How to Report a Kabukicho Bar Scam

If you have just been overcharged, charged without permission, threatened or prevented from leaving a Kabukicho bar, get to a safe public place and call 110. If the immediate danger has passed, preserve every record, contact your card issuer, and speak to the police or a consumer adviser. Do not wait for the venue to erase messages, lose your receipt or forget the details.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department specifically warns that street touts may lead foreign visitors to partner bars, where excessive fees can be charged or a card can be used without the visitor's knowledge. Its rule is unambiguous: do not follow street touts. See the police's current safety advice for visitors to Tokyo.

The short version: who to contact

| Situation | Contact | What it is for | | --- | --- | --- | | A crime may be happening now, you have just been victimized, you are threatened, or you cannot leave | 110 | Emergency police response. Shinjuku Police says English is available. | | You cannot make a call but can safely leave | Nearest koban (police box) | Ask for police help in person. | | The incident is no longer urgent and you need police advice in Tokyo | #9110 or 03-3501-0110 | Tokyo Metropolitan Police General Advisory Center. | | You are an overseas visitor with a bar billing or service dispute | 03-5449-0906 | Consumer Hotline for Tourists. Weekdays, 10:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00; standard call charges apply. | | You are seriously ill or injured | 119 | Ambulance and fire emergency number. | | You need 24-hour visitor assistance for illness, accident or another emergency | 050-3816-2787 | Japan Visitor Hotline in English, Chinese and Korean. It is not a bar-dispute or police-reporting service. |

The official Shinjuku Police safe-drinking notice also lists Shinjuku Police Station: 03-3346-0110 and says to go to a nearby police box if you cannot call.

If you are still inside the bar

Your first job is to avoid making the situation more dangerous.

1. Do not start a physical confrontation. Do not threaten staff, grab property or try to force your way through a person.
2. Call 110 if you believe a crime is happening or you are not free to leave. Say that you are in Kabukicho, give the building name and floor if you know them, and describe the immediate problem.
3. Move to a public, visible place if you can do so safely. A convenience store, hotel lobby, main street or police box is easier to identify than an upstairs venue.
4. Do not hand over your phone or passport as security. Keep your passport with you; Tokyo police also remind foreign visitors that they must carry it.
5. If you feel suddenly unwell, confused, unusually drowsy or injured, treat that as a medical issue. Call 119 for an ambulance. The official JNTO emergency guide lists 119 for serious illness or injury and 110 for police emergencies.

You do not need to decide whether the conduct meets a particular Japanese criminal offense before asking police for help. Describe what happened in plain facts: what price was offered, what you ordered, what appeared on the bill, whether your card was taken out of sight, what threats were made, and whether anyone blocked you from leaving.

What to say when calling 110

Start with location and safety, not the whole backstory.

You can say:

English: I am in a bar in Kabukicho. I was charged without my permission and I feel unsafe. I am at [building], [floor].

Japanese: Kabukicho no baa ni imasu. Shōdaku shite inai ryōkin o seikyū sarete, kiken o kanjite imasu. Basho wa [building], [floor] desu.

Useful short phrases:

• Keisatsu o onegai shimasu. — Police, please.
• Kaesanai to iwaremashita. — They said they would not let me leave.
• Kono seikyū ni dōi shite imasen. — I did not agree to this charge.
• Kādo o katte ni tsukawaremashita. — My card was used without my permission.
• Eigo o hanaseru kata wa imasu ka? — Is there someone who speaks English?

Only say what is true. If you willingly paid but later concluded that the price was misleading, say that. If your card was used without authorization, say that instead. Those are different facts, and an accurate account is more useful than calling every bad bill “fraud.”

Preserve evidence before it disappears

Save the original material and make a simple timeline while the details are fresh:

• Receipt, itemized bill and card terminal slip
• Card-app alerts and the exact merchant descriptor on the transaction
• Venue name, sign, building, floor and map pin
• Photos of the menu, posted prices and entrance, taken from a safe and lawful position
• Messages, booking confirmations and social-media conversations
• The tout's description and the exact offer made on the street
• Names or descriptions of staff and any witnesses
• The time you entered, ordered, received the bill, paid, left and contacted help
• What you believed you agreed to and which charges you dispute

Keep screenshots, but also retain the original messages, photos and receipts. Do not edit images or discard an item because it seems unimportant. If a friend was with you, ask them to write their own account separately rather than copying yours.

