Kabukicho for foreign visitors: touts, prices and staying safe

How risky it is

Kabukicho sits just north-east of Shinjuku Station. Violent crime is a small share of incidents there; most reported crime is theft or fraud, so the realistic risk is losing money. Shinjuku Police received 91 reports from January to June 2026 from people overcharged after following suspected touts, with losses of about ¥99 million. Many were overseas visitors.

Do not follow touts

Approaching specific people to pull them into a venue, called kyaku-hiki, is illegal under Tokyo's anti-nuisance ordinance, and arrests are made in the district. Keep walking and do not stop to negotiate. If someone keeps following you, go to a police officer or a police box.

So-called free information centers are not neutral either: they earn kickbacks from the venues they send you to.

Overcharging and spiked drinks

Overcharging, known as bottakuri, usually starts with a low advertised price, then adds charges for staff drinks and extras until the bill reaches hundreds or thousands of dollars. Choose a venue yourself and confirm the full price before you sit down.

Some scams begin with a date arranged on a dating app, who leads you to a front bar. Do not accept drinks from strangers, and do not go anywhere you could be pressured to pay in cash.

If something goes wrong

Call 110 for the police, and ask for English, Chinese or Korean support if you need it. The main police box is near Kabukicho Tower at 2-44-2 Kabukicho. The Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, runs 24 hours a day in English, Chinese and Korean.