Ban on street solicitation in Shinjuku not slowing down Kabukicho’s touts

Starting in September, Shinjuku Ward began implementing a ban on street soliciting for bars, clubs and karaoke boxes.

The move came following a jump in incidents involving touts, particularly in the red-light district of Kabukicho.

However, Spa! says that the ban has not stopped touts for fuzoku (adult-entertainment) establishments from running bottakuri (or rip-off) scams on customers.

“Along the central road of Kabukicho, 90 percent of the touts are still doing it,” says a tout who started working in the trade prior the ban coming into effect.

The ruse he runs is called “attack health,” whose service includes a blow-job. “I’ll show a guy in the street a photo of an adult video actress and say, ‘We’ve got cute gals like this at my club,'” he says. “When he gets to the club, a Chinese masseuse will give him a massage and get him off. Mainly, we seek out tourists as targets.”

The touts work in complicated networks of groups, of which there are many in Kabukicho. Spa!’s insider says that it is a team effort, with the tout being the low man in the chain.

“Let’s say we scam a customer for 80,000 yen,” he says. “Off the top, 40,000 yen goes to the club. Another 20,000 yen will go to a broker. Of the remaining 20,000 yen, that is divided amongst the group, with 10,000 yen going to the tout.

“Customers may be really irritated with us,” he continues, “but, in the end, our compensation is small.”

According to the Chugoku Shimbun (Aug. 23), between January and September of last year, the number of incidents reported to Shinjuku police was 268, an increase of 104 over the same period in 2011.

The new ordinance does not have a penalty. Law enforcement and ward authorities merely offer “guidance” to violators.

Not dissuaded, they toil in the streets, from nine p.m. to six a.m. “We have to survive,” says the tout.

Source: “Jorei jigyo demo heranai Kabukicho kyacchi ura jijo,” Nikkan Spa! (Web)