Contact your card issuer promptly

Use the number printed on the card or the issuer's official app. Tell the issuer whether the card is missing, was taken out of sight, was used without permission, or was used for an amount you dispute. Ask what it recommends for securing the card and opening a transaction dispute.

Give the issuer facts and supporting records. Ask what deadline applies, what documents it needs and whether it wants any police reference or report documentation. A dispute, provisional credit or refund is not guaranteed; the issuer and card network assess the transaction under their own rules. A police report and a card dispute are separate steps, so do not assume that doing one automatically starts the other.

Do not call a phone number supplied by the bar. Use the number on your card, statement or issuer's official website.

Police contact after the immediate danger has passed

Tokyo police say that a person who has just been victimized should call 110. For a matter that is no longer an emergency, call the Tokyo Metropolitan Police General Advisory Center at #9110 from within Tokyo or 03-3501-0110. The center lists service in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean and can direct callers to the relevant section. Check the official Tokyo police hotline page before calling in case details change.

If you report in person, bring your passport and evidence. Ask the officer what documentation or reference, if any, can be provided for your report, and write down the station or police-box name and when you attended. Do not promise your card issuer a specific Japanese document until the police tell you what is available in your case.

Consumer help for overseas visitors

For a non-emergency billing or service dispute, the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan runs the Consumer Hotline for Tourists:

• Phone: 03-5449-0906
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00–12:00 and 13:00–16:00
• Closed: Weekends, national holidays and December 29–January 3
• Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, French and Japanese
• Cost: Standard call rates apply

The service explicitly covers consumer issues involving bars. It gives telephone advice intended to help visitors negotiate with businesses themselves. It does not have legal enforcement or supervisory power, and it does not handle emergencies, lost property, accidents, illness or injury.

Japan's general Consumer Hotline 188 connects callers to a nearby local consumer-affairs office. The Consumer Affairs Agency says consultation is free, although call charges apply once connected. The published English consumer material says 188 is available in Japanese only, so the tourist hotline above is usually the clearer first choice for a visitor who needs another language. See the Consumer Affairs Agency's official 188 information.

If you have already left Japan

Contact your card issuer immediately and preserve the same evidence. Explain that the merchant was in Japan, give the exact transaction date and merchant descriptor, and ask how to submit records from abroad. If another person who was present remains in Tokyo, they can preserve their own account and ask police how they should provide it; they should not impersonate you or sign a statement in your name.

Do not assume a social-media post counts as a police report or transaction dispute. It may help warn others, but it does not replace contacting the police, consumer service or card issuer. Avoid publishing passport details, full card numbers, staff home information or claims you cannot support.

What not to expect

No responsible guide can promise that money will be recovered. The outcome depends on what occurred, the available evidence, police assessment, consumer-law options and the payment provider's rules. The useful move is to create a clean record quickly and contact each organization for the job it actually does:

• Police: immediate safety and suspected crime
• Card issuer: card security and transaction dispute
• Consumer adviser: practical advice for a bar or service dispute
• Medical services: illness or injury

FAQ

What should I do if I am still inside the bar?

Do not fight or threaten staff. Call 110 if you believe a crime is occurring, you are being prevented from leaving or you feel unsafe. If you cannot call, go to a nearby police box as soon as you can safely leave.

Can I call the police in English in Kabukicho?

Yes. Shinjuku Police says 110 is available in English. For a non-emergency police consultation in Tokyo, #9110 and 03-3501-0110 connect to the General Advisory Center, which lists Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean support.

Who helps with an overcharging dispute that is not an emergency?

Overseas visitors can call the Consumer Hotline for Tourists at 03-5449-0906 during its published weekday hours. It supports consumer problems involving bars in seven listed languages.

Will the police or consumer hotline refund me?

Do not assume so. Police assess safety and possible crimes. The tourist consumer hotline offers advice but states that it has no enforcement or supervisory power. Contact your card issuer separately about a card charge.

What evidence should I save?

Keep the receipt, card slip and alert, merchant descriptor, venue name and location, menu or price photos, messages, booking details and a written timeline. Keep original files as well as screenshots.

Related guides

• How to recognize Kabukicho tout and overcharging scams before entering a bar
• Is Kabukicho safe at night? The risks tourists should plan for
• Host clubs, hostess bars and other Kabukicho venue types explained
• How to get around Kabukicho at night and find your way back to Shinjuku Station

Last reviewed: August 9, 2026. Emergency contacts and opening hours can change; confirm them on the linked official pages.