What are some travel scams that you have heard of, either in Japan or abroad, that travelers should always be on the lookout for?

Being led by a tout to bar in a place like Kabukicho and then being presented with a massive bill for just a few drinks while the entrance is blocked by burley and angry doormen.

A few people on Reddit say they've been drugged in bars, again usually Shinjuku, and frog-marched to their ATMs while in a semi-conscious state.

Being led by a tout to bar in a place like Kabukicho and then being presented with a massive bill for just a few drinks while the entrance is blocked by burley and angry doormen.

A few people on Reddit say they've been drugged in bars, again usually Shinjuku, and frog-marched to their ATMs while in a semi-conscious state.

It used to be a fairly major problem (by Japan standards) in the mid-2000s. I haven't heard of it happening as much these days. I wonder if the police cracked down on it.

A few people on Reddit say they've been drugged in bars, again usually Shinjuku, and frog-marched to their ATMs while in a semi-conscious state.

Those kind of bar usually targeting people who already drink somewhere and even done their nomikai. So by the time they try to get into station, they are really drunk and easy being manipulated.

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/tokyo-police-beef-up-warnings-about-rip-off-bar-scams-targeting-foreigners-as-tourist-numbers-surge-1.607680

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14493621

Roppongi used to be (or maybe it still is?) infamous for this kind of places. The US embassy used to warn people about it a few years ago, and I hven't heard about it recently so I am guessing that the local government tried to clean things up.

Being led by a NIGERIAN tout to bar in a place like Kabukicho and then being presented with a massive bill for just a few drinks while the entrance is blocked by burley and angry doormen.

Fixed it.

During the cherry-blossom season, they had some stalls that are not usually there in the entranceway to a large and well-known temple that gets increased footfall when the blossoms are out. One of the stalls was a man selling all sorts of dried fruit. He appeared very friendly, but he was caught exploiting foreign travelers who were unsure about the currency. For a modest bag of dried fruit, he attempted to charge my mother 40,000yen. My mother, visiting me, was fresh of the plane at the time and was counting out the notes to give him, when I stopped her, and we walked away. The man shouted out at me in frustration of being caught, but I made a point of telling people nearby, which included the people in regular shops and the usual carpark attendants etc. We went straight to the koban, who told me there was nothing really they could do. I asked whether they could keep an eye out, and they said a crime had not technically been committed. A first impression of Japan for my parents!

Reserving flights, hotels or cars through low priced intermediaries. Every single time I travel I end up seeing someone denied a car or a hotel room because they though travelfantasywizard or some other company gave them a super deal. Not getting into a rental at 1 am after a 13 hour flight does not appeal to me.

HIS charging more to a foreigner than a Japanese for the exact same international flight ticket. Scandal broke out in 2004 if anyone remembers. Still don't trust them.

Reserving flights, hotels or cars through low priced intermediaries

I feel victim to this once. I searched for a flight through Kayak.com, which gives results across a wide variety of other sites, most legit and (apparently) some less so. I booked my flight through one of the low-priced intermediaries, and then paid an extra fee for the ability to change my booking dates later. When my schedule changed and I needed to change my booking, it said the only way to do so was via phone call to their office located in Florida, USA. A friend in the States called for me, but the line was busy. He called over 200 times over the next 2 days, and the line was busy every time. Never spoke to a person. I sent emails, and none were ever replied to.

I contacted my credit card and reported it, and luckily they cancelled the payment (although the sketchy company did try to dispute it).

The flight bookings themselves were valid, but the rest was pretty messy.

Some restaurants in Shinjuku have English menu with higher prices than the Japanese one.