TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo’s entertainment quarters are currently bustling with activity as bonenkai parties are held to mark the end of the year. Along with such festivities often comes unscrupulous activities of street touts, specifically the practice of bottakuri, or bill padding.
To raise caution, the Manseibashi Police Station welcomed model Yasuko Kuramoto on Monday to be its one-day chief, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Dec. 16).
To fulfill this request, Kuromoto conducted a crime prevention patrol around JR Kanda Station to raise awareness about unscrupulous touts.
Kuramoto patrolled for approximately 30 minutes with local residents. She called for the eradication of unscrupulous soliciting. Kuramoto urged local residents, “Avoid getting involved in alcohol-related incidents or accidents, and avoid being tricked by touts.”
Officers from the Manseibashi Police Station conduct patrols on the third Monday of every month. However, they have stepped up their vigilance since summer after receiving a series of complaints from local residents about the high number of aggressive street touts.
On December 10, police arrested a male tout on suspicion of violating the Tokyo Nuisance Prevention Ordinance. Police are now urging even greater caution as the year comes to an end.
