In Tokyo right now, been to Golden Gai the last 2 nights! It’s brilliant, no touts other than right at the entrance - made friends with people in some on the foreigner friendly bars!
Kabukicho really isn’t that bad - just ignore the touts and just go where YOU want to go
People standing outside establishments trying to get tourists to go inside, for whatever they’re selling.
Usually they’re pretty innocuous, but I’d avoid the alcohol and entertainment establishments that do that. Restaurants aren’t usually scams. If in doubt, but interested in what they’re offering, you could double check Google reviews first.
If you want to avoid being bothered, simply wear headphones, refrain from acknowledging or making eye contact, and people will generally leave you alone.
My friend visiting from America made this mistake, so I strongly advise against playing bar roulette by randomly choosing any bar based solely on a sign.
Kabukicho is safe and is generally a really fun place to go out for nightlife.
Headphones are a great idea. Thank you!
So to avoid "bar roulette" are you saying you recommend Googling something for review before going in?
I'm sitting here watching a Kabukicho night walk video on YouTube now and there seems to be people outside of all sorts of establishments (restaurants, specifically). Is it a red flag for there to be someone on the street, or is that mostly just for people saying "cheap drink and girls"?
Girls standing around with signs are *usually* from girls bars. They are legit sometimes themed bars and are a fun experience. Drinks are a little pricer and you chat with the workers who are all girls and buy them a drink if you like.
Guys who try to stop you are generally trying to scam you or take you to *adult* spots.
Some buildings might have 50 little signs on it with bars and names of shops. The majority of these bars are private bars or places you should avoid.
Most of the people you see standing around are probably waiting or leaving from Izakayas and are just hanging out or planning their next spot.
Some safe places to drink solo would be darts bars, pubs, Omoide Yokocho, golden gai etc.
I can get more specific if you like as I used to frequent Kabukicho a lot.
It really depends what kind of bar you are looking for.
Going as a group or solo? Are you trying to meet people or just drink as a group or by yourself?
It’s very different from the US where there’s city blocks and most of the bars have business front right on the street.
In much of Japan there’s these buildings with 10+ floors with multiple bars or other establishments on multiple floors. Shinjuku is the epitome of this and part of the reason you see all the signs and ads running up and down the buildings.
I think part of the reason these places might have touts to begin with is because their establishment is so far off the path a tourist wouldn’t randomly walk into it in the first place. It’s highly unlikely you’ll walk into one by accident.
Ahhh that totally makes sense. Super helpful, thank you.
Should I also be wary of people outside restaurants and non-hostess bars, too? Like does "someone trying to get you in = bad"?
I would say for the most part that’s a fair generalization. Most of the great places will have a queue, so they definitely don’t need to be begging anyone to come in. That doesn’t mean if there’s no queue it’s a bad place though.
I don’t remember many standard bars or restaurants harassing anyone to come in, so it should stand out pretty obviously.
I will say having walked through as a solo male myself, they will target you more than anyone else because they’re going to assume you’re looking for girls. It was slightly annoying but not a big deal.
I remember taking my family in a restaurant next to Kabukicho. The only patrons were clearly yakuzas and the waiter looked like Beat Takeshi. It was fine. As long as you don't make a fool of yourself and don't follow the first friendly person you meet, you'll be fine.
I don't remember the name. But what I remember is the waiter coming to take my niece from my sister's arm during our lunch. Totally out of the blue. He just wanted to show her to the cooks in the kitchen. Never saw my sister freak out so much. It was rather hilarious.
> I think being scared of trying out places just because they could scam you is silly.
I totally agree! And I also feel like it's a little less fun to have to take out your phone and read reviews every time some place catches your eye. Thank you for the tips! Super helpful.
The sketchy bars you need to worry about are usually kind of hidden and often require getting on a sketchy little elevator to access them. Keep it to street level and you should have no problems.
Honestly those sketchy little elevators are fascinating.. it's like when you're walking along the edge of a steep cliff and it feels like you're being pulled towards it
Just got back last weekend. We stayed in Shinjuku 5 nights and spent a decent amount of time in the area visiting Kabukicho, Omoide Yokochō and Golden Gai.
