Be Aware Of Liars And Yakudza In Shinjuku (kabukicho)!

[RandomTokyoGuy]

My strategy for kabukicho is either visible headphones or a girl at my side, if possible holding my hand. Usually saves me the trouble of their attention.
If I get approached to the degree I can't ignore, I keep my replies to no, no thanks etc. If you react to their approach you only give them an angle.
Oh and I do the arm crossing which @TokyoJoeblow loves so much to combine acoustic signals with visual ones. I never had to further escalate and approach one of the policemen.

 

[Whoissalmon]

When I last visited Kabukicho there were almost no Nigerians in sight. Maybe the news about police making a stand have scared them off for a while? It was really a new sort of experience to be able to walk around without getting hustled.

On the other hand I was approached by some Asian tout speaking English – maybe he was Chinese or something. He was wearing a long winter jacket with a shop logo on it, so he seemed somewhat legitimate. He also had fliers with the name of the shop; it was a parody of the Love Plus game series or something. But since he was standing in the middle of a crossing and was clearly there to funnel tourists towards his Japanese boss nearby, I got a suspicious vibe.

Earlier last year I was actually approached by a white American guy doing the Nigerian touting and wanting me to check out his bar. I wonder if it would be easy to get a sketchy job like that?

 

[Solong]

Are you kidding me! Especially in Roppongi, I tell them to fuck off and I ain't afraid of going to the penitentiary again or dying on on the street(1 kidney). And I'm not even a big guy. Even that doesn't always make them leave, but most back off a further distance. They won't assault you. I would feel more physically threatened walking the ghetto in my country during lunchtime.

Interestingly, I have never seen any of the Africans get into fights with people on the street (not arguments, but real all out fist fights). They tend to be pushy, but within limits. And they seem to know exactly where that line is in Japan, especially openly and on the street.

When it comes to being pushy, the Chinese street girls and various Asians guys (any mix of Japanese, Korean, or Chinese on the street) can be just as annoying. It's just that multilingual Africans will talk to a wider range of people and can speak English.

I strongly believe the issue with the Africans for various people, are they're more physically scared or intimidated by them. The difference between a short or skinny Asian guy or Chinese woman, versus an obviously muscular or bigger African guy.

And yeah, I would say various locations and neighborhoods in gun crazy America or parts of Europe would be vastly more dangerous than Shinjuku or Roppongi. I mean like 10X or more levels. To include not having to worry about random crazies shooting up the club you are in or even getting shot by unprofessional nutty cops.

 

[RandomTokyoGuy]

@Solong
I may not have met the girls and guys you did, but in my experience Asian touts no matter what gender or nationality take a no as a no, at least the second time. The Nigerians follow you through all of kabukicho.

 

[Sudsy]

The Nigerians follow you through all of kabukicho.

Hell, I've had one of those cockroaches actually follow me into a bar and try to sit down at a table with me to keep making his pitch.

 

[calippo]

I strongly believe the issue with the Africans for various people, are they're more physically scared or intimidated by them. The difference between a short or skinny Asian guy or Chinese woman, versus an obviously muscular or bigger African guy.

But of course it is. And, talking about myself in reply to Split, no, I don't want to set a first and I have a pretty strong self-preservation instinct.

 

[User#8628]

But of course it is. And, talking about myself in reply to Split, no, I don't want to set a first and I have a pretty strong self-preservation instinct.

Same. They might KNOW how far they can go before getting in trouble with the police or some rival scum but i'm not gonna try their ANGER MANAGEMENT skills.

 

[Quietlife]

A few years ago I was walking back through Kabukicho with a male Japanese friend after playing snooker (yes, I am a Brit). We were interrupted by a tout, offering us a tittie show. I very politely declined and continued my conversation with my mate. The tout, however, decided to continue interrupting us. So, I asked him "Is your sister there? Can I see her tits?" His face was a picture! It was so funny. He started babbling about how dare I accuse his sister of such a thing. I said 'It's someone's sister, I thought it might be yours!'

