Job Discussion Forums

[lhipsher]

I am a new arrival in Hiroshima prefecture. I went out to the bars alone the other night. I had a great time, met some people, took pictures, etc. I thought everything was cool until I tried to leave and one of the bartenders told me owed �30,000. I only had a few drinks if that and didn't have close to that much money.
At that point, he violently took me to an ATM close by and then roughed me up in the alley. Eventually a friend of his rode by and took him back to the bar. This is my question, what do I do now?? This bar is only a few blocks away from my apt. Also, he got my business card earlier in the night, when we were cool... He kept pulling out my card and yelling. I think he intends to call my company...
what should I do now?? I don't have any signs that I was assaulted so I don't think I should go to the police. Still, I don't know what this guy is capable of. HELP
anybody else in Hiroshima prefecture?

[Grasshopper]

I would definitely talk to someone at your company about it. See what your options are.

Also, if you do owe the bar money, that would be good to find out too. Any number of things can happen when you go out in Japan, including getting stuck with a bar bill...that may not even have been yours, if you were with other people, or perhaps if other people said they were with you, etc. Definitely not saying you`re at fault...just saying, try to find out the facts, even if it means having someone from you company call the bar to try to straighten things out.

If you are not comfortable talking with you company, then a good Japanese friend who can help you communicate, and perhaps find out what is going on.

Also, I don`t see any harm in reporting the incident to the police. Just be aware, the if you do owe 30000, then the police will likely enforce that too.

Good Luck.

G.

[David W]

This is a well known scam in Japan. Go to the police, take a Japanese person with you. Tell the truth, don't embellish.

[gaijinalways]

I'm of two minds here. Unfortunately in Japan, going to the police afterwards might not always be your best bet, especially if you're a foreigner. By the way, was this a hostess bar (with paid women accompanying you inside the place)? If it wasn't, yes, that is a common scam in some Yakuza controlled areas in different cities, but they generally don't target foreigners, so that in itself seems unusual.

As to when he 'forced' you to go to the ATM, I would have been yelling a bloody riot in any language (and probably would have forced the guy to give me his money from the ATM ), and you most likely would have attracted the police at that time and had been able to straighten this out then.

As to having someone from the company call the bar, I wouldn't bother. If they are going to bother your workplace, IMO then you get the police involved and tell the company and the police you're being harassed.

[dove]

I'm not sure if I would go to the police with or without a Japanese acquaintance. They will probably say you owe the money and disregard the roughing-up part. It could open up a whole new can of worms in terms of you being investigated, etc. I would tell my Japanese co-workers about the incident, however. If they INSIST you go to the police, then go--they would back you up. I would also avoid the area as much as possible late at night, always carry a cell phone and pretend I were talking into it when in the vicinity of the bar. Also, I wouldn't go out drinking unless it were in izakayas or bars that are known to be "foreigner-friendly". Lay low for a while.

[AndyH]

x2 what Dove wrote.
Good luck!

[gaijinalways]

Definately avoiding the bar in question would be suitable advice, unless you're bringing a wrecking crew down there (I personally wouldn't advise it).

Again, IMO I wouldn�t bring it up　wiｔｈ your coworkers until it is raised first (ala phone calls from the said bar).

[Vince]

Did you do anything that might have instigated his reaction? I don't assume you did, but I've heard too many complaints from guys who got stomped in bars only to hear later in the story something like, "yeah, well I did spit in his girl's face." I just want to cover that base before giving advice.

[Zzonkmiles]

This is another example of why it's so important to learn Japanese. Knowing Japanese gives you a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. In your case, you could have directly asked the bartender why you owed so much money and you wouldn't be dependent on a Japanese acquaintance to help you talk with the police. It's not so rare for locals to take advantage of foreigners who they know can't speak the local language. That happens in foreign countries everywhere.

If you're a new arrival, obviously this is impossible. But I do hope that you engage in serious study so that your quality of life will go up exponentially. Anyway, ask your coworkers if they've had similar experiences at that bar. And stay away from it! If you know the bartender's name, be sure to report that too.

And don't let this scumbag turn you off from Japan! It's a great country with great people, if you know where to look. Good luck!

[lhipsher]

I want to thank you all for your advice... i got two phone calls the next day from someone apparently asking for money. I talked to a friend of mine high up in the company that speaks japanese. he called the number back and they insisted on getting his name and number. he told them no, hung up, and they proceeded to call him 10x. after that and for the last 4 days, nothing.

he asked around about it and said that this is apparently a scam at some late night bars. they inflate the tab astronomically, then rough you up if you won't pay. i was screaming bloody murder in english but was entirely confused at the time, not to mention quite intoxicated. i just paid and got the heck outta dodge. now im laying low at not following up on anything...
i feel like this was my stupid mistake so i gotta pay for it and learn my lesson.

[southofreality]

This actually happens to young Japanese people quite often. I saw a program on TV here a couple of years ago about an area of Tokyo full of snack pubs that were well-known for pulling such scams on their customers.

[poohbear]

was this a hostess bar? i can't ever imagine dropping that much "for a few drinks" even in roppongi hills, tokyo which was the most expensive spot.

[gaijinalways]

SR, I think this was already said, though I note you added young. It also happens to some older Japanese in Kabukicho who have been beaten up pretty bad at times over inflated hostess bar bills.

[David W]

[Canuck2112]

To the OP, what happened to you was a case of extraordinary bad luck. I've never heard of a foreigner being ripped off like that. I hope it doesn't influence your impression of this country.

Anyway, you have to be careful drinking in this country. Not so much in terms of personal safety but in terms of money. Its not like "back home" where you can just walk into a bar, grab a beer and leave 5 bucks on the table.

Basically, if the bar has girls in it, you'll be paying through the roof. They sit there and pour your drink, make small talk, etc. I've been to a lot of these places as guests of the Japanese and they aren't worth it. Typically slags in prom dresses wearing caked-on makeup and reeking of cigarettes. Why pay for that when you can get something much better for free?

Even if someone brings a plate of half-digested seaweed to your table before you order, thats going to cost you anywhere from 500� onwards...

Find a Japanese mate and have him show you around. Japanese are usually quite savvy at "sniffing out" a place just by looking at the sign/location/etc