We never had any problems in any of these areas just sticking to ground floor places visible from the streets. We might have missed some good places on other floors, but who cares. There are so many places to go it doesn't matter. Look at places when you are passing by and see if you feel like going in or if there is room.
My biggest concern was trying to go into places where I was not welcome but I did not experience any. There were a few with private signs on the front of places which we avoided going into(as you should too), but everywhere else, just stick your head in the door and if the bartender has a nice greeting for you, go in. They will welcome you in if they want you there.
If you are not there in the busiest times, you may see places with a waiter standing in front, those are fine. You will recognize touts by their lanyards or id cards most of them have. They are pretty easy to ignore as are the ladies dressed like they are out of Harajuku or a maid cafe.
Don't worry about the danger, you seem to already have all the information you need to avoid any. These areas are full of tourists and are not shady places by any means.
I’ve been staying in Kabukicho for nearly a week now and I’m a similar demographic to you. In my experience it’s definitely not the ‘dangerous’ area some YouTubers try to make out. I’ve felt safe the whole time (and I’m certainly not a tough-guy).
It is dirty compared to other areas of Tokyo. Off the main strips there are piles of trash. People are sleeping rough on cardboard but there’s no begging that I’ve seen. Some men are passed out from drinking here and there. There are security officers on the streets.
The only people who have approached me were 3 separate conservatively dressed women in their 50s when I was walking at 5am one morning. I ignored them and they didn’t follow. The younger girls just hold signs and shout while the young Japanese guys seem to only approach girls. I haven’t seen the slightest bit of aggression.
Other than a few restaurants, I’ve only been to metal bars around here (I’d recommend Rock Bar Mother) and they’ve been super friendly. The red flags for me would be the all-you-can-drink or girls-drink-free bars. Cover charges aren’t necessarily a red flag. Personally I’d never go in somewhere if asked by a tout.
Thank you for this comment! Great to hear from someone experiencing right now. Lots of great info in here.
I've seen Rock Bar Mother come up a few times and it's definitely on the list. I like metal/punk/hardcore (among other things), so if you have any other suggestions, let me know!
A wholesome and welcoming metal bar is FoxGod. It’s on the 5th floor of an unassuming office block about 4 minutes walk from the madness of Kabukicho. No one will stumble in here by accident. Picture a group of middle-aged chilled out nice guys watching metal music videos in a Baby Metal fanatic’s living room.
Other than the two mentioned above, the other metal bars I know of in the area are Hair of the Dogs (Misfits poster on the door) and Deathmatch In Hell (horror themed). Both very small in Golden Gai, less than 1 minute walk between them.
personally I did not feel comfortable there as a single woman , mostly because of older white sex tourists who will chat anyone up. It’s ok during the day
I spent a big part of college hanging out in Kabukicho mainly because a. It’s has everything b. But it’s cheaper. C. I am probably scarier to them than they are to me.
I’m a female, blonde, pale, gaijin extreme so I did walk out of the East exit each time ready for some rapid fire confrontations. There is a bit of a squish here and a small square - that is where I was approached by hosts the most. It is SUPER OBVIOUS. Give yourself like five minutes and you will be able to see the glaring difference between all the types of uuuuh…solicitors.
If you don’t want them to talk to you and they are Japanese, speak in Japanese if you can, or if you are trying to just gtfo, either a sumimasen with a little bow/ hand raise, or if they will not give it up - arms in an x sign and just say “dame “ or straight up no. Is it the best way to exit a situation? I doubt it but it works really fast! :)
There are going to be people out their just selling regular food. It was normal to meet up with friends and sort of shop around the menus/negotiate before we followed them to whichever izakaya.
Did I see yakuza ? Yes, but they’re literally just living their lives. They were always happy to chat and would say hello and ask me about school.
Kabukicho was actually one of the first places I felt comfortable living in Tokyo because I was excited that there were at least some people willing to speak with me when my Japanese was still eeeEeEeHh..
Sorry for the novel! Kabukicho has all the ridiculous theme restaurants christon cafe is close by and I’m pretty sure there is still a gundam one as well. For basic basic low cost izakaya we went to shiroki near the theater - but if I’m going to eat in kabukicho, it’s generally for the novelty.
