Tourists Getting Scammed

[DocMcStuffins]

Right. Honestly I don’t understand who OP feels the need to make it his personal matter. Those things happen everywhere and maybe its the job of Roppongi high end hotels to warn their clients not to trust the friendly neighborhood Nigerian or girls out of their league who seem sooo into them but want to go to another bar rather than their hotel room. Its not our concern what drunk tourists do. If anything they make it more difficult for us to be treated well and accepted by locals.
OP, you’re often scolding new guys on te forum for asking obvious questions instead of patiently advising them so why make these tourists your personal concern?

So.... No sympathy at all? I don't think the OP was saying this is his #1 priority in life.

 

[User#8628]

So.... No sympathy at all? I don't think the OP was saying this is his #1 priority in life.

I have sympathy but only so much... a lot of tourists are trouble causers themselves.
Anyway like i have pointed out i have been more patient and helpful to visitors then most people on here. And I doubt a website is gonna inform more people if they don’t know where to look. Its not impossible to find information about these kind of scams.

 

[User#8628]

Ok proof that a website wouldn’t work:
The first thing that pops up when googling Motown Roppongi are reviews of people who claim their drinks got spiked. It certainly scared me away from the place even though it has some legendary reputation on TAG and i was kind of interested in seeing it at least. But apparently those kind of reviews don’t stop the place from getting enough clients to stay in business.

Also if a smaller bar gets slandered online they can change their name fairly easy.

I am strongly against people getting drugged of course. On the other hand there is only so much we can do and drunk tourists are not my number 1 help concern to be honest.
Hell, there are girls getting trafficked and people getting reaped for organs in the world so a maxed out credit card that has a good chance to be refunded by the credit card company is not my biggest worry.
Honestly the tourists are the people drawing this crime and they are breaking all kind of rules themselves while partying wild. I’m just as scared of drunk tourists as of Nigerian touts sometimes. The locals rarely bother me.

 

[LeonGRAY]

I've posted this in a simular topic: I'd steer away from Roppongi. Unless it's for work there's just no reason to visit.

 

[AnotherTag]

I've posted this in a simular topic: I'd steer away from Roppongi. Unless it's for work there's just no reason to visit.

But Tokyo Midtown has a lot of stuff besides Roppongi / Mori Tower. Just get off the subway station stop and move away from the station and you should be fine?

 

[Wwanderer]

I've posted this in a simular topic: I'd steer away from Roppongi. Unless it's for work there's just no reason to visit.

How much time have you actually spent in Roppongi and when?

-Ww

 

[LeonGRAY]

How much time have you actually spent in Roppongi and when?

-Ww

I've actually lived there for 1 year (worked in minatoku) so I know the area quite well. There are so many better and safer places to visit as a tourist. Not being able to speak japanese is no excuse. Plenty of other places you can go.

 

[Ken1988]

There are so many better and safer places to visit as a tourist.

Yeah, just down the Hibiya line a few stations, Nakameguro is becoming really a nice place and it's safe.

 

[surak]

I am in the tourism industry and to my knowledge, Roppongi has its unique atractiveness for foreign tourists.

Let's say a first time tourist to Tokyo would probably not want to miss Mori Museum or National Art Center.

 

[Wwanderer]

I am in the tourism industry and to my knowledge, Roppongi has its unique atractiveness for foreign tourists.

Let's say a first time tourist to Tokyo would probably not want to miss Mori Museum or National Art Center.

High tea in the Lobby Bar at the Ritz (has WOWed every young lady I have taken to one), Maduro for posh jazz club with an international atmosphere, V2, R2, u2, a couple of really exceptional sushi places (forget the names), a street atmosphere that doesn’t feel like Disneyland, interesting BDSM clubs (but the best one is now gone, sadly), western style strip clubs (pretty damn lame but still the best in Tokyo), a few private and/or secret bars that are unique and exquisite (but not available to tourists witout help from rather expert locals), excellent Belorussian food, and perhaps most important of all from a TAG perspective, young and hot Japanese women who are eager to meet and date foreign guys.

-Ww

 

[Frenchy]

High tea in the Lobby Bar at the Ritz (has WOWed every young lady I have taken to one), Maduro for posh jazz club with an international atmosphere, V2, R2, u2, a couple of really exceptional sushi places (forget the names),a street atmosphere that doesn’t feel like Disneyland, interesting BDSM clubs (but the best one is now gone, sadly), western style strip clubs (pretty damn lame but still the best in Tokyo), a few private and/or secret bars that are unique and exquisite (but not available to tourists witout help from rather expert locals), excellent Belorussian food, and perhaps most important of all from a TAG perspective, young and hot Japanese women who are eager to meet and date foreign guys.

-Ww

Naaah. Mori Museum it is (-:

 

[Wwanderer]

I've posted this in a simular topic: I'd steer away from Roppongi. Unless it's for work there's just no reason to visit.

