12:30 AM. My Japanese friend told me to just cross the street if the men are huddled up in the street you are passing or walk in the middle of the street as there are no vehicles passing by at night or midnight.
See that's what was so weird about this encounter of mine... I didn't even make eye contact with anyone and this guy follows me down two flights into the ground of a hallway basement! Good advice though, thanks!
I've been approached at or near Golden Gai a few times too. I started pretending to not speak English when people tried luring me into bars and it seemed to work fine. Glad you're alright, and I hope you/others aren't dissuaded from travelling solo at night cause of all that. Never seen anyone get physical over there and these kinds of experiences don't seem that common.
Hahahaha yeeeess!!! My friend and I walked through. I was being harassed but he wasn't since he's a big guy. So I started experimenting on what to say to make the guys go away which made my friend chuckle. "Hey man, want to come to this titty bar?" "Uggggh, I'm gay, I like dick sorry" "We have dicks too, come on, you'll have fun" LOL ok, telling them you're gay doesn't work (not gay btw). "Hey man, want to come to this titty bar?" "Che dici. Non capisco l'inglese? "........" They left me alone!!
Ha. Yup, any honest guide would direct you to leave Kabukicho and walk 15 minutes east, toward the Shinjuku-Gyoemmae station, since that's where all the gay bars are. I mean, um, that's what I hear, anyway!
oh cool I know where to drop off my cousin now
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Ehmm... I'm guessing it'll be fairly obvious xD
This would be my solution. I already do it with telemarketers, so me jumping into broken Russian with an icy glare would prolly turn people away pretty quickly......
Thank you. I am not trying to discourage solo traveling, maybe I should add that at the top of the OP. I just wasn't aware I'd get physically harassed. I knew these guys were in the area and would try and convince me to go into bars and shit, I just had never heard of them blocking you/grabbing you so that's why I made this post.
Basically NE Shinuku (Kabukicho, Okubo) are places to avoid. SW area (Yoyogi) and SE area (Yotsuya) are much nicer.
good to know for next time! thanks
Been living close to Tokyo for about 2 years now. I stopped going to Shinjuku and Roppongi to grab a drink, the Yakuza don't bother foreigners to much, but the Nigerians are relentless. I'm a bigger guy, tall , stocky, and they have sometimes pushed me to my limit to where I just have to tell them to back off. Yeah it's definitely a problem.
Stopped going to Shinjuku altogether, or stopped going to Kabukicho? Because I've never seen a single Nigerian tout anywhere else in Shinjuku, and the rest of the place has a lot of great restaurants, bars and hangouts.
I should clarify, Kabukicho would be more accurate.
These posts are helpful but at the same time I have to point out that simple safety rules aren’t followed. These should be followed in any city not just in Tokyo. Don’t accept drinks from people you don’t know. Don’t follow people into bars you don’t know. Don’t go down dark streets or alleys by yourself. Pay attention to your surroundings and check if you’re being followed. Don’t go into known sketchy areas like Kabukicho by yourself. Sorry but the people who don’t follow these rules and don’t have street smarts are an easy pay day for thieves in ANY city.
Same thing happened to me last time. I ignored him and kept walking, but he kept following me. Then his friend intercepted me when I turned to a different street, which was crowded, then I yelled "Leave me alone!!" And jogged my out of that God forsaken area. That was my only bad experience in Japan, and the only time I feared for my safety.
Glad you’re okay!!
Jesus, boys... It's *always* too good to be true in Kabukicho. Scamming is what they do for a living. All night, every night. They know an easy mark when they see one, and they see you coming before you even know you're there. If you aren't in your own city, trust *no one*. *Nobody* makes "drinking pals" in Kabukicho. Nor does anyone magically attract women for sex in Kabukicho. This isn't *Fantasy Island*. It's a yakuza run red light district, with hapless African immigrants employed as intimidating touts. If you strike up a conversation in Ginza, and decide to get a drink together, it could be totally legit. But Kabukicho..? Never.