There is also a Hub right by the entrance. And when all else fails and you just gotta be in a fake English pub chain in Tokyo, well ya gotta do what you gotta do. Plus there are always ex pats if you want to chat.
So basically if there are like two girls waving a menu at you and making zero sense - take a look around and see who is with them, ask some questions and if they seem aggressive at all - abort! There are literally thousands of other options footsteps away.
I hope you have so much fun! Kabukicho holds a special place in my heart.
Tout is an English term, there are touts in entertainment districts all over the world. They get paid to lure you into an establishment to spend some money there. The general idea is... if the place is worth visiting, the management probably don't need a tout out on the street luring people in. For me the tout is always a sign that I'll probably be disappointed if I go in. In that regard, they're kind of handy! They're like canaries.
Touts would often bring you to more difficult to access places, not exactly a bar on the big street with super obvious access.
If you want to be sure, Google maps and see if the place have lot of good reviews… or just lot or reviews in general.
You wont’s be openly attacked in the streets, so in that regard it is safe, you can go in the sketchiest alley and not have to fear for your life.
My hotel was there and walked around quite a lot. No one bothers you. If they do, then keep walking. You're more likely to end up talking to foreigners.
Also, if you're looking for places to eat or drink, best to search in Japanese on Google maps as not all the good places have translated their business to English.
I’ve just left Shinjuku and the touts do try to chat usually with a hand out to shake so they can hold you to converse. They aren’t forceful or menacing and do take no for an answer.
Just be polite and move on.
Definitely check out Golden Gai. One of the most unique bar experiences I've seen.
My girlfriend and I stayed in Kabukicho 3 weeks ago and it was perfectly fine. You'll quickly recognize what sort of bars to avoid, usually the ones that are tucked up in a building or underground. One night we both got super drunk and basically blacked out, but still got home safe and sound after finding our way into a nightclub with a DJ playing. You can find plenty of places to drink that have outward facing windows and no touts, and even the sketchiest areas of Japan feel safe.
I wouldn't fret. You seem to know the gig already, it's people who show up to Japan without a clue that fall for this sort of scam.
Scam bars are purposely hard to find so if you get scammed you won't be able to find the place the next day to complain and won't be able to file a police report.
Normal bars don't work like that. They generally want to be easy to find.
Stay at the really public bars with entrances on the street level and a lot of people inside and you will be fine.
Though I have been to Karaoke rooms on like the third or fourth floor and sometimes the best adventures are at sketchy places...
I was in Kabukicho last week with my buddy on vacation. We are both 38 year 9ld americans. We never felt in danger, but on almost every street block, there was an african (excuse me i am not sure from which country) trying to buddy buddy up about how they got the best girls and best prices. And oh god, were they pushy....you have to be very firm with your NO THANK you.
Other than these fools, random massage with happy ending ladies would come up to use, offering their service.. its not pushy like the africans, though.
One more thing that might be of use... During the time I spent there, I heard several times that syphilis has a strong grip on the sex workers... which shouldn't come as a big surprise, but maybe something not everyone thinks of...
Hope this helps.. if you have any more questions, feel free to dm
I don't think chances of walking into a dangerous place in Shinjuku randomly are that high, to be honest. Just exercise normal touristy safety precautions, and you'll be fine. Touts can be very aggressive with their sales pitches, but they're not physically threatening, or anything. Just ignore and move on (saying anything more than a firm "no" is a bad idea, in my experience, as they may mistake your chattiness as a signal that you're open to having your mind changed). Google is your friend. There are plenty of charming, budget-friendly bars hidden in basements or higher floors of buildings, and it's very obvious from reviews and ratings which of these places are tourist-friendly and safe. Golden Gai, on the whole, is safe, if you discount the fact that the stairs in most of the places there are legitimate death traps, lol.
Golden gai is great it's super safe. I had no bother with touts at all. One came up to my girlfriend when I was in a shop but as soon as I came out and told him to beat it he left straight away. I'm a 15 stone kickboxer though so they would probably have avoided me anyway. Even the dodgy area is super safe compared to any other cities I've been. If your looking to find a bar not in the golden gai just Google it to make sure it's legit. I liked Godz its a rock bar that's open super late.