He got a little uppity, and my friend was everything was going to kick off, but of course not. The tout had no answer. I told him to p*ss off (I am a Brit), and we continued merrily on our way.

I can't abide rude behaviour.

 

[User#8628]

So, I asked him "Is your sister there? Can I see her tits?" His face was a picture! It was so funny. He started babbling about how dare I accuse his sister of such a thing. I said 'It's someone's sister, I thought it might be yours!'
.

It's not always someone's sister, some people don't have siblings, lol.
On a more serious note, it's surprising and disgusting how many touts look down on sex workers.
Like excuse me, you are doing the extremely unasked for, annoying job of bothering people who are just walking past you and you have the nerve to push adult entertainment upon them even if they might not be looking for that at all, and we girls are actually serving a high demand and have many grateful customers.

 

[Quietlife]

On a more serious note, it's surprising and disgusting how many touts look down on sex workers.

I imagine this could be true, although I have no experience. But interestingly, I would have absolutely no problem with my close friend, sister or daughter working in the adult entertainment industry. I could never be a hypocrite and say don't do it, and then go off and get a bj from someone else's sister or daughter.

Women deserve respect for whatever work they decide to do, in my view. (others may disagree)

I don't really have any problem accepting that touts are just doing a job, too. My only bad feeling is when they don't accept a polite 'No, Thank you'. It seems they are just trying to bully people, in that case. And I really don't like bullies.

 

[User#8628]

I imagine this could be true, although I have no experience. But interestingly, I would have absolutely no problem with my close friend, sister or daughter working in the adult entertainment industry. I could never be a hypocrite and say don't do it, and then go off and get a bj from someone else's sister or daughter.

Women deserve respect for whatever work they decide to do, in my view. (others may disagree)

I don't really have any problem accepting that touts are just doing a job, too. My only bad feeling is when they don't accept a polite 'No, Thank you'. It seems they are just trying to bully people, in that case. And I really don't like bullies.

I totally agree with you.
On the family part: of course people are protective about their family so i understand they would be concerned about such a job. But to morally judge it is not nice.

On the touts part: same, i totally understand they just wanna make money. But way too many of them are bullies. The Nigerians would shout "ikura?" to me on some occasions. Like, you are working. Its unprofessional and you they have a bad reputation in general so stop that. And following people around or touching them is also not ok.

 

[Quietlife]

. Its unprofessional and you they have a bad reputation in general so stop that.

Yes. In the case of the gentleman I had a disagreement with, I told him that as foreigners, we represent our country or even race, so we should do our best to project a positive image. I told him he was contributing to feelings of prejudice by acting badly in public. It was funny because he wasn't expecting me to lecture him! He was much bigger than me and expected me to be a victim. No chance

 

[Jaaz]

On the other hand I was approached by some Asian tout speaking English – maybe he was Chinese or something. He was wearing a long winter jacket with a shop logo on it, so he seemed somewhat legitimate. He also had fliers with the name of the shop; it was a parody of the Love Plus game series or something. But since he was standing in the middle of a crossing and was clearly there to funnel tourists towards his Japanese boss nearby, I got a suspicious vibe.

I've seen these in all the major areas. It's an Esute. Here's the Shinjuku one.

http://loveplus-esthe.com/home/shinjuku/

 

[RandomTokyoGuy]

I totally agree with you.
On the family part: of course people are protective about their family so i understand they would be concerned about such a job. But to morally judge it is not nice.

My advice to really strongly consider this decision would not be based on moral judgement, but the fact that you very early take a mostly irrevocable career decision which cuts of a wide range of options later on.
If you do it conscious, you may still regret it later on, but that is a risk you consciously take.
It's in some ways comparable to a sports career, but unlike in sports it's much harder to add to your resume.

 

[Wwanderer]

I would say various locations and neighborhoods in gun crazy America or parts of Europe would be vastly more dangerous than Shinjuku or Roppongi. I mean like 10X or more levels.