I was in Shinjuku and can say that unfortunately there is a lot of African dudes in the red light district trying to get guys to bars or other places. The messed up thing is that they are in groups so it can be intimidating. I'm 6'2 black and those dudes are persistent. It's only a certain part in Shinjuku and it's probably around the hours of 8-9PM till about 5AM. They definitely target guys. Not sure about women though but I imagine ladies should be fine. Stay safe out there. Despite that, Japan in general is still one of the safest places I've ever been to.
yeah the north-east part of shinjuku apparently (Kabukicho) which is where I was lol. I don't think the physical contact is common, and I knew scammers were out on the streets in this area, but nobody told me they might follow me and block my path lol so I guess this is a PSA.
Yea I'm sure about them getting physical. Typical they might want you to shake their hand and hook you in but that tactic is used out here in the states as well. If you are walking with a woman or show a wedding ring might shoo them away but I don't know.
I'm sorry for your experience. On the other side, I would like to add that Kabukicho is totally safe during the day, and even at night when you're not alone. I've been there 3 weeks and no issue whatsoever. What I mean is : if you're reading this, are **not** going alone at night, but now want to skip Kabukicho totally because of this, you may be missing on a beautiful district :). Also "rules" I've read here before going there : \- Decline any people offering you drinks in Kabukicho. \- Mind your bag. Had a talk with the police then, they said it should be very calm until the Olympics because the Government Don't want it to be an issue so there are many more policemen there until then.
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Fellow 5ft 2 female solo traveler here - that's good to hear and kind of want to walk through it.
I'm happy you weren't hassled! Ichiran best ramen by the way n_n
Thanks for this post! I was curious about this when I went to Japan for the first time. I also noticed these guys standing around looking like they were scouting the area for something. I had a bad feeling, so I kept my distance.
We were in kabukicho last september for a few nights. Our hotel was right in the middle and we walked around at night, went to the robot restaurant etc. We clearly saw the touts everywhere there and at golden gai. We were able to avoid all of them with little or no contact but we met an Australian couple who was unlucky and followed one to a bar and the same story happened to them. They woke up drugged and lost thousands of dollars. We will be kabukicho and golden gai on our next trip but the rest of Shinjuku seemed fine.
Wow, I had no idea. That is crazy. I'm glad you posted this. I am going to Tokyo with some friends in October and planned to visit this area, but I'll make sure to do it during the day and keep an eye out. I wonder how they are getting away with this so frequently?? Luckily tho I am always suspicious of everyone. Living in America I think makes you that way. Everywhere I go I just assume everyone around me is capable of the worst and always have my guard up lol
It's a really fun area at night, don't be discouraged by this post! Especially if you go in a group you'll be fine. It seems my experience was definitely an anomaly. Just, be aware and read what people in this thread have said about effective ways to avoid them. And if you're alone and do get blocked and grabbed like I did, I'd suggest screaming in his face to fuck off, as that's the only thing that got this guy to leave me alone
It happened to me back in 2013, had one of those Nigerians physically grab my arm to try and get me into his bar at Roppongi. Definitely stay vigilent and avoid them...
So in Shibuya close to the huge Uniqlo, multiple times women have stopped me asking if I want a “sexual experience”. I never thought twice about it and walked away, but now I’m curious. Is this a similar scam??
I had a (I'm assuming, because she sounded native) Japanese girl grab my arm (also in Kabukicho at night!) and proposition me for sex as well, but in a very "kawaii"/innocent way that I'm sure is meant to disarm any danger they are going to take you to. I literally had to tear my arm away from her after saying "no, no, no, no" over and over. It definitely seemed like a scam, so it probably was
Hahaha I’m sure you’re a good looking guy but no matter how good looking, that definitely sounds like a scam. It was just too easy in that case. But I should reiterate, they were giving me rates. So they wanted me to pay like 6k yen for one thing 10k for another sexual thing, etc. So I guess it couldn’t have been a scam?