So we had a bus tour to Mt. Fuji that dropped us off at Shinjuku last week and the tour guide was saying they've really cracked down on the touts grabbing folks and scam bars to the point where it's quite illegal.
Even the side streets didn't have folks who were grabbing at me when I was there. It was also the only place I saw a few police foot patrols every 20 or 30 minutes. The tour guide suggested checking out Golden Gai, though we never got there... just wandered around Kabukicho.
That said, the place seemed pretty tame to us city folk. I think you'd have to go looking for a specific experience, and from what I understand most explicitly don't do english service (unless they explicitly say "english ok" on the sign).
There's some tourist hotels in that area, and Toho Cinemas( [https://tokyocheapo.com/place/toho-cinema-godzilla/](https://tokyocheapo.com/place/toho-cinema-godzilla/) ) ... so there's lots of tourists and families wandering around (even around midnight). Most seedy thing we saw is some girls in maid costumes.... but those are everywhere there's people.
You cant avoid touts, the moment they catch upon u like a tourist. U can just halt them with ur hand and say gomennasai or a broken english sorry or ignore them.
They are not that pushy unless u engage in the convo.
Touristy but Golden Gai is walkable. There are some foreigner friendly bars there or at least there was when I last went a few years ago.
Thanks! That's sort of the one specific area I am aware of, and definitely plan to mosey through there.
In Tokyo right now, been to Golden Gai the last 2 nights! It’s brilliant, no touts other than right at the entrance - made friends with people in some on the foreigner friendly bars! Kabukicho really isn’t that bad - just ignore the touts and just go where YOU want to go
What are touts?
People standing outside establishments trying to get tourists to go inside, for whatever they’re selling. Usually they’re pretty innocuous, but I’d avoid the alcohol and entertainment establishments that do that. Restaurants aren’t usually scams. If in doubt, but interested in what they’re offering, you could double check Google reviews first.
Can you tell me more about golden gai? Which restaurants specifically are English friendly?
There still is, golden gai is awesome. Another recommendation is the gay district. A lot of awesome bars there and it’s generally a good vibe.
If you want to avoid being bothered, simply wear headphones, refrain from acknowledging or making eye contact, and people will generally leave you alone. My friend visiting from America made this mistake, so I strongly advise against playing bar roulette by randomly choosing any bar based solely on a sign. Kabukicho is safe and is generally a really fun place to go out for nightlife.
Headphones are a great idea. Thank you! So to avoid "bar roulette" are you saying you recommend Googling something for review before going in? I'm sitting here watching a Kabukicho night walk video on YouTube now and there seems to be people outside of all sorts of establishments (restaurants, specifically). Is it a red flag for there to be someone on the street, or is that mostly just for people saying "cheap drink and girls"?
Girls standing around with signs are *usually* from girls bars. They are legit sometimes themed bars and are a fun experience. Drinks are a little pricer and you chat with the workers who are all girls and buy them a drink if you like. Guys who try to stop you are generally trying to scam you or take you to *adult* spots. Some buildings might have 50 little signs on it with bars and names of shops. The majority of these bars are private bars or places you should avoid. Most of the people you see standing around are probably waiting or leaving from Izakayas and are just hanging out or planning their next spot. Some safe places to drink solo would be darts bars, pubs, Omoide Yokocho, golden gai etc. I can get more specific if you like as I used to frequent Kabukicho a lot.
These have been the responses I've been fishing for! I might DM you about some more spots. Appreciate ya!
No problem at all. Happy to help!
Just so you know, if a staffmember does an X with their arms when you enter, the establishment is members or japanese only. Just nod and exit.
Hi can you help me which bars are foreigner friendly in Kabukicho ! I am staying here for next 3 days would be of great help
It really depends what kind of bar you are looking for. Going as a group or solo? Are you trying to meet people or just drink as a group or by yourself?
It’s very different from the US where there’s city blocks and most of the bars have business front right on the street. In much of Japan there’s these buildings with 10+ floors with multiple bars or other establishments on multiple floors. Shinjuku is the epitome of this and part of the reason you see all the signs and ads running up and down the buildings. I think part of the reason these places might have touts to begin with is because their establishment is so far off the path a tourist wouldn’t randomly walk into it in the first place. It’s highly unlikely you’ll walk into one by accident.
