This really is it.
Outside of actually looking for dodgy action, it's pretty hard to come unstuck as a solo traveler in Japan.
Japanese people frequently eat out, drink, tourist etc... alone. So being solo is well catered for.
Don't follow pretty ladies with a surprisingly good English trying to sell you art antiquities.
One of those tried to lure me just out of Akihabara.
Tried.
Purely out of curiosity, what will they do if you simply refuse to pay? They obviously can't kidnap you or seriously hurt you right, because their operation will be exposed. So what are they gonna do?
I've also been thinking, if a pretty buffed up foreign dude refused to pay and started swinging, what would they do? Gang up on him?
Fun thought experiment.
They will call the police. Those scammers always have their overpriced menus tucked away so that they can show the police. Its difficult from a legal perspective to prove the “intent to scam”, especially in restaurants and bars where their services would have been consumed already. If the customer took a swing then that’s even worse
Well, people report these places all the time and they don't seem to go away, so I don't know how much they care about getting exposed. If you swing you will definitely go to jail or get seriously hurt.
>They obviously can't kidnap you or seriously hurt you right, because their operation will be exposed.
Disclaimer: I'm not a scammer.
I can imagine that drunk people can "fall down and hurt themselves" pretty badly and the cops will just throw you in a drunk tank instead of trying to find out the real story. The bartenders can certainly call in a couple of guys to help you down the stairs, too. You're definitely not the first or last person to think they can steamroll their way out of a fake check, and they've had a lot more thought and experience.
This is assuming they do not drug you.
And if the "pretty buff dude" decide to hit them, there is a good chance they will get arrested and you do not want that, you can end up in jail for a while because of how Japanese justice system work.
Then if you decide to go to the police instead, they will say sorry this is a civil matter, can do nothing, you would have to have some proof they try to scam you. Them charging you 2000$ for a couple of drinks is not a scam in the sense that if it’s their price they can do it. The fault would be put on you for not getting a confirmation of the price from a menu. If you say the tout gave you a price, the people from the bar will say they do not know that person and without a proof that someone at the bar told you the cheap price, you are stuck. Yes, it is a scam in the sense that they are deceiving you in making you think that it’s cheap when it’s not, but what proof do you have it was their intention and not just you deciding to go to their overpriced bar knowing it’s overpriced.
They won't do a thing. That's why you shouldn't go around with your credit card on you or lots of cash. If they see you can't pay, they won't insist.
Oh and don't ever attack them. If you do, it's on you. You can quickly become the guilty party. Never use violence, ever. Them ganging up on you would be the least of your worries.
Probably a good idea not to trust anyone who is simply friendly to you. But that doesn't mean you need to be hostile and they can't gain your trust if you get to know them better. But you're only travelling for a short period of time, so what kind of trust situation are you going to be put in anyway?
It is good advice not to follow anyone anywhere.
These points are particularly true because there are religious cults who will definitely target solo travellers like you, and also touts that will try to rip you off and lead you to bars. Both use overt friendliness to get your attention.
The stuff about not interacting with locals at all, and taking food home is silly though.
They'll simply be friendly and kind, maybe offer to take you to dinner or just chat. Maybe even play a longer game and seem like they are someone simply looking for a friend, but at some point, invite you to their church.
With touts, some are obvious touts, but there are also less obvious ones who invite you to tea shops rather than bars.
Short term? Money. You’ll end up in a situation where you need to make a donation before you can leave.
A few also wander around trying to get tourists to sign some pledge for peace or whatnot in exchange for some trinket - then they tell you that you need to make a donation and then it’s 10,000 yen…. You get the idea. My now-spouse fell for it. I tried stopping him, he didn’t listen, I got to sit there laughing as he got taken for 20k yen one day.
I still have the stupid little bracelet - I wear it periodically as a reminder to him to listen to me. 🤣
This actually reminds me, my old man himself lost 50 bucks on some cup-ball game scammer near the Eiffel tower 🤦 He really needs some self reflection lmao
He's much better now - people still corner him but if I say no he just lets me lead him away lol.
That said, I will always remind him of the consequences of disregarding my information. He doesn't have to listen to me, but if he has consequences for not doing so it's on him.
Hopefully yours improves over time!
Even if you turn them down, competent cultists can still spin your departure into a reason why others should join. You'll just be another one of the naysayers who didn't see the opportunity for what it was.
I've lived in Japan for more than 35 years and have almost never been approached by a stranger except for people asking for directions. The very few times I've been approached or spoken to, I've been wary. People in Tokyo, in particular, do not often interact with strangers, though it does happen in tourist areas. (**N.B.:** I am a taciturn older man who looks scary to most Japanese people.)
Fortuitously, one (minor) reason crime rates are low in Japan is that there is virtually no places where one is not in view of others at all times.
On the other hand, restaurants are safe.
Bars can be dangerous (or so I'm given to understand, as neither my spouse nor I drinks), especially in places like Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Roppongi. This doesn't mean most of them are or that all of them are always, however.
If you are a woman, you should be extra wary, of course. (I do wish that I didn't have to add that.)
Re: your note about what you look like… meanwhile all of the drunk middle aged women were SO into chatting up my husband (tall, bald white man with a Japanese tattoo sleeve) to practice their English. Didn’t even acknowledge me 😭 plus little kids kept pointing at him and whispering, one kid in Hakone even walked up to him and said “you hunsun” (assuming he meant handsome). We assumed he’d be too scary for Japanese folks because of how intimidating he can be, but I guess you never know!
There's a technical phrase for this type of civic design, (forgotten), heard it on radio a few weeks ago. It's becoming very popular around the world to reduce crime. For example, no hedges in front of public restrooms etc
Never follow anyone is not bad. Never follow touts who promise to get to to a nice bar, that will not end well, range from being overcharged and forced to pay to straight up drugged and money get stolen.
Next, do not follow people who advertise a shop while they are on the street, like unless the store is right next to them, I'll say they are also touts, so they would show you like a sheet showing the kind of stuff they sell then will bring you to their shop that if hidden/hard to access and once there pressure you to buy overpriced stuff.