I think I have figured out why you've found nothing worthwhile in Roppongi:

I prefer big shopping malls like Aeon. Bars and clubs are just too noisy for me and no privacy. My target audience are thick milfs so if you're into young girls it may not be ideal for you ^^

It is indeed not a good place to meet thick milfs!

-Ww

 

[Simonka]

I am in the tourism industry and to my knowledge, Roppongi has its unique atractiveness for foreign tourists.

Let's say a first time tourist to Tokyo would probably not want to miss Mori Museum or National Art Center.

I agree, I always take my friends and relatives to these museums whenever they come visit me. Mori has more interesting concepts and National Art Museum usually has one conventional and one contemporary art exhibition on rotation.
Roppongi transforms at night and it’s two distinctively different worlds in the daytime and night.

 

[Wwanderer]

Mori has more interesting concepts ...

Agreed. I've been going there regularly since it opened and think it is exceptionally well curated. A lot of very well funded museums (like the Mori). basically just throw money at their exhibitions and display the work of famous artists...which is fine as far as it goes, but you can usually see some creative thoughts behind the shows at the Mori.

And if you combine a visit to the Mori with spending some time in the City View deck (one admission to both) and/or on the roof (costs extra I think and often not open), you have a nice combination of sophisticated modern art experience with a rather spectacular, if touristy, one.

-Ww

 

[warubuta]

Ok proof that a website wouldn’t work:
The first thing that pops up when googling Motown Roppongi are reviews of people who claim their drinks got spiked. It certainly scared me away from the place even though it has some legendary reputation on TAG and i was kind of interested in seeing it at least. But apparently those kind of reviews don’t stop the place from getting enough clients to stay in business.

Also if a smaller bar gets slandered online they can change their name fairly easy.

I am strongly against people getting drugged of course. On the other hand there is only so much we can do and drunk tourists are not my number 1 help concern to be honest.
Hell, there are girls getting trafficked and people getting reaped for organs in the world so a maxed out credit card that has a good chance to be refunded by the credit card company is not my biggest worry.
Honestly the tourists are the people drawing this crime and they are breaking all kind of rules themselves while partying wild. I’m just as scared of drunk tourists as of Nigerian touts sometimes. The locals rarely bother me.

I used to go to Motown back in the day when you were sure to find some drunk OLs and some gaijin hunters. Low hanging fruit. Then there was a long gap of several years, but I ended up in there on a Saturday night. What a change! It was full of pros and semi-pros from all over the frikking world but mostly third world: Africans, South Americans, Eastern Europeans. Obviously these girls were hardened international low life scum. I can now totally see how drink spiking would be a problem.

 

[Frenchy]

I used to go to Motown back in the day when you were sure to find some drunk OLs and some gaijin hunters. Low hanging fruit. Then there was a long gap of several years, but I ended up in there on a Saturday night. What a change! It was full of pros and semi-pros from all over the frikking world but mostly third world: Africans, South Americans, Eastern Europeans. Obviously these girls were hardened international low life scum. I can now totally see how drink spiking would be a problem.

Agreed, it used to be fun , now its rather sordid

 

[akasam]

Seems like there's a little victim blaming here. Certainly none of us feel bad if a few jerks get ripped off (especially Americans, they're the worst), but to extend that to all tourists out having a good time is a little much.

The biggest scams are relatively easy to avoid if you watch your drink and don't go anywhere sketchy and stay sober. But who wants to do that? One of the greatest appeals of Japan are the super nice people and safety. I don't want to have to be suspicious of everyone and watch my back every second like I do in other big cities.

 

[User#8628]

Drugging is wrong and could even be lethal, but its worth noting that you can often claim a refund from your credit card company if you get scammed so as for that part I don’t think it’ll hit them too hard.

 

[Simonka]

Seems like there's a little victim blaming here. Certainly none of us feel bad if a few jerks get ripped off but to extend that to all tourists out having a good time is a little much..

Exactly my thoughts. I’ve never jumped on the “let’s hate on tourists” bandwagon but it seems pretty trending. I think Japanese customs office can decide who is eligible to visit Japan better than I do. Living here on a hard earned visa & being more accustomed to the culture doesn’t give me the right to judge visitors either.

I know the Roppongi area pretty well and if you don’t let alcohol replace your logic & pay by cash you’ll be fine. For some reason people are still stuck up with some outdated report shared by the US embassy years ago. Roppongi changes, and it’s hard to keep track of clubs or bars because there is a constant flux of girls, staff and managers some of whom are more honest people than others. A shop that has scammed people years ago might currently be being run a group of people who are trying to improve their reputation.

I’ve also seen my fair share of locals, expats or people who frequently travel to Japan for business getting involved in things I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. But for some reason tourists get the notoriety, probably because a fraction of them cross the limits very visibly and get in trouble with the local police.

