Australians heading to Japan have been warned about a common request that will cost you more. The Japanese language can be hard to decipher for the average Aussie traveller so many will ask for English menus at restaurants.
But this is where they get you. Henry Hooper, managing director for the Americas, Oceania and UK for travel platform Klook, told Yahoo Finance that many venues will slap on higher prices on English menus as tourists will usually be none-the-wiser.
“Since visitation to Japan really exploded post-pandemic, we’ve seen establishments charging foreign tourists slightly more than locals when they order, with price differences ranging from a few hundred yen to a couple of thousand yen,” he said.
At the time of publication, ¥100 was roughly equivalent to AUD$1.
So, you could be unknowingly adding to your bill simply to see what’s on the menu.
“This is an unofficial foreigner tax, and there are thought to be a few key reasons why,” Hooper explained.
“For some venues, it could be as simple as a tourist a cash grab – but the other reason is that foreigners do actually require more work as everything must be explained in English.
“Some establishments have had to invest in training staff to speak English, and they are passing on those costs to tourists.”
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Well, there are plenty of apps and software that you can download on your phone that can translate pictures in real time.
Klook suggested Google Lens as one method, where you point your phone camera at the Japanese menu and it will quickly change the words to English in seconds.
Tourists have remarked how they were caught out or nearly caught up in the menu price hike.
“I once went out to a Shibuya izakaya with a group of foreigners and one Japanese person, and our bill came to be way higher than they said it would be,” said one person.
“Our Japanese friend went to the register to call them out on their s**t and they quickly changed the bill back to what it should have been. Just dodgy pricks trying to prey on people who don’t know any better.”
“I went to karaoke once, at a big place in Shibuya, only to have a special menu given to me which had higher prices on it. It was literally titled ‘Foreigner Menu’ or something like that. Even the receipt had this written on it,” added another.
A third wrote: “Went to a sake tasting event recently, it was ¥3,000 all you can drink from 150 types of sake. The English website had a different price at ¥5,000, but it came with some additional goodies (though seemingly nothing worth an extra ¥2,000).”
Hooper said that wasn’t the only scam to be wary of when you’re touring through the travel hotspot.
Japan is famous for its wagyu, which is the collective name for the four principal Japanese breeds of beef cattle.
It’s certainly not the cheapest steak, and some places will charge a lot of money to serve you even just some bite-sized pieces.
But Klook said some Japanese restaurants have tricked unsuspecting tourists by serving them a normal type of beef, calling it wagyu, and charging “three times the price”.
“To check if wagyu is legit at a Japanese restaurant, ask to see a certificate of authenticity that details the source of the beef,” he told Yahoo Finance.
“There should be an official grade from the Japanese Meat Grading Association (JMGA), and it should specify the breed of Wagyu cattle.
“If the restaurant can’t provide this, it’s a red flag that the beef as stated on the menu may not be authentic.”
He said that going off the beaten track to find restaurants in quieter areas will likely see you avoid this beefy scam.
Klook added that Google reviews shouldn’t be relied upon in big travel destinations like Tokyo as these appraisals can be “bought”.
It recommended using Tabelog instead as it’s “used by locals” and will give a much more accurate reading of a restaurant.
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