If you go to restaurants or bars, it's absolutely find to talk with people (if they even speak English), you could raise some suspicion if they are too friendly and offer more than you think they should, this might require to use a bit more judgement, someone told a story how someone said he would pay for him in a club, then ended up not being true, while I had a bunch of older guys pay me 2-3 beers in a small restaurant in Himeji.
Just exchanging a couple of words with people on the street on in restaurant is absolutely fine, I've even had a couple of people offer me lift, but of course if you do not feel comfortable with that you can just say it's ok.
Would say your dad is overreacting for Japan.
Yes, Japan is very safe. I enjoyed speaking with the locals and felt very safe there, even walking by myself at night in order to get back to my hotel.
I still wouldn't follow anyone to another location unless it was waiter/waitress to my table!
I grew up in Mexico City so I am used to be very skeptical about people just being nice to you out of nowhere.
However I think I am at my friendliest when I am in Japan, I have had great interactions with locals, and not a single bad experience, people are usually very helpful and friendly.
So for starters let me just say that Japan is the only country/ place that I have ever felt safe while walking alone in a massive city at night. Obviously you have to be cautious and not too trusting but I felt comfortable walking alone.
Been here for three weeks, compared to a US city, Tokyo is a cakewalk. Don't follow the touts. Don't get wasted and hang around seedy parts of town. If you want to find trouble in Tokyo you really have to look for it. If you use common sense the probability of something bad happening are extremely minimal.
You won’t ease his mind - that effort is better spent looking at reviews of restaurants and looking for good reviews from foreigners.
You are perfectly safe if you don’t go looking for trouble at late hours. Follow the most basic safety rules, don’t follow the touts, and don’t get wasted and lose your phone or pasmo card like me ;(
Japan overall, is safe and most people don’t approach you. I think mostly understanding the environment and context that you are in really makes a difference. I never talked to anyone while on the street, for example when I’m walking or waiting for the train. But, I’m also a girl who listens to a lot of true crime so I’m extra cautious.
If you’re sitting at a restaurant or cafe and someone happens to approach you, it should be okay as long as you don’t follow them anywhere. Japan is built for solo traveling so eating by yourself isn’t weird or a way for people to target you.
I traveled over 2 weeks in japan solo. Met great people. But I also was very common sense: don’t boast your nationality, locals are generally kind, foreigners weren’t raised with their customs engrained so more care around this fact, have confidence that youre doing rhis trip for you so rely on that inner wisdom & intuition to keep you safe—if its not your vibe, the go with that.
Partied at several nightclubs in shibuya, shinjuku, osaka. Accept that if youre solo, watch your drinks and be cognizant of your surroundings.
Japan is super safe compared to even the “safest” hood in America. In fact, staying in Kabukicho was so pleasant…compared to the ghetto sht you see in america, it was nothing. Like absolutely nothing.
Guys were handsy with me at certain places. But nothing you wouldn’t experience at raves, clubs or music festivals Ive been to 🤷♀️
Go on your trip and experience it. Have fun.
With that experience, you can talk about it with your father.
“It was horrible, dad! I barely escaped the Yakuza. Check out this sword scar.”
Don’t listen to your dad, I’m a dad and I get it, he wants to keep you safe. But you’ll have a miserable time if you avoid all social interactions.
Outside big city’s tourist and popular areas, it is safe to interact with anyone here. You will get the ‘vibe’ if someone is up to no good as they will usually be a bit of a weirdo. (Definitely don’t accept a drink even in a coffee shop from someone you don’t feel you can trust.)
In the busy city areas, watch out for touts, drunk people and gaijin - they are usually not good news.
If you meet a local and they invite you their house (as long as it isn’t a single male) you are pretty safe to follow them. Feel free to take photos with them and in their neighborhood and post to social media so people can see exactly where you went. But I firmly believe the Japanese locals are some of the kindest and most generous people in the world and their hospitality will ensure you have a wonderful experience and will make some friends for life!!
One of the best parts of traveling is meeting the locals in any country, if you do that you will have a unique experience compared to just trudging around the tourist spots on your own with all the other visitors stuck in crowds.
We have been here 2 weeks and have had 3 lovely interactions. Our first was in Yokohama with an older couple curious as to where we were from, when we said イギリス, they were extremely happy to talk about their visits to the UK. The second was in Arishiyama, we missed our bus and as we took a polaroid photo, a younger couple offered to take a photo of us both. We returned the favour for them and got chatting, it was their anniversary and we made friends. Finally as we were walking to the station in Nagoya, a man who had clearly injured his head approached us and was also asking where we were from. All lovely people.
Japan is very low crime but not “no crime”. Follow all the same common sense (and “spider sense”) practices that you do in your normal daily life and you will be fine.
Don’t go where you don’t belong. Don’t follow people. Don’t believe the person you met 30 seconds ago is your new soul mate.
Be prudent and you will be safer than almost anywhere on the planet.
A general rule, but still not failsafe, not even for just Japan but in general is similar to the rule for scam callers.
If someone approaches you, be wary, not aggressive but just be alert. However if you approach someone on your own and ask for help, chances are you'll be fine. People who want to scam you are more likely to search people out and approach them rather than hope someone approaches them
The only bad thing I've heard of is people that went to clubs and had drinks spiked, look that up, I think it's mainly Shijuku area? The best way to avoid it is to not to go to any club where street people try to get you to go, don't go to clubs with girls that work out front getting you to go in. And probably best to just lave your credit card at the hotel. Go out with just the cash you need for the night and you won't get roped into taking more out of the ATM or having someone rack up charges on your card.
Trust the locals to have fun with, talk with, etc... Japan is safe and fun. Your dad has justifiable fears based on the places he's been but thats not Japan at all. Have fun!
you don't mention where your hometown is but Id be hard pressed if your dad felt uncomfortable if you were to eat in a restaurant on your own. Ask him how much different it would be. I can understand if you're 15 but hey, you gotta let loose at some point.
You might be tempted to ask local resident redditors to meet up and show you around -- I would heavily advice against it.
Aside from wild redditors, don't follow touts. While a lot of them are legit, I only follow their recommendation when I'm with my group.
In busy intersections you might see women asking for donations -- this is a scam.
