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There’s the Rugby World Cup, Halloween, the fall sumo tournament season—plenty of great reasons to go out and have an awesome night in Tokyo. But whether it’s your first time in the city or your fiftieth, there are some clear rules of etiquette that you should keep in mind if you want your night to go smoothly.
1. Tokyo is safe… but things still happen
Tokyo is ranked 13th on the world’s safest cities list for 2019 according to CEOWorld Magazine, but that doesn’t mean that crime doesn’t happen here. Popular entertainment areas like Shinjuku (especially Kabukicho), Shibuya, and Roppongi have relatively higher crime rates than other areas of the city. When visiting these spots, keep your wits about you as you would in any other major city in the world. Avoid walking alone at night, stay out of unlit or oddly empty streets, and don’t take back alley shortcuts.
2. Don’t be afraid to expose a chikan-perpetrator
On public transportation, most groping and pickpocketing incidents take place near the doors, so try to avoid those areas if you can. If you can’t and someone tries something with you, don’t be afraid to grab their arm and shout “chikan!” (チカン, groper) as loudly as you can, and get the train or station staff involved. A special openhand-shaped stamp that glows under UV light has recently been released, which could help to deter the problem by exposing culprits via a “mark of shame”.
3. Be careful what (and who) you’re taking pics of
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© Savvy Tokyo
9 Comments
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commanteer
Reckless, after that post you'll have to change your nickname. You sound just the opposite of reckless to me.
Kaerimashita
Silly article. Much of the advice is either wrong or so overly conservative/nervous as to be ridiculous. Who takes their insurance card and medications out with them? And even in the party districts of Tokyo walking around by yourself is dangerous?
Reese
That's just great. As a first timer I picked coming to Tokyo during Rugby (/s). I wanted to experience Halloween. Guess the only saving grace is most of my time there will be after Rugby is over.
Dwindling Gravitas
@Reese: Don't get so down, mate.
I have no idea "where" you're staying, but I'm sure there are some Japanese pubs (Izakaya) nearby. I'd seriously recommend you stick your nose into one or two of those. Even if they look like seafood restaurants!
Maybe when you stick your head through the entrance curtain (if they have one), a quick and dirty "Daijobu desu ka?"(or just Daijobu?) and you should be fine.
I'd recommend you stay away from the foreign bars. You'll be in Japan FFS ... go Japanese!
kohakuebisu
If this is supposed to be for the Rugby World Cup, my advice would be do not go into any bar with touts. To be honest, I wouldn't go to Roppongi at all, but if there do not go in a bar with touts, especially not on your own. The embassies give the same advice. There have been many incidences of people being drugged and led to cashpoints.
Strangerland
I give people a hard time about making unqualified comments on how dangerous Japan is and blah blah blah, but the above advice is spot on. It is one spot where Japan absolutely is dangerous, and it happens a lot (though to be fair, I haven't heard of it happening to anyone I know in a couple of years). Do NOT go with touts in Roppongi. If you do go there, stay in the larger establishments that are out front and more public. And to be clear, I've known guys who have been in Japan for 5+ years, and speak Japanese to some degree, who have ended up drugged in Roppongi.
The good thing is that Tokyo is a huge city. There are plenty of other areas to go, and they don't have touts, nor are you going to get drugged even in some back alley deep dark pub. Or if you want to speak English, there are foreign bars all over the city. There is no need to go to Roppongi at all.
commanteer
Japan is extremely safe for guys, even drunks, as long as they have some basic common sense.
Not following touts into bars into common sense wherever one goes in the world. Those scams are pretty much worldwide.
I had some absolutely wonderful times wandering into bars alone in Japan. Japan is the best place in the world for that, I think. But common sense must be used. Ignore all touts, peak inside the bar and get a look at it. If they look at you like you washed in with the tide, just leave. If they are guys or obvious hostesses and look too friendly, just leave. Are you the only customer (aside from a possible shill customer who may also work for the bar)? Then leave. Get a clear idea of the prices before ordering anything.
Bars designed to shake people down are not that hard to identify. Are there lots of other customers? You are probably fine.
Japan is an extraordinarily safe place to drink. Even Roppongi. Stick to bars with plenty of customers, don't engage with touts.... you'll be fine.