{
  "id": 19735242,
  "title": "Overcharging inquiries from foreign tourists triple in Tokyo's Shinjuku",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/overcharging-inquiries-from-foreign-tourists-triple-in-tokyos-shinjuku",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T01:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261113/p2g/00m/0na/012000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The number of inquiries from foreign tourists over alleged overcharging in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward has tripled to around 240 between January and October compared to the previous year, according to Tokyo police. The Metropolitan Police Department is intensifying efforts to tackle such scams, following reports that groups of Africans have been enticing foreign visitors to bars and overcharging them excessively. In the area encompassing Kabukicho entertainment district, inquiries about these scams reached approximately 340, resulting in total losses estimated at around 390 million yen ($2.44 million). This marks a more than doubling of losses from the previous year, which reported around 140 million yen in total losses. Many victims had their credit card amounts charged at exorbitant rates without their consent, with one case involving approximately 9.6 million yen in losses. The police arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian man, a Tokyo Adachi Ward resident and bar manager, along with another individual suspected of operating an unlicensed hostess bar in Kabukicho. They are currently investigating the allegations related to the unlicensed operation.",
  "summary": "TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo police said Thursday the number of inquiries from foreign tourists over alleged overcharging in an area of Tokyo's Shinjuku War",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}