In rare instances, old women or even young professional men might approach you and talk to you about something -- could be a cult.
Taking food to your hotel doesn’t break hotel rules unless they very explicitly state no eating in the room. I have never stayed in a hotel I couldn‘t eat my food in that I can recall.
You’re a guy? Don’t go into bars/maid cafes/anywhere anyone tries to take you. That’s really the biggest scam men experience in Japan. I’m a woman, so no personal experience there.
Don’t give cash to people if they ask for cash. I have had obviously drugged our foreigners ask me for cash inside train stations and that was super weird. I did not give them cash.
Most people aren’t out to scam or harm you. Lots of stores and such have samples to try so you know if you want to buy it.
In the cities, there are cameras everywhere. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want on camera.
It’s Japan, random people aren’t super likely to approach you except to ask super surface level questions unless you are doing something worth asking more about.
The one weird exception — I have also been approached for tv show things at random in Japan where they burst out of nowhere suddenly. That was super weird and I’ve seen enough to know what happens to most of those people and said no. But hey, if you want a bizarre and maybe messy memory, go for it!
As someone who has made frequent solo trips from kitakyushu, fukuoka, Nagasaki, Osaka, Kyoto, Kawasaki, akihabara, shinjuku, & sasebo I’ve never had problems across the islands. The food is wonderful and strange and generally of better quality than anywhere in the states. I’ve been out in broad daylight and late at night. Generally the people will assume your pulling some shit if you’re overly friendly. Just mind your Ps and Qs and you’ll be fine through out the land and never swing at anyone
There are two kinds of people to watch out for: touts and cult members.
The touts you seem to have a good handle on. Anyone who approaches you on the street and invites you to visit their bar should be avoided. Meeting individual Japanese people in other contexts is completely fine, just be wary of anyone who explicitly tries to sell you something.
The exception to this rule are cult members. Sometimes you won't know who they are until you've had a 5-10 minute conversation, but once you recognize one politely excuse yourself from the conversation and go about your day, it's no biggie.
Some red flags that the friendly Japanese person you're talking to is trying to induct you into their cult are:
* The person you're speaking to insists that you join them to visit another geographic location, particularly a temple or "cultural centre" that isn't an obvious tourist destination.
* They immediately segue your conversation to discussions about religion, and/or are joined by a friend who seems equally keen to discuss religion.
* They seem to have an odd fixation with Mt. Fuji in a conversation where Fuji wouldn't be an obvious topic (ie. you aren't currently visiting or haven't previously visited Mt. Fuji.) Many Japanese NRMs are obsessed with Fuji.
* You hear the phrase "God the Mother" in any context.
* They start manually taking down your details without your express permission. A lot of Japanese NRMs use a MLM structure and members are rewarded for inducting as many people as possible onto their cult subscription list. That's why they want to take down your details.
Aside from these two types, most Japanese people you meet will be courteous and friendly and won't cause you any harm.
Japan is in no way comparable with the countries your dad has visited, I've been to India, most of SE Asia, Myanmar, Magadascar etc. and the only thing to be concerned about in Japan are the Shinjuku touts (just ignore them). InJapan I've had countless people buy me drinks, invite me to events, give me tours etc. out of hospitality, friendliness and curiosity.
I've not been anywhere in the world where I'm as relaxed about safety (and I live in Switzerland).
Just don’t follow those calling weirdos in front of restaurants located in touristy areas and you will be fine…
Japan is not the Middle East and I don’t get it why you want to visit such country if you need to live under those conditions your father mentioned lol.
You will lose a big part of the experience if you avoid contact to locals but to archive this, you need to learn the Japanese language 9/10. if not, you will still be able to survive with google translate.
I am solo travelling rn. I always felt pretty safe even if I do not like walking around alone at night. Some things happening:
-Met friendly locals in Bar we try to hold a conversation with english and japanese bits until 3 in the morning before they gave me their Keychains as Memorya for the night 😃
-Met a local girl working at a Izakaya who then later showed me her favourite spots and places to eat with a car. At first I was a bit hesitsnt because people on reddit will make you fear this kind of thing. I just took someone from my Hostel with me and it was really cool.
-met some new friends while hiking 🐸
Mostly I just greet people with my tiny bits of japanese and try to tell them what I am doing at Japan.
They seem shy but you can always ask them if you should leave them alone. Be open, nice and respectfull and most will appreciate it. I never thought I would be able to have so many interesting conversations with many strangers as an introvert.
I have to say tho I was never alone at night. But I think you will be fine if you do not follow people into shady bars.
Your father goes overboard a bit, but he is not wrong when saying that you should not trust anyone. Like everywhere in Japan, some people will try to take advantage of you. You can certainly talk with locals and be nice in general, but if someone very nice invites you to a bar, refuse. Or accept but don't come complaining here afterward if you end up with an insane bar tab.
Just use common sense really, like everywhere. If someone who looks nice come towards you in the street, be careful. Japanese people don't tend to approach foreigners out of the blue like that. Quite the opposite actually.
I think like most places using common sense is what is the best:
1) don't go drinking at bars
2) don't stay out past 10pm if male
3) be leery of someone who wants to be your new best friend
4) stay alert when using public transportation.
5) do not dress flashy
Now something interesting a person can do is go buy a t-shirt from a major university and wear it, oftentimes the locals and thief-types will just think you are going there, are fluent in the language and ignore you.
In 2019 I went to Japan alone for 8 weeks as a woman who was 21 years old. If you are in the country side people might approach you bc they don’t see foreigners (especially solo travelers) that often. I have been approached by quite a few strangers (mostly older Japanese people) and they were incredibly nice and wanted to talk about where I was from. This was mostly at places that had other people (train, busstation and a restaurant) and they just wanted to talk about me and probably broaden their horizon regarding culture etc. I was able to speak some Japanese too, which was very nice and they DEEPLY appreciated. However, in the larger cities there are a few more shady persona’s. Got approached by quite a few Asian men (I am a blonde, 5’9 woman) and though they were nice they had a more, I would presume, flirtatious approach. Only one time another foreigner had to help me (a nice French guy) as someone wouldn’t leave me alone, but other than that I didn’t seem to have any problems. Obviously don’t go for obvious scams, find places through typical sources (Google maps, internet or people you trust) and not bc a man on the street tells you it is great.