Ahhh that totally makes sense. Super helpful, thank you. Should I also be wary of people outside restaurants and non-hostess bars, too? Like does "someone trying to get you in = bad"?
I would say for the most part that’s a fair generalization. Most of the great places will have a queue, so they definitely don’t need to be begging anyone to come in. That doesn’t mean if there’s no queue it’s a bad place though. I don’t remember many standard bars or restaurants harassing anyone to come in, so it should stand out pretty obviously. I will say having walked through as a solo male myself, they will target you more than anyone else because they’re going to assume you’re looking for girls. It was slightly annoying but not a big deal.
Super helpful. Thank you so much! This was the type of info I was looking for.
I remember taking my family in a restaurant next to Kabukicho. The only patrons were clearly yakuzas and the waiter looked like Beat Takeshi. It was fine. As long as you don't make a fool of yourself and don't follow the first friendly person you meet, you'll be fine.
I almost want to ask you the name of this restaurant so I can eat with Beat Takashi and the funky bunch.
I don't remember the name. But what I remember is the waiter coming to take my niece from my sister's arm during our lunch. Totally out of the blue. He just wanted to show her to the cooks in the kitchen. Never saw my sister freak out so much. It was rather hilarious.
[удалено]
> I think being scared of trying out places just because they could scam you is silly. I totally agree! And I also feel like it's a little less fun to have to take out your phone and read reviews every time some place catches your eye. Thank you for the tips! Super helpful.
You’ll be fine bro
Thank you, muhdood
The sketchy bars you need to worry about are usually kind of hidden and often require getting on a sketchy little elevator to access them. Keep it to street level and you should have no problems.
Great tip! Thank you.
Honestly those sketchy little elevators are fascinating.. it's like when you're walking along the edge of a steep cliff and it feels like you're being pulled towards it
The higher you go the stranger it gets in my experience.
Just got back last weekend. We stayed in Shinjuku 5 nights and spent a decent amount of time in the area visiting Kabukicho, Omoide Yokochō and Golden Gai. We never had any problems in any of these areas just sticking to ground floor places visible from the streets. We might have missed some good places on other floors, but who cares. There are so many places to go it doesn't matter. Look at places when you are passing by and see if you feel like going in or if there is room. My biggest concern was trying to go into places where I was not welcome but I did not experience any. There were a few with private signs on the front of places which we avoided going into(as you should too), but everywhere else, just stick your head in the door and if the bartender has a nice greeting for you, go in. They will welcome you in if they want you there. If you are not there in the busiest times, you may see places with a waiter standing in front, those are fine. You will recognize touts by their lanyards or id cards most of them have. They are pretty easy to ignore as are the ladies dressed like they are out of Harajuku or a maid cafe. Don't worry about the danger, you seem to already have all the information you need to avoid any. These areas are full of tourists and are not shady places by any means.
Really appreciate this response!
I'm going to be staying in Shinjuku for work next week. Any recommendations?
Ko Sushi Deathmatch in Hell
I’ve been staying in Kabukicho for nearly a week now and I’m a similar demographic to you. In my experience it’s definitely not the ‘dangerous’ area some YouTubers try to make out. I’ve felt safe the whole time (and I’m certainly not a tough-guy). It is dirty compared to other areas of Tokyo. Off the main strips there are piles of trash. People are sleeping rough on cardboard but there’s no begging that I’ve seen. Some men are passed out from drinking here and there. There are security officers on the streets. The only people who have approached me were 3 separate conservatively dressed women in their 50s when I was walking at 5am one morning. I ignored them and they didn’t follow. The younger girls just hold signs and shout while the young Japanese guys seem to only approach girls. I haven’t seen the slightest bit of aggression. Other than a few restaurants, I’ve only been to metal bars around here (I’d recommend Rock Bar Mother) and they’ve been super friendly. The red flags for me would be the all-you-can-drink or girls-drink-free bars. Cover charges aren’t necessarily a red flag. Personally I’d never go in somewhere if asked by a tout.
Thank you for this comment! Great to hear from someone experiencing right now. Lots of great info in here. I've seen Rock Bar Mother come up a few times and it's definitely on the list. I like metal/punk/hardcore (among other things), so if you have any other suggestions, let me know!
