Post Last Modified – October 11, 2021
Japan Travel Scams and Dangers To Be Aware Of
Japan is one of the safest countries in the world to live in and visit, but despite this reputation, there will always be exceptions to the rule. When it comes to Japan, there are scammers who will try to trick foreigners into giving up their cash.
You can avoid being a victim of such scams by becoming familiar with some of the most common ones used in Japan.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of the more common scams used on tourists.
The Monk Scam
Japan Travel Scams and Dangers #1
A person dressed as a 👨 Buddhist monk approaches you and offers a small bracelet or picture of a Buddhism religious site.
Then they tell you that they need donations for their religious 🛕 temple.
It’s when you decide for example, to give a small donation of 💴 100 yen for the gift. This is when they will then show you a fake donations 📖book to sign. This fake book shows where most people have contributed tens of thousands of yens.
This will pressure you into offering more money for no real reason. Don’t do it!
Help Disaster Victims Scam
Japan Travel Scams and Dangers #2
Another fairly popular tourist scam is known as the disaster relief con.
In this scam, you get approached by middle-aged women who appear pretty serious and harmless. They speak understandable English and are holding official-looking papers related to disaster relief donations.
They will tell you that recently a disaster happened somewhere in Japan and ask you to donate money to help the victims.
These ladies mostly target foreigners, as they usually know very little about Japan and its culture.
To avoid this scam, just dont speak to them or dont believe everything they tell you. Simply tell them you donate to the ❌ Red Cross or some other well known world organization.
The So-Called Ore-Ore Fraud
Japan Travel Scams and Dangers #3
This scam is made to target older people with far-flung relatives. In this intricate con, a scammer calls ☎ phone numbers until they find a suitable victim which they can manipulate to give them cash from made-up stories.
The end result is forcing that person into handing over their money. Con-artists prefer this method as they often can never be tracked.
Roppongi Scams – Drink Spiking
Japan Travel Scams and Dangers #4
Tourists whom may think about visiting this destination have to be really careful of what they do and what they eat or drink. According to a past article on Japan Today, American tourists were victims of scams so often in Roppongi that the US embassy issued an official statement warning its citizens.
These tricks are what Japanese called common knowledge scams. To be a victim in any one of these is simply a misfortune and a lot of ignorance. Just to name a few of these:
🍹 Drinking spiked drinks and discovering your credit card is totally empty;
Forced to pay enormous amounts of money to get in bars whose entrance is free.
Roppongi scams are a headache and can be very dangerous!
Dont hang out in weird-looking places. If in Tokyo, it would be safer to stick to the recommended places to stay, specifically for tourists.
You can read more on the Japan Today 📰 news article below.
🚥 Japan Today – Drink Spiking In Roppongi
Chikan – Subways & Trains
Japan Travel Scams and Dangers #5
While this is not exactly a scam to steal money from you, but if you are a female traveler, you may face uncomfortable or compromising situations in certain places, especially if traveling on 🚇 subways or 🚂 trains.
A chikan or groper is a pervert who commits public acts of molestation, specifically on crowded trains.
You can read more about Chikan on
These perverts target young women while aboard a packed train or any crowded area.
While tourists are highly unlikely to encounter this danger during their stay, female travelers can mitigate this risk by riding in women-only carriages in Japans subways and trains.
Japan Is A Very Safe Country
Despite the scams and dangers you can come across while in Japan, it is stilla very safe and beautiful country.
Crime in Japan is dropping amid the longest economic expansion in almost three decades, making one of the safest nations even safer.
Read more about Japans low crime rate at
📭 Bloomberg Business News – Crime Hits Postwar Low
If you get a chance to visit, don’t hold back from having a good time. Just take into account all you just read, exercise common sense and enjoy your Japan trip!
I’ve also listed the Official Japan Tourism link below to their website for your convenience. It’s filled with excellent information on everything this beautiful Country has to offer.
These types of tourist scams occur all over the world and not just in this country.
Tiffy, a.k.a. AsiaTravelBug, is a travel planning freak, an ex-finance manager and currently a digital marketing ninja. Traveling has kept her sane from all the hustles and bustles of corporate life.
Despite being a nervous flyer, Tiffys wanderlust has led her to visit Japan for 6 times (and counting). Her favorite cities are Kyoto and Tokyo and would choose to visit Japan over Paris in a heartbeat!
Japan is still a country I am yet to visit and is definitely on my “Must Travel To Next” list. A country filled with so much history, beautiful destinations and more, I can’t wait to visit!
I am happy to present this collaborative post in the hopes of offering some helpful travel inspiration and information to you.
Safe and Healthy Travels!
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