How to avoid having my drink spiked in a bar

Question

How do I avoid being the victim of drink spiking in a bar? (As in spiking to steal money or commit credit card fraud, not for sexual assualt)

Presumably I should avoid places promoted by touts from Africa. Are places advertised on the internet generally safe, or should I only go to places listed in reputable tourist guides?

Does it only happen at hostess bars, or does it happen at non-"adult" venues as well?

Does it only happen in a few districts in Tokyo, or does it also happen in other cities?

Answer 1

I've been to Japan twice now and have spent a good deal of time drinking in Tokyo. I've never had any issues.

Hostess bars have a reputation for this kind of behaviour (i've never been to one so i can't speak to the truth of that reputation).

I've never had any issues with drink spiking or credit card fraud, even when i've been drinking alone in Roppongi.

You don't really need to take any special precautions apart from the obvious:

• Steer clear from bars that are empty.
• Don't go drinking on your own
• Stick to bars frequented by gaijin
• Avoid the hostess bars (I'd suggest this anyway. Between door fees and drinks costs you're looking at an expensive night)
• Keep an eye out for sit down charges (we got stung with this once, a bar in shibuya charged 4 of us almost 9000 yen for 4 drinks)

If you're going drinking in Roppongi (Tokyo), the Heartland bar in Roppongi Hills is a good place to start out the night.

Generally though Japan is incredibly safe for drinking in. You're at much higher risk drinking in somewhere like London or LA than you would be in Tokyo

Answer 2

I would go further and say this is incredibly unlikely - if anywhere is going to sting you on cost they will do it 'legitimately' (that is, 'sitdown' charges, cover fees, high drink prices, 'door' charges etc).

I have a friend who works in a hostess bar, and whilst the concept is still a little sleazy, they are still businesses and stick to charging exorbitantly high prices for drinks and chat (much like a strip club or similar establishment), rather than actually committing a serious crime to rob you. No need - it's ridiculously risky.

To be ultra-cautious I'd say always use cash where possible rather than paying by credit card, but to be honest given how seldom my UK credit card is accepted this is rarely even an option.

This sounds like a single story has been blown way out of proportion more than anything else - of all countries Japan is probably the one in which this is least likely to happen (see my answer to another question about crime in Japan).