Japan 2015: Drink spiking at Shinjuku's Kabuchiko area

Ravi was a victim of drink spiking on our first night in Tokyo.

After our early evening check in at the Citadines Central Shinjuku, he went out for drinks. Sarah and I stayed in the room and slept early.  Before midnight, Ravi came in and crashed to bed.  

The next morning, he had sms and calls from his bank verifying $2000+ amount of card charges & ATM withdrawals!  We woke up instantly and tried to figure out what happened.  However, he was totally blank on which pub he went to and what happened during the night.  He said he cannot even remember coming back to our room.  

I started googling 'Shinjuku pub incidents' and drink spiking came out!  Apparently, this is very prevalent in the Kabuchiko area (near our hotel) and Roppongi, a different Tokyo district.   The US Embassy has even issued a travel advisory on drink spriking!

It was a bad start in Tokyo, Ravi got depressed the whole day.  I told him to just charge it to experience and not let it ruin the rest of the trip.  We didn't report to the police anymore, we're pretty sure no good will come out of it.



Excerpt from the US Embassy advisory:

Complaints of robberies committed after a victim has been drugged from a spiked drink are increasing. Some of Tokyo's entertainment and nightlife districts - in particular, the Roppongi and Kabuki-cho areas - are considered high-risk areas for crime, and the Embassy receives reports of drink spiking, credit card fraud, extortion, and even assault in these districts. Use caution in all entertainment and nightlife districts throughout Japan.

Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists have safe and enjoyable visits to Tokyo. To help make sure you are one of them, follow these simple tips:

• If you are going out to enjoy Tokyo's bars or nightclubs, consider leaving your credit and debit cards in the hotel safe! Take cash, and only as much cash as you are willing to spend.
• Don't go clubbing alone! Take a friend, and stay together.
• Never enter a bar or club that employs a street hawker to draw in customers! Some establishments, especially in high-risk entertainment areas that cater to foreign clientele, put touts on the street to drum up business. These touts can be very aggressive, and many incidents reported to the Embassy take place in establishments that use them. If you meet one, it's best to move on.
• Don't accept an invitation for a free drink! In many incidents reported to the Embassy, touts have used offers of free drinks as an enticement.
• Keep an eye on your drink! Drink spiking at bars and entertainment venues, especially in areas such as Roppongi and Kabuki-cho, near Shinjuku, has led to credit card fraud, robbery and even physical and sexual assaults.
• Know when to say when! Criminals single out intoxicated persons as easy victims.