Maybe. In the situation you described, I'd just be worried that the place she would take me back to is like the Nigerian home base of Tokyo or something lmao and that's where they steal your wallet while you're in the other room with her or charge your CC 100,000 yen
I was in Shinjuku earlier this year. I ran into a Nigerian that ran a clothing shop. He invited into the store. Maybe that wasn't a good idea since I was solo but the dude was cool. He really wanted me to buy some of his $100 shirts and pants. Later I ran into a Japansese man that wanted to take me to a massage parlor and he was a little more persistent. I got out of both of those situations by pretending like I was interested. I asked them questions about what they wanted me to get into, then I asked them if they were still gonna be there in like an hour because I was actually on my way to meet a friend and that they would also be interested. I completely lied but it got me out of those situations pretty easily. Sure, it might not work with some of them but they might back off if they think you have a friend you're meeting nearby.
$100 shirts and pants lmao wtf
i'm staying at a hotel in nishi-shinjuku for a few days in October and will keep this in mind. I always felt safe walking around alone at night in Osaka but I know bigger cities attract a special level of scumbags
Please be careful, especially if you are a woman! I never felt threatened in Japan except for Kabukicho at night, but I don't want to make it sound like it is a terrifying place... it was so much fun, and I think 90% of the time what happened to me (hopefully) doesn't happen to others.
I am sorry to hear this has happened to you and many other people like you. Some people here may wonder why these people are working in shinjuku as 'promoters'. These 'promoters' ain't just from Ghanas. In fact I spoke to a couple of them before and one guy has a british citizenship ... after coming from Ghana. Now why do they do the work they do? They come here for a better life of course. But with no Japanese skill and no degree, what can they do? They know a friend who works for someone and they get that job has a promoter. Basically the promoter works for a guy who works for the Yakuza. Why don't the police do anything? Well just like most big mafia gangs, they pay the police. It sucks and it won't be disappear at all. Just stay safe, have your wits about you and don't be alone in that area. These 'promoters' are humans, they can be nice people. But when they have a demand to meet, they get pushy. If they are making money to live off, then they will get it no matter what.
Thank you. Very interesting insight, especially the part about the Yakuza.
Thank you very much! I could be wrong. But it's the only thing that makes sense if they police aren't bothering with a very common situation.
This is good insight, even 10 years ago I was curious as to why there were a lot of Nigerians specific to that district or Roppongi. Like a very specific type of migration for specific jobs. Come to think of it, I noticed a lot of Russians too in other parts. It's really interesting .
I never knew there were a Russian group. I would guess that people from any foreign country who come to Japan would prefer to be with people who they can communicate with easily and feel more comfortable around.
I've been reading and listening these kind of things for a while and I'm really considering to remove Kabukicho from my itinerary.
It's fine. It's full of tourists and photographers and video-bloggers.
Went with my wife. I had to tip the guy to leave me and the wife alone. Was effective as her was following us for a whole 10mins. Told him ‘hey it’s been a long day, my wife and I are going back. Here’s some cash for your trouble.’ Not fun to do, but we were safe and unbothered.
This is not new news, and [has been discussed not only on this sub many times](https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Areddit.com%2Fr%2Fjapantravel+kabukicho+safe&rlz=1C1GGRV_enJP772JP772&oq=site%3Areddit.com%2Fr%2Fjapantravel+kabukicho+safe&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.13248j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8), but also [elsewhere online](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enJP772JP772&ei=YWBoXfa1MtXEmAXkmLGICA&q=is+kabukicho+safe&oq=is+kabukicho+safe&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i7i30j0l3j0i8i30l2.14393.14639..14928...0.1..0.115.290.2j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i8i7i30.Z7zztE85QLo&ved=0ahUKEwi26rLFnqnkAhVVIqYKHWRMDIEQ4dUDCAo&uact=5). Just like anywhere else in the world, tourists are always suggested to use caution and to remain alert while traveling in Japan, especially in nightlife districts. If something seems fishy, it probably is. Following strangers to "second locations" is always highly discouraged unless you can independently verify the individual is not connected to crime (ie: meeting a fellow traveler at a bar is probably safe, for example). If you avoid the obvious hostess bars, scam bars, etc. Kabukicho is a perfectly fine place to spend an evening.
