TOKYO (TR) – Since the beginning of the Rugby World Cup last month, the influx of foreign tourists to the capital has been more apparent than usual.
Yet for the several hundred bars in the blast-from-the-past Golden Gai area of Shinjuku Ward their arrival hasn’t exactly been positive, says Nippon News Network (Oct. 1).
In footage provided by the network, two male foreigners are shown talking in at the entrance of one bar in an alley in the district at around 12:30 a.m. on September 20, the opening day of the tournament. One of them, who is wearing a black shirt, then steals a backpack.
The network goes on to say that a foreigner embraced a drunk woman and stole her wallet. The broken glass over a front light on a vehicle was also attributed to a foreigner.
Signs in English provide warnings about behavior.
“The staff can only speak Japanese,” one sign reads. “Unfortunately, foreign group tourists who cannot follow our rules cannot enter the store.” Among the rules are that payment of a cover charge of 700 yen is required along with the ordering of at least one drink.
Yet such warnings have not eliminated problems.
One male staff member tells the network about two foreigners who broke a gas line outside his bar during a fight.
In blurry security camera footage, two men are shown fighting in an alley, with their bodies moving close to at least one establishment.
But, says the proprietor, “The biggest problem is the throwing of trash, such as cigarette butts.”
The network noted that as of October 1, there were four incidents involving foreigners since the start of the Rugby World Cup.
Dentsu, France and Ireland
Overall, the number of reported incidents during the tournament has not been staggering. Those that have emerged were not restricted to Golden Gai, nor to foreign participation.
On October 13, police arrested a 51-year-old male employee of advertising giant Dentsu Inc. over the alleged assault of a security guard at a match in Tokyo.
Early the following morning, two Uruguay rugby players were shown in security camera footage assaulting a staff member of a restaurant in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Later that week, police arrested two male French nationals over the alleged use of cocaine in the Roppongi entertainment area of the capital.
In September, police in Shinjuku arrested two Irish nationals who came to Japan to attend matches for the alleged use of cocaine.