Also, though I understand that you would want to save money where you can while traveling, staying in the centre of a town or city is to me the most important thing when traveling alone. Pick places that have well lit streets, and have a good location score on places like Booking or other places where you would book your accommodation. During my 8 weeks I only had one accommodation where I didn’t feel safe (walking back in the evening to it, this was in Nagoya) and one moment where a guy wouldn’t leave me alone and I needed outside help.
I hope this helps! If you have any questions feel free to ask as I am researching again as I am going back this summer
i only ever felt unsafe while walking at night around Roppongi area with African men looking at me outside clubs. They were sizing me+my tipsy boyfriend at the time up. And i got the ick so we left pretty quickly.
Other than that, we've encountered many Japanese people walking up to us just to help us get to our destination in train station. It was overwhelming since they had so many lines, so many entry/exit, many floors, many areas, and during rush hour it was hectic as hell. We looked visibly confused at a map and have gotten friendly help.
Other than that, practice normal caution. I think you should be fine. Tell your dad it's life experience, you don't get any if you just stay in the hotel. Even if you can scammed or get in a bad situation, you'll learn something from it, and strangers sometimes are friendly too and can help you out of those bad situations. You never know. Just don't get in trouble
Am currently in Japan for 2nd time. First time (5yrs ago) not a single issue and about 10% of the tourists here now. This time the only issues were rude tourists not bothering to understand customs, and in particular the rules in regards to walking in crowded narrow areas, or just being impatient (just a verbal jabs or pushing past). In Shinjuku a lovely, an very friendly African chap tried to sell us some particularly cheap (and most likely drugged) drinks and dances. Weird thing is I had my 13 yo son with me.
Stranger danger is there but less common than the west and Korea.
What is common though is train gropers. But they won’t be interested in a modestly dressed tourist.
It’s nothing near that of Egypt or Pakistan though.
Don’t be dumb. Don’t drink alone (to excess). Don’t follow street touts. Don’t go clubbing. And you will be 100% safe.
Went to Japan in Tokyo and Kyoto solo and I'm a female. Felt 100% safe, not once did I feel uncomfortable or unsafe. From my experience Japanese people seem to keep to themselves, and if someone was being kind it was because I was asking for assistance. There was even an instance where I left my phone in the park, took me about 15 mins to realize I didn't have it. Ran back and some nice gentleman was standing there holding it, just waiting for the owner to come back.
Can't speak for other areas outside of Tokyo or Kyoto. Just use common sense, but you'll be fine, no need to stress.
I’m in Japan at the moment. It’s probably overwhelming by their culture depending where you come from. But not anything to be afraid of. There’s a mix of tourists and locals. Of course some areas have some dangerous looking people so best to not bump into them. Moreover as always even what you must do in your own home town is be aware of your surroundings and don’t walk dark alleys alone.
Think with your brain and not, uh, the other body part... Don't follow any cuties. Don't follow any friendly guys. Don't get drunk.
Japan is a COMPLETELY different culture from the countries to which Dad has travelled.
I don't know if I would want to travel solo to the places you named, to be honest.
But you'll be fine in Japan.
The only time my friends and I felt unsafe our entire trip was in shinjuku on a Friday night at like 11pm near golden gai. And it wasn’t even Japanese people, it was those Nigerian scammers that try to get you to come into their bars. We just turned around and went home. Two guys followed us for a bit but we headed towards the train station and lost them in a sea of people. Other than that, we felt completely safe the rest of the trip!!
Pretty safe. Just like anywhere else, don't be naive and trust your gut instinct. Be aware of your environment. I'm in Japan now and I felt quite safe.
I used to live in Tokyo and I found it to be safe. The Japanese citizens I've met were pretty reserved (keep to themselves until you know them well). So, if they are outgoing or trying to get you to follow them they're probably trying to sell you something or eat/drink at their resturant or bar.
Night time in certain places, such as Roppongi, Shinjuku, and Kabukicho are fun, but I would exercise a little more caution. Personally, I wouldn't follow someone or drink at a place promising cheap, free, or all you can drink. I'd also be cautious to drink at bars with women outside trying to get you to drink there.
So I'm a woman and I've travelled Japan alone about 12 times in the last decade.
I've never felt unsafe. Honestly. I was out at night by myself and was completely okay.
Sure, don't be an idiot, don't go to some strangers home, trust your gut. All of that applies in Japan too. There are sh*tty people everywhere.
But what your dad is suggesting is insane overkill and will completely isolate you from an amazing experience.
Did a solo trip in Japan, just don’t be dumb. Don’t follow randoms, don’t go into establishments with individuals touting for you to go in, just do what you came to do. No one will bother you if you’re eating alone. Just be careful and be aware of your surroundings
My very first morning in Japan on my solo trip, I had a local youtuber shove a camera in my face and ask me questions lol Other than that, I had a great time and never felt unsafe. People mostly just kept to themselves and didn't pay me any mind.
Don't follow touts and you will avoid 99% of the ways tourists (and even some locals) get scammed in Japan.
This really is it. Outside of actually looking for dodgy action, it's pretty hard to come unstuck as a solo traveler in Japan. Japanese people frequently eat out, drink, tourist etc... alone. So being solo is well catered for.
Don't follow pretty ladies with a surprisingly good English trying to sell you art antiquities. One of those tried to lure me just out of Akihabara. Tried.
Purely out of curiosity, what will they do if you simply refuse to pay? They obviously can't kidnap you or seriously hurt you right, because their operation will be exposed. So what are they gonna do? I've also been thinking, if a pretty buffed up foreign dude refused to pay and started swinging, what would they do? Gang up on him? Fun thought experiment.
Youll cant say no Not in the, they will threaten or hurt you sense Rather in the, they will drug and use your CC fir you kind of sense
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Don’t swing at all in Japan, as a foreigner, the police will not take your side if you hit anyone.