Very definitely so. The meanest streets in Japan are like children's playgrounds compared to bad neighborhoods in the US and many other Western countries. I think Westerners who spend a lot of time in Japan, to say nothing of native Japanese for whom it is much more extreme, can develop faulty "street smarts", i.e., an overly strong feeling of safety and security and of what you can get away with in public places, which can be quite dangerous when they visit major cities in the US and Europe. I know I've gotten away with things on the street (and in back alleys) in Tokyo that would have been virtually suicidal in NYC, LA etc.

-Ww

 

[Sudsy]

I think Westerners who spend a lot of time in Japan, to say nothing of native Japanese for whom it is much more extreme, can develop faulty "street smarts", i.e., an overly strong feeling of safety and security and of what you can get away with in public places, which can be quite dangerous when they visit major cities in the US and Europe.

This is very true - the founder of Global Online, which at the time was the first ISP to cater to English speakers, was shot and killed in Los Angeles when he misread the safety of the area he was in.

 

[Wwanderer]

I can't help worrying about @User#16452 in LA in this regard.

-Ww

 

[Solong]

I totally agree with you.
On the family part: of course people are protective about their family so i understand they would be concerned about such a job. But to morally judge it is not nice.

On the touts part: same, i totally understand they just wanna make money. But way too many of them are bullies. The Nigerians would shout "ikura?" to me on some occasions. Like, you are working. Its unprofessional and you they have a bad reputation in general so stop that. And following people around or touching them is also not ok.

One thing about many of the African guys on the streets of Tokyo, is they watch people in detail and remember. They eerily and disturbingly keep track of people.

I had an African guy come up to me, trying to get me into one of his clubs and who I had never met before, start talking about where the woman I was with earlier in the day had gone. Then talk about admiring my taste in women, and a previous woman I had went out with weeks ago. Stating he had women of my type in his club. I was like WTF?!?! "Hey, I don't know you and this fucking spy report doesn't make me like you or ever want to come to your club." His sales pitch angle, however, was quite interesting.

In fact, it's said that one of the reasons that the Japanese police have a hard time busting them, is many Africans working in those areas, have very keen eyesight and remember all the undercover people. Being able to spot them from far away, and throughly knowing the area and people.

 

[calippo]

Hey Solong, did you check if they attached a Cookie on yoir back? We have a privacy law in Europe to avoid this now.

 

[BladeRunner]

The Nigerian fellas tend to be fine if you're friendly, like laugh and say "No man! I don't need to pay for it I've got everything I need at home - she's smoking!"

Sometimes I mess with them and say "I've got an investment opportunity for you - you'll be rich with this opportunity, I need ¥20,000 now - lets do this."
The thought of themselves getting scammed messes with their head and they generally run off.

 

[User#8628]

I really wish they would leave the foreign girls alone that easy.
But then again we don't get bothered by Asian touts so maybe that makes even.

 

[just4fun]

Earlier last year I was actually approached by a white American guy doing the Nigerian touting and wanting me to check out his bar. I wonder if it would be easy to get a sketchy job like that?

If he's an older guy avoid him like the plague......

 

[Whoissalmon]

If he's an older guy avoid him like the plague......

Nope, I'd say not necessary even in his forties.

 

[HS413]

The Nigerians and other touts are really devastating the tourist business in Kabukicho. There are good legit business' in Kabukicho. Lots of great restaurants plus the famous Robot Cafe. But they make it impossible to just stroll around and enjoy yourself. If you ignore them, they physically touch your arm or step infront of you. All they want to do is drug and rob you. So, the best advice people can give is "Don't walk around Kabukicho." But think about how that effects the legit business' as well. There was this one restaurant I ate at, where you grill your own meats and they had really unique meats I couldn't find anywhere else in Shinjuku. So I went for a stroll 3 nights in row in Kabukicho to try to find that restaurant again, but walking for 1 hour through that town will get you touched, groped, and harassed by probably 4 different Nigerians. I heard its even illegal to tout, so why aren't the police doing anything about it?

 

[Sudsy]

why aren't the police doing anything about it?

It's this funny little thing called a "payoff".