[sing169]

Wanna share my friend's story to warn fellow punters about the dangers in Kabukicho (Shinjuku)... I feel bad that this is partly due to my recommendation and (lack of) advice. Sharing with everyone here so that others don't fall into the same trap.

My friend had a business trip last week, and asked me for recommendations. Since he wanted to try soapland but didn't want to venture too far to Yoshiwara, I recommended him to try Don Juan in Kabukicho. This is one of a relatively expensive but safe joint in Shinjuku. However, I forgot to warn him about the dangers of the area. And what I didn't foresee, really happened...

He told me he got lost trying to navigate the small lanes in search of Don Juan. [Lesson1: always get a local data SIM so that you can use your google maps]

He then stopped and asked someone for directions, but since he was Japanese, he called out to someone else to come over to help my friend. This burly guy spoke good English, and told my friend that he is a guide and will bring him directly to the joint. However, he said instead of the "main" joint, he will bring my friend to the "subsidiary" where it will be cheaper (Y68k). My friend was enticed becos I had told him Don Juan charges foreigners Y85k for 2 hours. He thought he could save some money... To be safe, he asked this "Agent" if he has to pay commission to him, but the guy said no bcos the joint will pay him. [Lesson 2: don't be greedy...]

The Agent took him to some crummy building, went up to the 4th floor, with a small door with a "D" on it. He told my friend this is it and asked for the 68k to be handed over to a "gangster-type" man standing at the door. Sensing something wrong, my friend refused and decided to walk away. The Agent chased after him and after much appealing, convinced my friend that he will now bring him to the "mother joint", Don Juan itself. My friend relented... [Lesson3: when you know they have tried to cheat you once, you should not trust them anymore!]

This Agent then called someone on the phone. My friend didn't understand, but just followed him. Lo and behold, the Agent really brought him to Don Juan! However, when they were a few doors from the joint, the Agent then shouted "Manager!" to another burly chap standing outside Don Juan. This guy turned around and greated them. Instead of bring them into the joint, this chap pulled my friend to the side of the lane opposite Don Juan, whipped out his hand phone for my friend to choose a gal. My friend chose one, and this guy asked my friend to handover Y65k. All this while, the earlier Agent was blocking my friend's path towards Don Juan's door (this was his explanation when I asked him why he didn't just dash into Don Juan?). Somehow, my friend fell for their trick and really handed over the (Y65k!). [Lesson4: never ever hand money to people until you are in the joint proper!]

Then, the Agent bade them farewell while the 2nd guy asked my friend to follow him to go to another place, giving him the cock-and-bull story that foreigners must go to "Special Rooms", not in the main shop! My friend stupidly followed this guy, went to another crummy building a few buildings down the street. They went up to some levels, where there was a "hole" in the wall for a reception. This guy handed some money over to the guy in the "hole", and told my friend to go to room number "6". When my friend got to the room, he saw that it was a really crummy room with just a mattress on the floor and a towel covering it. Worse than even Geylang's low-end rooms!!! He rushed out to the reception but then realized the guy had disappeared. He tried to confront the "receptionist", but the man told him "this is love hotel, I don't know the guy. He paid for your room and the girl will come. Wait in your room." Sadly, my friend listened to him and went back to the room... [Lesson 5: when we see things are wrong, don't hesitate to cut loss!]

He waited a while and there was a knock on the door. In came a middle-aged witch! Only then did my friend truly realized that he has been conned! He told the woman that he does not want to proceed, and wanted to leave. The woman blocked his way, and told him he has to pay her Y10k for cancellation and taxi money! My friend tried arguing with her, that he had already paid Y65k! She then told him that he needs to pay the add'l Y10k for cancellation or she can still service him for that additional Y10k...! This was when he finally got smart and just paid her the Y10k and left. I told him I couldn't imagine what would happen if he had let her service him and paid her 10k... I presume she could easily caused a ruckus and extracted more $ from him then!

All in all, it was an expensive tuition fee for him to know that Japan is not that safe after all, and never to trust strangers so easily...

I hope, by sharing his story, I can help forewarn other punters who may encounter such circumstances. Chiong carefully and Chiong safely!

Cheers!