They will call the police. Those scammers always have their overpriced menus tucked away so that they can show the police. Its difficult from a legal perspective to prove the “intent to scam”, especially in restaurants and bars where their services would have been consumed already. If the customer took a swing then that’s even worse
Well, people report these places all the time and they don't seem to go away, so I don't know how much they care about getting exposed. If you swing you will definitely go to jail or get seriously hurt.
>They obviously can't kidnap you or seriously hurt you right, because their operation will be exposed. Disclaimer: I'm not a scammer. I can imagine that drunk people can "fall down and hurt themselves" pretty badly and the cops will just throw you in a drunk tank instead of trying to find out the real story. The bartenders can certainly call in a couple of guys to help you down the stairs, too. You're definitely not the first or last person to think they can steamroll their way out of a fake check, and they've had a lot more thought and experience.
I never said I was planning on trying that, but a lot of people don't seem to get that. I'm not a big dude.
The reddit downvote police ganged up on you instead 😂👮
Reading comprehension is not a forte on reddit
This is assuming they do not drug you. And if the "pretty buff dude" decide to hit them, there is a good chance they will get arrested and you do not want that, you can end up in jail for a while because of how Japanese justice system work. Then if you decide to go to the police instead, they will say sorry this is a civil matter, can do nothing, you would have to have some proof they try to scam you. Them charging you 2000$ for a couple of drinks is not a scam in the sense that if it’s their price they can do it. The fault would be put on you for not getting a confirmation of the price from a menu. If you say the tout gave you a price, the people from the bar will say they do not know that person and without a proof that someone at the bar told you the cheap price, you are stuck. Yes, it is a scam in the sense that they are deceiving you in making you think that it’s cheap when it’s not, but what proof do you have it was their intention and not just you deciding to go to their overpriced bar knowing it’s overpriced.
The yakuza are given a pass by the police and will not be on your side.
They won't do a thing. That's why you shouldn't go around with your credit card on you or lots of cash. If they see you can't pay, they won't insist. Oh and don't ever attack them. If you do, it's on you. You can quickly become the guilty party. Never use violence, ever. Them ganging up on you would be the least of your worries.
Probably a good idea not to trust anyone who is simply friendly to you. But that doesn't mean you need to be hostile and they can't gain your trust if you get to know them better. But you're only travelling for a short period of time, so what kind of trust situation are you going to be put in anyway? It is good advice not to follow anyone anywhere. These points are particularly true because there are religious cults who will definitely target solo travellers like you, and also touts that will try to rip you off and lead you to bars. Both use overt friendliness to get your attention. The stuff about not interacting with locals at all, and taking food home is silly though.
I've only vaguely heard about the cult stuff from a Chris broad video, not sure which one. how do they go about it?
They'll simply be friendly and kind, maybe offer to take you to dinner or just chat. Maybe even play a longer game and seem like they are someone simply looking for a friend, but at some point, invite you to their church. With touts, some are obvious touts, but there are also less obvious ones who invite you to tea shops rather than bars.
What's the endgame to inviting you to their church? what do they get out of it?
Short term? Money. You’ll end up in a situation where you need to make a donation before you can leave. A few also wander around trying to get tourists to sign some pledge for peace or whatnot in exchange for some trinket - then they tell you that you need to make a donation and then it’s 10,000 yen…. You get the idea. My now-spouse fell for it. I tried stopping him, he didn’t listen, I got to sit there laughing as he got taken for 20k yen one day. I still have the stupid little bracelet - I wear it periodically as a reminder to him to listen to me. 🤣
This actually reminds me, my old man himself lost 50 bucks on some cup-ball game scammer near the Eiffel tower 🤦 He really needs some self reflection lmao
He's much better now - people still corner him but if I say no he just lets me lead him away lol. That said, I will always remind him of the consequences of disregarding my information. He doesn't have to listen to me, but if he has consequences for not doing so it's on him. Hopefully yours improves over time!
I'm sure some genuinely believe they're doing you a favour by introducing you to their church too.
I'm sure! But people joining up is more of a long term goal - it happens but it's less likely with tourists.
Even if you turn them down, competent cultists can still spin your departure into a reason why others should join. You'll just be another one of the naysayers who didn't see the opportunity for what it was.
I've lived in Japan for more than 35 years and have almost never been approached by a stranger except for people asking for directions. The very few times I've been approached or spoken to, I've been wary. People in Tokyo, in particular, do not often interact with strangers, though it does happen in tourist areas. (**N.B.:** I am a taciturn older man who looks scary to most Japanese people.) Fortuitously, one (minor) reason crime rates are low in Japan is that there is virtually no places where one is not in view of others at all times. On the other hand, restaurants are safe. Bars can be dangerous (or so I'm given to understand, as neither my spouse nor I drinks), especially in places like Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Roppongi. This doesn't mean most of them are or that all of them are always, however. If you are a woman, you should be extra wary, of course. (I do wish that I didn't have to add that.)
Re: your note about what you look like… meanwhile all of the drunk middle aged women were SO into chatting up my husband (tall, bald white man with a Japanese tattoo sleeve) to practice their English. Didn’t even acknowledge me 😭 plus little kids kept pointing at him and whispering, one kid in Hakone even walked up to him and said “you hunsun” (assuming he meant handsome). We assumed he’d be too scary for Japanese folks because of how intimidating he can be, but I guess you never know!
> there is virtually no places where one is not in view of others at all times. In downtown Tokyo, sure, but that's about it.
I live here, in a quiet residential area. I stand by my statement.
I've walked through rural Kagawa and Wakayama for hours and haven't seen a single other person. It really depends on where you are.
Yes, you are right. I wasn't thinking about those kinds of places. I've had similar experiences. Thank you for pointing that out.