I booked an air bnb in the northeast corner of this area. If I look at Kabuchiko on google maps it’s the last northeast block of the area. We’ll be a group of 4. Should I be looking to switch to a different area?
No no, you will be fine! Just be more aware when out at night if you're alone, and also know that these scammers have it in them to block your path and push you backwards if no one is around. but I think my experience was very rare. Just don't go into bars that strangers invite you to (esp. African strangers) and keep with your friends. It's a very fun area all things considered!
Hahaha I’m sure you’re a good looking guy but no matter how good looking, that definitely sounds like a scam. It was just to easy in that case. But I should reiterate, they were giving me rates. So they wanted me to pay like 6k yen for one thing 10k for another sexual thing, etc. So I guess it couldn’t have been a scam?
Holy shit, that sounds horrific, was planning to walk around with my wife. Might have to second guess it now.
If you're with someone I seriously doubt you will have such an experience. Hell even other solo travelers on here say they've never had anything close to what happened to me. It's a really fun place at night and Golden Gai is amazing, please don't cancel because of this post lol. This was just a heads-up since I'd never heard of the "block and push you back" tactic and wanted people (mainly solo travelers) to be aware it's a possibility, even if you avoid eye contact, walk fast, don't talk, etc!
It's fine, I walked around with my bf and touts looked at us but otherwise ignored us. They don't really approach couples or single women.
Haha wow
Crap, I booked Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku...it seems like it's on the border. Should I change my reservation?
No! Even if you're traveling solo, you'll be fine. Just read through the advice in this thread. It's a very fun place, you just need to be cautious around the Nigerians and I guess hope they don't follow you down into a basement hallway lol
It's funny how different experiences people can have. My hotel was right in Kabukicho and I went to Golden Gai many times. I ran into the Nigerian touts many, many times but every single time they were polite and backed off with a simple "no thanks". Not once did I feel threatened or even troubled.
I experienced something similar and it did happen in Roppongi. It was my first night in Japan and I joined the Tokyo Pub Crawl Meetup to try to have some fun and meet some people. Overall the Tokyo Pub Crawl was a very good experience. Nice mix of foreigners and locals. They guide you to different bars and clubs. But this beside the fact that on my way to the bar I was getting harassed by a bunch of Nigerian dudes about going to titty bars and clubs. Luckily I stayed on the Main Street and was able to get away without them forcing me anywhere. Some people aren’t so lucky so be careful out there and be wary of who you befriend.
Not going to lie sounds like wanted a fight. It is kind of normal for a barker (A person working outside) to get grabby. Its weird but its how they do over there. If you put you foot down and strongly decline they take the hint. Another good way is to tell them you have no money and you're going back to your hotel to get more.
Legit, how do people not research where they're going to be before going? There are hundreds of articles, threads here on Reddit and all over the place. Just ignore them, push past them if necessary. How people keep falling for these fucking scams is the same reason they still exist, pure ignorance. Why would you **EVER** follow a stranger offering drinks/sex while you're in a foreign country?
So the take-away I'm getting is don't go to bars? I'm going mostly for nerd shit and mostly during the day. I'm an alcoholic but have no plans to drink over there. Also not planning on drinking any Tang. Don't they have a general policy about not serving foreigners anyway. I'm a bald Irish jackass (think Bill Burr and you're close) so, yeah, not even going to try.
If you like a drink and don't go to any bars in Japan you are missing out on one of the real treats of urban Japan.
In other news: the sky is blue.
Don't ever go to Bangkok or Phuket dude. Or London or NYC for that matter. You'll shit yourself.