Member-only story
When in Japan, Avoid the Bar Barkers at All Costs
It’s illegal in Japan to target people on the street and lure them into a bar. So why do so many businesses do it anyway?
By Jay Allen
If you’ve traveled to Japan — and, particularly, if you’ve gone to Kabukicho or a similar red light district — you’ve likely been hailed down. At least one person has tried to invite you to an izakaya, girl’s bar, or similar establishment.
As tourism to Japan spikes, these illegal barkers (touts in UK English) are becoming an increasing — and annoying — problem. Here’s why police enforcement hasn’t been effective — and why you should avoid barkers in Japan at all costs.
Barkers are illegal…
In Japanese, barker or tout activity is called 客引き (kyaku-hiki). Barkers are regulated under Japan’s Businesses Affecting Public Moral Regulations Act, or the Entertainment Law (風営法; fuueihou). Various prefectures and cities in Japan also have their own additional regulations on top of the Entertainment Law.
The Entertainment Law regulates kyaku-hiki, defining it as when a representative for a store calls out a specific person in a…