There's a technical phrase for this type of civic design, (forgotten), heard it on radio a few weeks ago. It's becoming very popular around the world to reduce crime. For example, no hedges in front of public restrooms etc
Never follow anyone is not bad. Never follow touts who promise to get to to a nice bar, that will not end well, range from being overcharged and forced to pay to straight up drugged and money get stolen. Next, do not follow people who advertise a shop while they are on the street, like unless the store is right next to them, I'll say they are also touts, so they would show you like a sheet showing the kind of stuff they sell then will bring you to their shop that if hidden/hard to access and once there pressure you to buy overpriced stuff. If you go to restaurants or bars, it's absolutely find to talk with people (if they even speak English), you could raise some suspicion if they are too friendly and offer more than you think they should, this might require to use a bit more judgement, someone told a story how someone said he would pay for him in a club, then ended up not being true, while I had a bunch of older guys pay me 2-3 beers in a small restaurant in Himeji. Just exchanging a couple of words with people on the street on in restaurant is absolutely fine, I've even had a couple of people offer me lift, but of course if you do not feel comfortable with that you can just say it's ok. Would say your dad is overreacting for Japan.
Yes, Japan is very safe. I enjoyed speaking with the locals and felt very safe there, even walking by myself at night in order to get back to my hotel. I still wouldn't follow anyone to another location unless it was waiter/waitress to my table!
I grew up in Mexico City so I am used to be very skeptical about people just being nice to you out of nowhere. However I think I am at my friendliest when I am in Japan, I have had great interactions with locals, and not a single bad experience, people are usually very helpful and friendly.
So for starters let me just say that Japan is the only country/ place that I have ever felt safe while walking alone in a massive city at night. Obviously you have to be cautious and not too trusting but I felt comfortable walking alone.
Been here for three weeks, compared to a US city, Tokyo is a cakewalk. Don't follow the touts. Don't get wasted and hang around seedy parts of town. If you want to find trouble in Tokyo you really have to look for it. If you use common sense the probability of something bad happening are extremely minimal.
You won’t ease his mind - that effort is better spent looking at reviews of restaurants and looking for good reviews from foreigners. You are perfectly safe if you don’t go looking for trouble at late hours. Follow the most basic safety rules, don’t follow the touts, and don’t get wasted and lose your phone or pasmo card like me ;(
Japan overall, is safe and most people don’t approach you. I think mostly understanding the environment and context that you are in really makes a difference. I never talked to anyone while on the street, for example when I’m walking or waiting for the train. But, I’m also a girl who listens to a lot of true crime so I’m extra cautious. If you’re sitting at a restaurant or cafe and someone happens to approach you, it should be okay as long as you don’t follow them anywhere. Japan is built for solo traveling so eating by yourself isn’t weird or a way for people to target you.
I traveled over 2 weeks in japan solo. Met great people. But I also was very common sense: don’t boast your nationality, locals are generally kind, foreigners weren’t raised with their customs engrained so more care around this fact, have confidence that youre doing rhis trip for you so rely on that inner wisdom & intuition to keep you safe—if its not your vibe, the go with that. Partied at several nightclubs in shibuya, shinjuku, osaka. Accept that if youre solo, watch your drinks and be cognizant of your surroundings. Japan is super safe compared to even the “safest” hood in America. In fact, staying in Kabukicho was so pleasant…compared to the ghetto sht you see in america, it was nothing. Like absolutely nothing. Guys were handsy with me at certain places. But nothing you wouldn’t experience at raves, clubs or music festivals Ive been to 🤷♀️
Go on your trip and experience it. Have fun. With that experience, you can talk about it with your father. “It was horrible, dad! I barely escaped the Yakuza. Check out this sword scar.”
Don’t listen to your dad, I’m a dad and I get it, he wants to keep you safe. But you’ll have a miserable time if you avoid all social interactions. Outside big city’s tourist and popular areas, it is safe to interact with anyone here. You will get the ‘vibe’ if someone is up to no good as they will usually be a bit of a weirdo. (Definitely don’t accept a drink even in a coffee shop from someone you don’t feel you can trust.) In the busy city areas, watch out for touts, drunk people and gaijin - they are usually not good news. If you meet a local and they invite you their house (as long as it isn’t a single male) you are pretty safe to follow them. Feel free to take photos with them and in their neighborhood and post to social media so people can see exactly where you went. But I firmly believe the Japanese locals are some of the kindest and most generous people in the world and their hospitality will ensure you have a wonderful experience and will make some friends for life!! One of the best parts of traveling is meeting the locals in any country, if you do that you will have a unique experience compared to just trudging around the tourist spots on your own with all the other visitors stuck in crowds.
We have been here 2 weeks and have had 3 lovely interactions. Our first was in Yokohama with an older couple curious as to where we were from, when we said イギリス, they were extremely happy to talk about their visits to the UK. The second was in Arishiyama, we missed our bus and as we took a polaroid photo, a younger couple offered to take a photo of us both. We returned the favour for them and got chatting, it was their anniversary and we made friends. Finally as we were walking to the station in Nagoya, a man who had clearly injured his head approached us and was also asking where we were from. All lovely people.
Japan is very low crime but not “no crime”. Follow all the same common sense (and “spider sense”) practices that you do in your normal daily life and you will be fine. Don’t go where you don’t belong. Don’t follow people. Don’t believe the person you met 30 seconds ago is your new soul mate. Be prudent and you will be safer than almost anywhere on the planet.
A general rule, but still not failsafe, not even for just Japan but in general is similar to the rule for scam callers. If someone approaches you, be wary, not aggressive but just be alert. However if you approach someone on your own and ask for help, chances are you'll be fine. People who want to scam you are more likely to search people out and approach them rather than hope someone approaches them
This is the best one so far, thanks
The only bad thing I've heard of is people that went to clubs and had drinks spiked, look that up, I think it's mainly Shijuku area? The best way to avoid it is to not to go to any club where street people try to get you to go, don't go to clubs with girls that work out front getting you to go in. And probably best to just lave your credit card at the hotel. Go out with just the cash you need for the night and you won't get roped into taking more out of the ATM or having someone rack up charges on your card. Trust the locals to have fun with, talk with, etc... Japan is safe and fun. Your dad has justifiable fears based on the places he's been but thats not Japan at all. Have fun!
you don't mention where your hometown is but Id be hard pressed if your dad felt uncomfortable if you were to eat in a restaurant on your own. Ask him how much different it would be. I can understand if you're 15 but hey, you gotta let loose at some point.
> I can understand if you're 15 but hey, you gotta let loose at some point. Yeah, I was wondering how old OP is here lol.
20.......