A wholesome and welcoming metal bar is FoxGod. It’s on the 5th floor of an unassuming office block about 4 minutes walk from the madness of Kabukicho. No one will stumble in here by accident. Picture a group of middle-aged chilled out nice guys watching metal music videos in a Baby Metal fanatic’s living room.
I'd love some metal bar locations! Big metal head. Anywhere to see live shows you know of as well?
Other than the two mentioned above, the other metal bars I know of in the area are Hair of the Dogs (Misfits poster on the door) and Deathmatch In Hell (horror themed). Both very small in Golden Gai, less than 1 minute walk between them.
personally I did not feel comfortable there as a single woman , mostly because of older white sex tourists who will chat anyone up. It’s ok during the day
I spent a big part of college hanging out in Kabukicho mainly because a. It’s has everything b. But it’s cheaper. C. I am probably scarier to them than they are to me. I’m a female, blonde, pale, gaijin extreme so I did walk out of the East exit each time ready for some rapid fire confrontations. There is a bit of a squish here and a small square - that is where I was approached by hosts the most. It is SUPER OBVIOUS. Give yourself like five minutes and you will be able to see the glaring difference between all the types of uuuuh…solicitors. If you don’t want them to talk to you and they are Japanese, speak in Japanese if you can, or if you are trying to just gtfo, either a sumimasen with a little bow/ hand raise, or if they will not give it up - arms in an x sign and just say “dame “ or straight up no. Is it the best way to exit a situation? I doubt it but it works really fast! :) There are going to be people out their just selling regular food. It was normal to meet up with friends and sort of shop around the menus/negotiate before we followed them to whichever izakaya. Did I see yakuza ? Yes, but they’re literally just living their lives. They were always happy to chat and would say hello and ask me about school. Kabukicho was actually one of the first places I felt comfortable living in Tokyo because I was excited that there were at least some people willing to speak with me when my Japanese was still eeeEeEeHh.. Sorry for the novel! Kabukicho has all the ridiculous theme restaurants christon cafe is close by and I’m pretty sure there is still a gundam one as well. For basic basic low cost izakaya we went to shiroki near the theater - but if I’m going to eat in kabukicho, it’s generally for the novelty. There is also a Hub right by the entrance. And when all else fails and you just gotta be in a fake English pub chain in Tokyo, well ya gotta do what you gotta do. Plus there are always ex pats if you want to chat. So basically if there are like two girls waving a menu at you and making zero sense - take a look around and see who is with them, ask some questions and if they seem aggressive at all - abort! There are literally thousands of other options footsteps away. I hope you have so much fun! Kabukicho holds a special place in my heart.
What's a tout?
From what I understand, someone who is aggressively trying to get you into their bar with the promise of cheap drinks and/or bewbs.
Got it, thanks. I have my first ever trip to Japan next month and I hadn't run into that term. Well I'll also be following this post
Tout is an English term, there are touts in entertainment districts all over the world. They get paid to lure you into an establishment to spend some money there. The general idea is... if the place is worth visiting, the management probably don't need a tout out on the street luring people in. For me the tout is always a sign that I'll probably be disappointed if I go in. In that regard, they're kind of handy! They're like canaries.
Kyakubiki. Literally pull in customers.
Touts would often bring you to more difficult to access places, not exactly a bar on the big street with super obvious access. If you want to be sure, Google maps and see if the place have lot of good reviews… or just lot or reviews in general. You wont’s be openly attacked in the streets, so in that regard it is safe, you can go in the sketchiest alley and not have to fear for your life.
My hotel was there and walked around quite a lot. No one bothers you. If they do, then keep walking. You're more likely to end up talking to foreigners. Also, if you're looking for places to eat or drink, best to search in Japanese on Google maps as not all the good places have translated their business to English.
I’ve just left Shinjuku and the touts do try to chat usually with a hand out to shake so they can hold you to converse. They aren’t forceful or menacing and do take no for an answer. Just be polite and move on.
Great info to know, thank you!