 

[Wwanderer]

none of us feel bad if a few jerks get ripped off (especially Americans, they're the worst), ...

Back a number of years ago some organization or magazine did a survey of people around the world who deal with a lot of tourists in their jobs and asked what nationality of tourists were the most badly behaved and difficult. If I recall correctly, Americans came in #3 behind the Israelis and (of course) the French at #1 in that first survey of its kind. This clever idea (for a topic and survey) got so much media attention that it has become a regular topic for surveys and simple opinion pieces. A few get published every year it seems, and while Americans generally do well (= badly), I don't recall ever seeing them at #1.

Here's the most recent example that came up in my quick Google search:

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post...e-worlds-worst-tourists-six-nations-stand-out

-Ww

 

[warubuta]

Exactly my thoughts. I’ve never jumped on the “let’s hate on tourists” bandwagon but it seems pretty trending. I think Japanese customs office can decide who is eligible to visit Japan better than I do. Living here on a hard earned visa & being more accustomed to the culture doesn’t give me the right to judge visitors either.

I know the Roppongi area pretty well and if you don’t let alcohol replace your logic & pay by cash you’ll be fine. For some reason people are still stuck up with some outdated report shared by the US embassy years ago. Roppongi changes, and it’s hard to keep track of clubs or bars because there is a constant flux of girls, staff and managers some of whom are more honest people than others. A shop that has scammed people years ago might currently be being run a group of people who are trying to improve their reputation.

I’ve also seen my fair share of locals, expats or people who frequently travel to Japan for business getting involved in things I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. But for some reason tourists get the notoriety, probably because a fraction of them cross the limits very visibly and get in trouble with the local police.

What is so hard earned about your visa? All you need to do is work here for about four years without any problems, and then you can apply for PR. It is one of the easiest countries in the world to get PR. I actually hope they make it more difficult, and I hope they become tougher on foreigners who break the law. What do you think? Hopefully, those who are granted PR will always respect the laws of the land and never do anything illegal. I guess if you are born Japanese, and you disagree with a law, then you could, morally speaking, ignore that law at your own risk. But if, for example, you come here, get PR and then break the law, people might think you are taking advantage and you should be kicked out.

 

[warubuta]

Back a number of years ago some organization or magazine did a survey of people around the world who deal with a lot of tourists in their jobs and asked what nationality of tourists were the most badly behaved and difficult. If I recall correctly, Americans came in #3 behind the Israelis and (of course) the French at #1 in that first survey of its kind. This clever idea (for a topic and survey) got so much media attention that it has become a regular topic for surveys and simple opinion pieces. A few get published every year it seems, and while Americans generally do well (= badly), I don't recall ever seeing them at #1.

Here's the most recent example that came up in my quick Google search:

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post...e-worlds-worst-tourists-six-nations-stand-out

-Ww

The Americans who go to Tijuana and those who go to Vienna are different animals.

 

[Frenchy]

The Americans who go to Tijuana and those who go to Vienna are different animals.

Well the French wo go to Tokyo and those who go to say Spain’s Costa Brava are usually different too... i never felt hostility towards the French in Japan, they usually like us. Weird, I know.
Frankly speaking many Chinese tourists here probably deserve their reputation.

 

[Frenchy]

Back a number of years ago some organization or magazine did a survey of people around the world who deal with a lot of tourists in their jobs and asked what nationality of tourists were the most badly behaved and difficult. If I recall correctly, Americans came in #3 behind the Israelis and (of course) the French at #1 in that first survey of its kind. This clever idea (for a topic and survey) got so much media attention that it has become a regular topic for surveys and simple opinion pieces. A few get published every year it seems, and while Americans generally do well (= badly), I don't recall ever seeing them at #1.

Here's the most recent example that came up in my quick Google search:

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post...e-worlds-worst-tourists-six-nations-stand-out

-Ww

Note to self: if acting like a douche, pretend to be israeli or American.

 

[User#8628]

Back a number of years ago some organization or magazine did a survey of people around the world who deal with a lot of tourists in their jobs and asked what nationality of tourists were the most badly behaved and difficult. If I recall correctly, Americans came in #3 behind the Israelis and (of course) the French at #1 in that first survey of its kind. This clever idea (for a topic and survey) got so much media attention that it has become a regular topic for surveys and simple opinion pieces. A few get published every year it seems, and while Americans generally do well (= badly), I don't recall ever seeing them at #1.

Here's the most recent example that came up in my quick Google search:

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post...e-worlds-worst-tourists-six-nations-stand-out

-Ww

No Brits and Chinese tourists?
From everyone i talked to it seems to me on the surface that the British have the worst reputation in Europe and the mainland Chinese in Asia.

The French at 1 actually surprise me, I thought they think their country is so perfect that they don’t even go to other places for tourism