Mie prefectural police have arrested a 23-year-old unemployed man for suspected fraud after he refused to pay for a 15-night stay at a high-end hotel in Shima City, Mie Prefecture.
The unpaid hotel bill, which included accommodation and meals, amounts to around five million yen, Sankei Shimbun reported.
Police said Koki Taketoshi, of unknown address, was arrested on Tuesday and has admitted to staying in the hotel, even though he didn't have enough money to pay for it.
According to police, Taketoshi checked into the hotel on Oct 18 and stayed until Nov 2 without the intent or ability to pay. He also invited some friends to the hotel restaurant.
Hotel staff asked Taketoshi to pay his bill several times during the nearly two-week stay, but he repeatedly failed to comply.
On Nov 2, a hotel employee took Taketoshi to Toba Police Station, where they learned that he only had 140,000 yen in his possession.
© Japan Today
33 Comments
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kolohe
Don't customers usually have to provide a credit card upon check in to prevent just what happened?
GW
.....What the.......thats like Y333,000 per night......I think some of the hotel management needs to be fired for incompetence as well......
i@n
Smart, now he'll get more free accomodations though he has to work for the food i believe
Sven Asai
Yep, straight into the next free hotel.
englisc aspyrgend
Brian, you missed a zero off there, according to the converter I used five million yen comes in around £36,840.00. He could be washing dishes for a very long time!
Agreed, the staff were remiss in not taking a credit card at the outset, but a lot of hotels don’t and I have never been requested to part pay my bill before I left the hotel.
Johnny Park
I honestly want to know which hotel this was that charges that much for a 2-week stay.
James
Perfect plan take a luxury holiday before slumming it at the cells.
shogun36
So he didn't provide a credit card, they didn't take a deposit and he has no known residency?
Well, arrest him, and too bad for the hotel. Everyone loses here.
He should've never even gotten room keys without the credit card down. It's no one's fault but the hotel.
Do the hustle
he only had 140,000 yen in his possession.
Not anymore and won’t have that much money in his possession again for quite a long time.
i@n
Maybe the hotel does not customarily demand a credit card at check-in as a nod to its clientele.
Plus a few well placed handsome tips could make staff really cautious about offending the generous new customer
yakyak
A couple of days I understand, but after that the hotel staff should be fired. They are just as guilty as the guest.
Mickelicious
Misinterpreting government Go To Travel largesse?
(Hint: it's for that ad agency and the big travel agents, not you, Koki).
Kutan
As the hotel is apparently located in Hamajimacho, I am pretty sure it is Amanemu. The other hotel in that area capable of such a bill is slightly outside of Hamajimacho.
Pukey2
The hotel owners should have done what they usually do when faced with a foreigner. Ask for payment up-front before giving the key. They only have themselves to blame.
Manybells
James - I’m a really cute one and speak decent Japanese and I get asked every time. When my native partner checked in once, we paid at the end.
TrevorPeace
I've stayed in dozens of hotels in my frequent tours of Japan. Half required payment up-front, and the other half said pay at the end of my stay. Interestingly enough, the ones that required payment up-front did not have the same requirement when I booked a second stay. I appreciate being treated as an honest human being, even as a gaijin.
And it's rather funny, in a nice way, that I regularly get emails from several hotels and hotel chains that ask when I'm coming back to visit. Must be the Canadian in me. LOL
Brian Wheway
I am surprised that the hotel boss did call the police quicker, I think in the future this might happen, as for not paying the bill, what will happen? if he has no money how can they recoup the money? it works out to be around £3400 thats a lot of plate washing! and making beds!
WilliB
If this was his a plan to get more free accomodation, it seems not the worst one.
serendipitous1
Brian
You are missing a zero methinks.
Sal Affist
5 million yen in fraud will get him an 18-month unsuspended sentence manufacturing soap, business cards or license plates.
Mocheake
"Oh, and I may pay you sometime later if I feel like it." "Certainly, sir. " Not having to show a form of payment upon checking in? That could happen for a native but not for the rest of us.
Brian Wheway
Oooops, sorry I must have missed the extra zero! 34k jeees, thats some cash!
Mocheake
"And some of my cronies are gonna come and sample a bit of the fine cuisine you offer. Don't disturb us. Gratis and gracias!" In the end, they both got what they deserved. Him-arrested for fraud. Them - defrauded due to sheer stupidity.
James
@Pukey2
I have never had this happen to me, you must be a dodgy looking foreigner.
DOEL HARRY
After the first time the hotel asked for payment and he did not comply the hotel manager should have called the police or locked him out of the room. Why wait until the hotel bill is so expensive ? The guy is to blame but the hotel should take some of the blame for this incident.
sir_bentley28
He could've done a long stay at an AirBnB with that money!
mmwkdw
I feel sorry for the chap - however, if he refuses to pay, he will get paid for lodgings I guess, and potentially should the Government see pity upon him, a Career changing education.... but I doubt the latter. The Hotel would get more public Kudos for actually giving this chap a Job, training him in Security and looking for potential cases of exactly what he did.
Toasted Heretic
Sure a high-end hotel can afford it.
If he'd fleeced a small, family run business I'd be more annoyed.