TOKYO (TR) – The lure may be different but the result is the same.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police last week announced the bust of a hostess club in the red-light district of Kabukicho that scammed customers by suggesting the ladies could be taken off the premises, reports Nippon News Network (May 20).
Since November of last year, police have received 36 complaints regarding the practice of bottakuri, or bill padding, at Affe Truty in which the damage totaled 24 million yen.
In December, Kazumasa Hidaka, the 34-year-old manager, allegedly lured two male company employees into the club by offering a rate of 6,000 yen per hour. He also claimed that customers can “take out” the hostesses for 20,000 yen.
The pair was subsequently presented a bill for a total of 72,000 yen — and, crucially, did not receive any female accompaniment.
Hidaka denies the charges, telling police that he does not recall the matter, according to TV Asahi (May 20).
Police also arrested three other employees in the case.
Over the past year, police have been cracking down on clubs that overcharge customers. In the majority of the cases, the clubs present customers with large bills after mentioning a relatively small hourly rate to drink alcohol.