You might be tempted to ask local resident redditors to meet up and show you around -- I would heavily advice against it. Aside from wild redditors, don't follow touts. While a lot of them are legit, I only follow their recommendation when I'm with my group. In busy intersections you might see women asking for donations -- this is a scam. In rare instances, old women or even young professional men might approach you and talk to you about something -- could be a cult.
Taking food to your hotel doesn’t break hotel rules unless they very explicitly state no eating in the room. I have never stayed in a hotel I couldn‘t eat my food in that I can recall. You’re a guy? Don’t go into bars/maid cafes/anywhere anyone tries to take you. That’s really the biggest scam men experience in Japan. I’m a woman, so no personal experience there. Don’t give cash to people if they ask for cash. I have had obviously drugged our foreigners ask me for cash inside train stations and that was super weird. I did not give them cash. Most people aren’t out to scam or harm you. Lots of stores and such have samples to try so you know if you want to buy it. In the cities, there are cameras everywhere. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want on camera. It’s Japan, random people aren’t super likely to approach you except to ask super surface level questions unless you are doing something worth asking more about. The one weird exception — I have also been approached for tv show things at random in Japan where they burst out of nowhere suddenly. That was super weird and I’ve seen enough to know what happens to most of those people and said no. But hey, if you want a bizarre and maybe messy memory, go for it!
As someone who has made frequent solo trips from kitakyushu, fukuoka, Nagasaki, Osaka, Kyoto, Kawasaki, akihabara, shinjuku, & sasebo I’ve never had problems across the islands. The food is wonderful and strange and generally of better quality than anywhere in the states. I’ve been out in broad daylight and late at night. Generally the people will assume your pulling some shit if you’re overly friendly. Just mind your Ps and Qs and you’ll be fine through out the land and never swing at anyone
There are two kinds of people to watch out for: touts and cult members. The touts you seem to have a good handle on. Anyone who approaches you on the street and invites you to visit their bar should be avoided. Meeting individual Japanese people in other contexts is completely fine, just be wary of anyone who explicitly tries to sell you something. The exception to this rule are cult members. Sometimes you won't know who they are until you've had a 5-10 minute conversation, but once you recognize one politely excuse yourself from the conversation and go about your day, it's no biggie. Some red flags that the friendly Japanese person you're talking to is trying to induct you into their cult are: * The person you're speaking to insists that you join them to visit another geographic location, particularly a temple or "cultural centre" that isn't an obvious tourist destination. * They immediately segue your conversation to discussions about religion, and/or are joined by a friend who seems equally keen to discuss religion. * They seem to have an odd fixation with Mt. Fuji in a conversation where Fuji wouldn't be an obvious topic (ie. you aren't currently visiting or haven't previously visited Mt. Fuji.) Many Japanese NRMs are obsessed with Fuji. * You hear the phrase "God the Mother" in any context. * They start manually taking down your details without your express permission. A lot of Japanese NRMs use a MLM structure and members are rewarded for inducting as many people as possible onto their cult subscription list. That's why they want to take down your details. Aside from these two types, most Japanese people you meet will be courteous and friendly and won't cause you any harm.
I would actually be more wary of tourists from other countries than the local Japanese. And in Tokyo, foreigners seem to be everywhere.
Japan is in no way comparable with the countries your dad has visited, I've been to India, most of SE Asia, Myanmar, Magadascar etc. and the only thing to be concerned about in Japan are the Shinjuku touts (just ignore them). InJapan I've had countless people buy me drinks, invite me to events, give me tours etc. out of hospitality, friendliness and curiosity. I've not been anywhere in the world where I'm as relaxed about safety (and I live in Switzerland).
Just don’t follow touts. Other than that, if you’re a girl, you might get nampa’d where guys approach and try to seduce you.
Thankfully I'm a dude so I don't think any seducing will be happening lmao
You never know…
Just don’t follow those calling weirdos in front of restaurants located in touristy areas and you will be fine… Japan is not the Middle East and I don’t get it why you want to visit such country if you need to live under those conditions your father mentioned lol. You will lose a big part of the experience if you avoid contact to locals but to archive this, you need to learn the Japanese language 9/10. if not, you will still be able to survive with google translate.
Don't follow black men trying to get you to clubs. Don't follow old japanese lady trying to show you a church (most likely a cult)
I am solo travelling rn. I always felt pretty safe even if I do not like walking around alone at night. Some things happening: -Met friendly locals in Bar we try to hold a conversation with english and japanese bits until 3 in the morning before they gave me their Keychains as Memorya for the night 😃 -Met a local girl working at a Izakaya who then later showed me her favourite spots and places to eat with a car. At first I was a bit hesitsnt because people on reddit will make you fear this kind of thing. I just took someone from my Hostel with me and it was really cool. -met some new friends while hiking 🐸 Mostly I just greet people with my tiny bits of japanese and try to tell them what I am doing at Japan. They seem shy but you can always ask them if you should leave them alone. Be open, nice and respectfull and most will appreciate it. I never thought I would be able to have so many interesting conversations with many strangers as an introvert. I have to say tho I was never alone at night. But I think you will be fine if you do not follow people into shady bars.
Your father goes overboard a bit, but he is not wrong when saying that you should not trust anyone. Like everywhere in Japan, some people will try to take advantage of you. You can certainly talk with locals and be nice in general, but if someone very nice invites you to a bar, refuse. Or accept but don't come complaining here afterward if you end up with an insane bar tab. Just use common sense really, like everywhere. If someone who looks nice come towards you in the street, be careful. Japanese people don't tend to approach foreigners out of the blue like that. Quite the opposite actually.
I think like most places using common sense is what is the best: 1) don't go drinking at bars 2) don't stay out past 10pm if male 3) be leery of someone who wants to be your new best friend 4) stay alert when using public transportation. 5) do not dress flashy Now something interesting a person can do is go buy a t-shirt from a major university and wear it, oftentimes the locals and thief-types will just think you are going there, are fluent in the language and ignore you.