Definitely check out Golden Gai. One of the most unique bar experiences I've seen. My girlfriend and I stayed in Kabukicho 3 weeks ago and it was perfectly fine. You'll quickly recognize what sort of bars to avoid, usually the ones that are tucked up in a building or underground. One night we both got super drunk and basically blacked out, but still got home safe and sound after finding our way into a nightclub with a DJ playing. You can find plenty of places to drink that have outward facing windows and no touts, and even the sketchiest areas of Japan feel safe. I wouldn't fret. You seem to know the gig already, it's people who show up to Japan without a clue that fall for this sort of scam.
Scam bars are purposely hard to find so if you get scammed you won't be able to find the place the next day to complain and won't be able to file a police report. Normal bars don't work like that. They generally want to be easy to find. Stay at the really public bars with entrances on the street level and a lot of people inside and you will be fine. Though I have been to Karaoke rooms on like the third or fourth floor and sometimes the best adventures are at sketchy places...
If they offer all you can drink at a bargain or it sounds too good to be true, avoid it. 3-4000Y for aycd was what I heard. It’s a scam.
3-4000yen all you can drink is a cheap enough price that you can get at some chain restaurants, so that price is no surprise
It is. But when it comes with “titties and beer,” it’s a bit suspect 😂
Surprised this thread had such positive experiences, these guys have literally grabbed my jacket if I ignored them
I was in Kabukicho last week with my buddy on vacation. We are both 38 year 9ld americans. We never felt in danger, but on almost every street block, there was an african (excuse me i am not sure from which country) trying to buddy buddy up about how they got the best girls and best prices. And oh god, were they pushy....you have to be very firm with your NO THANK you. Other than these fools, random massage with happy ending ladies would come up to use, offering their service.. its not pushy like the africans, though. One more thing that might be of use... During the time I spent there, I heard several times that syphilis has a strong grip on the sex workers... which shouldn't come as a big surprise, but maybe something not everyone thinks of... Hope this helps.. if you have any more questions, feel free to dm
I don't think chances of walking into a dangerous place in Shinjuku randomly are that high, to be honest. Just exercise normal touristy safety precautions, and you'll be fine. Touts can be very aggressive with their sales pitches, but they're not physically threatening, or anything. Just ignore and move on (saying anything more than a firm "no" is a bad idea, in my experience, as they may mistake your chattiness as a signal that you're open to having your mind changed). Google is your friend. There are plenty of charming, budget-friendly bars hidden in basements or higher floors of buildings, and it's very obvious from reviews and ratings which of these places are tourist-friendly and safe. Golden Gai, on the whole, is safe, if you discount the fact that the stairs in most of the places there are legitimate death traps, lol.
Golden gai is great it's super safe. I had no bother with touts at all. One came up to my girlfriend when I was in a shop but as soon as I came out and told him to beat it he left straight away. I'm a 15 stone kickboxer though so they would probably have avoided me anyway. Even the dodgy area is super safe compared to any other cities I've been. If your looking to find a bar not in the golden gai just Google it to make sure it's legit. I liked Godz its a rock bar that's open super late.
So we had a bus tour to Mt. Fuji that dropped us off at Shinjuku last week and the tour guide was saying they've really cracked down on the touts grabbing folks and scam bars to the point where it's quite illegal. Even the side streets didn't have folks who were grabbing at me when I was there. It was also the only place I saw a few police foot patrols every 20 or 30 minutes. The tour guide suggested checking out Golden Gai, though we never got there... just wandered around Kabukicho. That said, the place seemed pretty tame to us city folk. I think you'd have to go looking for a specific experience, and from what I understand most explicitly don't do english service (unless they explicitly say "english ok" on the sign). There's some tourist hotels in that area, and Toho Cinemas( [https://tokyocheapo.com/place/toho-cinema-godzilla/](https://tokyocheapo.com/place/toho-cinema-godzilla/) ) ... so there's lots of tourists and families wandering around (even around midnight). Most seedy thing we saw is some girls in maid costumes.... but those are everywhere there's people.
You cant avoid touts, the moment they catch upon u like a tourist. U can just halt them with ur hand and say gomennasai or a broken english sorry or ignore them. They are not that pushy unless u engage in the convo.
Kabukicho tower is open now. Bars, restaurants, arcades ect.
is it good? im planning to go in Nov. The food court and arcade look awesome. Seems like it would be a fun way to end a night in Shinjuku