HK man’s Osaka stroll turns costly as ‘friendly drinks’ escalate into ¥60,000 bill

A Hong Kong tourist was handed an unexpected ¥60,000 (HK$3,000) bill at a bar in Osaka’s Shinsaibashi district after being approached by two locals for drinks, prompting him to call police — only to be told he was partly to blame.

The man shared the incident on a local forum on Thursday (Dec 11), saying he was walking alone in the busy shopping area when a Japanese woman and man struck up a conversation and invited him for a drink. Assuming they were recommending a local spot, he followed them to an upstairs bar that was empty when they arrived.

He said the menu listed beer at ¥1,000 with no other charges disclosed, so he ordered two glasses. But the bill later presented to him totalled ¥60,000, including a ¥40,000 “female accompaniment” fee he claimed he was never informed about.

With only ¥30,000 in cash, he refused to settle the full amount. A tattooed staff member then pressed him to pay via mobile app or withdraw cash, but he was unable to do so. He eventually called the police.

According to the post, officers who arrived said the case did not constitute fraud and told him he should have clarified whether the pair who invited him were bar staff and whether their drinks would be added to his bill. He said the comments left him feeling blamed for the situation.

After several hours, he agreed to pay ¥20,000 to resolve the dispute while officers were still on scene. He said he was left with only ¥10,000 for the remainder of his trip and described the experience as “a very bad trip”.

The incident sparked debate online, with some users criticising him for letting his guard down, while others warned that bars in Shinsaibashi targeting tourists have long been reported.