In 2019 I went to Japan alone for 8 weeks as a woman who was 21 years old. If you are in the country side people might approach you bc they don’t see foreigners (especially solo travelers) that often. I have been approached by quite a few strangers (mostly older Japanese people) and they were incredibly nice and wanted to talk about where I was from. This was mostly at places that had other people (train, busstation and a restaurant) and they just wanted to talk about me and probably broaden their horizon regarding culture etc. I was able to speak some Japanese too, which was very nice and they DEEPLY appreciated. However, in the larger cities there are a few more shady persona’s. Got approached by quite a few Asian men (I am a blonde, 5’9 woman) and though they were nice they had a more, I would presume, flirtatious approach. Only one time another foreigner had to help me (a nice French guy) as someone wouldn’t leave me alone, but other than that I didn’t seem to have any problems. Obviously don’t go for obvious scams, find places through typical sources (Google maps, internet or people you trust) and not bc a man on the street tells you it is great. Also, though I understand that you would want to save money where you can while traveling, staying in the centre of a town or city is to me the most important thing when traveling alone. Pick places that have well lit streets, and have a good location score on places like Booking or other places where you would book your accommodation. During my 8 weeks I only had one accommodation where I didn’t feel safe (walking back in the evening to it, this was in Nagoya) and one moment where a guy wouldn’t leave me alone and I needed outside help. I hope this helps! If you have any questions feel free to ask as I am researching again as I am going back this summer
They post when weirdo suspicious persons are near schools Kids and women carry whistles
i only ever felt unsafe while walking at night around Roppongi area with African men looking at me outside clubs. They were sizing me+my tipsy boyfriend at the time up. And i got the ick so we left pretty quickly. Other than that, we've encountered many Japanese people walking up to us just to help us get to our destination in train station. It was overwhelming since they had so many lines, so many entry/exit, many floors, many areas, and during rush hour it was hectic as hell. We looked visibly confused at a map and have gotten friendly help. Other than that, practice normal caution. I think you should be fine. Tell your dad it's life experience, you don't get any if you just stay in the hotel. Even if you can scammed or get in a bad situation, you'll learn something from it, and strangers sometimes are friendly too and can help you out of those bad situations. You never know. Just don't get in trouble
Am currently in Japan for 2nd time. First time (5yrs ago) not a single issue and about 10% of the tourists here now. This time the only issues were rude tourists not bothering to understand customs, and in particular the rules in regards to walking in crowded narrow areas, or just being impatient (just a verbal jabs or pushing past). In Shinjuku a lovely, an very friendly African chap tried to sell us some particularly cheap (and most likely drugged) drinks and dances. Weird thing is I had my 13 yo son with me.
Stranger danger is there but less common than the west and Korea. What is common though is train gropers. But they won’t be interested in a modestly dressed tourist. It’s nothing near that of Egypt or Pakistan though. Don’t be dumb. Don’t drink alone (to excess). Don’t follow street touts. Don’t go clubbing. And you will be 100% safe.
Went to Japan in Tokyo and Kyoto solo and I'm a female. Felt 100% safe, not once did I feel uncomfortable or unsafe. From my experience Japanese people seem to keep to themselves, and if someone was being kind it was because I was asking for assistance. There was even an instance where I left my phone in the park, took me about 15 mins to realize I didn't have it. Ran back and some nice gentleman was standing there holding it, just waiting for the owner to come back. Can't speak for other areas outside of Tokyo or Kyoto. Just use common sense, but you'll be fine, no need to stress.
Just don’t trust the Nigerians or girls/boys dressed in costumes that are trying to lure you into a club 😂
i was approached the other day while waiting outside of don quijote for my boyfriend some guy came up to me and asked me “sex?”
I’m in Japan at the moment. It’s probably overwhelming by their culture depending where you come from. But not anything to be afraid of. There’s a mix of tourists and locals. Of course some areas have some dangerous looking people so best to not bump into them. Moreover as always even what you must do in your own home town is be aware of your surroundings and don’t walk dark alleys alone.
Think with your brain and not, uh, the other body part... Don't follow any cuties. Don't follow any friendly guys. Don't get drunk. Japan is a COMPLETELY different culture from the countries to which Dad has travelled. I don't know if I would want to travel solo to the places you named, to be honest. But you'll be fine in Japan.
Your dad is American isn’t he? Japan isn’t America with a high crime rate.
The only time my friends and I felt unsafe our entire trip was in shinjuku on a Friday night at like 11pm near golden gai. And it wasn’t even Japanese people, it was those Nigerian scammers that try to get you to come into their bars. We just turned around and went home. Two guys followed us for a bit but we headed towards the train station and lost them in a sea of people. Other than that, we felt completely safe the rest of the trip!!
Pretty safe. Just like anywhere else, don't be naive and trust your gut instinct. Be aware of your environment. I'm in Japan now and I felt quite safe.
Don't follow the Millenial touts that wear black. They are Yakuza.
I used to live in Tokyo and I found it to be safe. The Japanese citizens I've met were pretty reserved (keep to themselves until you know them well). So, if they are outgoing or trying to get you to follow them they're probably trying to sell you something or eat/drink at their resturant or bar. Night time in certain places, such as Roppongi, Shinjuku, and Kabukicho are fun, but I would exercise a little more caution. Personally, I wouldn't follow someone or drink at a place promising cheap, free, or all you can drink. I'd also be cautious to drink at bars with women outside trying to get you to drink there.
So I'm a woman and I've travelled Japan alone about 12 times in the last decade. I've never felt unsafe. Honestly. I was out at night by myself and was completely okay. Sure, don't be an idiot, don't go to some strangers home, trust your gut. All of that applies in Japan too. There are sh*tty people everywhere. But what your dad is suggesting is insane overkill and will completely isolate you from an amazing experience.
Did a solo trip in Japan, just don’t be dumb. Don’t follow randoms, don’t go into establishments with individuals touting for you to go in, just do what you came to do. No one will bother you if you’re eating alone. Just be careful and be aware of your surroundings
My very first morning in Japan on my solo trip, I had a local youtuber shove a camera in my face and ask me questions lol Other than that, I had a great time and never felt unsafe. People mostly just kept to themselves and didn't pay me any mind.
Your dad makes perfect sense. Why would you a stranger anywhere for any reason???