Japanese inn’s first foreign guests disappear without paying – 'We feel so betrayed'

even foreign residents of Japan are required to present and have their resident card photocopied, which includes their name, photo, and address)

No, foreign residents are not required to show their resident card

Don't they usually takes a credit card at check in to avoid this situation??

Also don't the foreigners have to present their passports?

Too bad but I am sure Japanese guests have done the same but let's make out it's only the evil foreigners....

It is a good rule for foreigners to show ID, as this allows the hotel to avoid this situation. I think the English speaking travelers noticed the staff didn’t follow the law and took advantage of a free night at an Inn. They could check it off their bucket list.

Shameful. Japanese have also left hotels without paying.

There is an assumption that these people were foreign tourists. Since there was supposedly no info collected from them about their status, they could have just as easily have been foreign residents.

And as noted by @didou, if they were actual residents, they wouldn't have needed to show their IDs anyway. But they would have probably had to put in a home address at check-in, and this could have easily been faked.

Anyway, there are lots of ways to potentially ID and catch them if the cops felt so inclined (and they may do so since its now national news), including cell phone signal traces, photos of their vehicle via either the security cameras of the hotel or any nearby business or home (this is now often done in Japan), to even lifting some fingerprints from their room, being that all arriving foreigners, including residents, have their prints taken at immigration.

Even though most of the fault lies with the ryokan for not following the proper legal procedures that would have prevented this, the two losers certainly committed a crime which negatively affects the image and perception of all gaijin in Japan. The same people who dismiss this crime are the ones who complain that landlords are reluctant to rent to them.

*Apparently Matsukawakan, unlike many other hotels in Japan, does not require pre-payment at the time of check-in. *

Might want to update that policy/requirement.

My heart goes out to the ryokan, because being in the countryside the owners surely depend on every yen that comes in to keep their livelihoods alive. Yes, the staff/owners absolutely messed up on not taking care to get the proper information, however, I hope bad karma finds the 2 individuals that had the money to travel to Japan but not pay.

If the authorities catch up with them, they are going to wish they had paid after seeing the inside of a Japanese prison.

People downvoting didou simply don’t know the law.

didou

Today 07:08 am JST

even foreign residents of Japan are required to present and have their resident card photocopied, which includes their name, photo, and address)

> No, foreign residents are not required to show their resident

I thought the same thing and interesting that in March 16 2023 the Kanagawa prefecture government issued the following:

Kagawa prefectural government to hotel operators, the officials said it is "problematic on human rights grounds" to ask foreign residents to show their passport or other forms of ID when checking into a hotel.

> The hotel business law requires only foreigners who live outside of Japan to present ID. But hotel receptionists sometimes ask foreigners who live in Japan for ID based on their name or appearance.

> "If a guest provides a domestic address, even if their name or other information suggests they are a foreign national, no further confirmation is required," the notice says.

So Sora gets it wrong again.

A good reminder to ID check ALL guests - and preferably take credit card details upfront. I'm sure the vast majority of guests are doing the right thing.

I hope karma catches up with the trash who ripped this hotel off.

Isn't over tourism wonderful? If you invite the world to visit, the result is scum like this that ruins Japan for those of us who live here.

I feel bad for the hotel owners and staffs.

I think it is generally a good idea for them to require payment by credit card at the time of booking. There are honestly so many invisible benefits you get from dropping cash as the main medium of exchange and this is one of them.

There’s no mention in the article of the nationality or racial description of the two losers.

How did they make a reservation for the whole package?

This happens all over the world, not only in Japan.

Residential guests are required to give their addresses but not provide any ID. Foreign guests are required to present their passports.

https://faq.japan-travel.jnto.go.jp/en/faq/articles/102005

There have been articles on JT about Japanese guests disappearing without paying their bills. Also not pay their taxi fares.

I wonder why no nationality or physical description of the suspects were given...

There’s no mention in the article of the nationality or racial description of the two losers.

True. Photos should be shared. Perps need to be named and made to pay.

I will be honest, having travelled for work to 46 of the 47 prefectures, I cannot remember ever not giving a credit card in advance in a hotel or paying my room in cash in advance in any Ryokan and this in over 30 years.

At a minimum the stay basic room/stay fee was always required prior to getting the room key.

A simple free POS (point of sales) service like Square in which you can take credit card payments using your phone and you can reverse the charge later if the guest wants to pay cash on the day of checkout should have been a minimum at this Ryokan. (Note free POS means no monthly fees no equipment required other than your iPhone or Android, not set up fees but if you take a credit card or paypay payment the company does take a small percentage as a service charge)

I can be very slow in adapting to new things but even I now have/use a minimal POS in my business.

I find this story hard to believe! Their 1st ever foreign guests left without paying? Why, up until now have there never been any foreign guests at this ryokan? And it cracks me up that they felt the need to make this a story. Something is very fishy about this... not sure yet what it is but I believe we're not getting all the information on what actually took place. Not saying it is impossible to happen, but my antennae is perked up.

Inexperienced hospitality people. They didn't even know the basic rules as well as smart business practice. They will certainly learn from this and sad that they had to go through it, but maybe a good learning experience.

That is not victim blaming... it's a shame these scum bags cannot be caught and severely punished. A damn good thrashing or a bit of "mess justice".

Not as bad as the story a while back of the Japanese guy who stayed in a hotel for months on end without paying.

I have been a guest of Ryokan inns in very rural areas of Japan for the past 40 years or so, Sometimes they have asked for my details, sometimes not.

A pretty mean thing to do though, by these two individuals.

Incidentally, many years ago, I helped myself to some fridge beers in the eating area assuming they were part of the room cost. When a friend in Tokyo pointed out my error, I made sure that the next time I was in Okayama-ken (one year later) I reimbursed the lovely family running the Ryokan the cost of the beer.

I would like to think that these two individuals will do the same.

It is a crime but so is two-tiered pricing charged by some Japanese restaurants.

Name and shame those establishments that rip-off tourists.

SAD very sad indeed,

When I travel even in japan many times I am asked to show an ID and some make a copy of it.

In China my passport was taken and kept in the hotels safe then given back to me at check out, many hotels will ask for a credit card first, they scan it and not charge till check out time.

I feel so bad for the owner of this place, too bad.

The same thing happens with renting.

There are so many foreigners who rent a place but don't pay the rent and run away to their home countries.

It's no wonder that rental properties refuse foreigners.

Foreigners have been behaving so foolishly up until now.

If this inn also refused foreigners, would they be criticized for discrimination? Or is it the fault of the foreigners who don't even pay their accommodation?

In normal hotels, you either pay in advance or with a credit card, so these kinds of problems wouldn't occur.

However, it seems that there are still a lot of foreigners who steal amenities like hair dryers.

As pointed out by a commenter, hotels in Japan are required by law to photocopy the passports of overseas travelers (and even foreign residents of Japan are required to present and have their resident card photocopied, which includes their name, photo, and address).

.

Casey is wrong.

Having an address in Japan is enough (the same as Japanese nationals) to check in and stay at a hotel.

This misinformation in the article should be amended.

Most hotels require advance payment anyway when booked abroad.

Also, it is a small matter for hotels to verify residents of Japan at check in.

I don’t mind showing ID and having it verified on check in but there is no need to photocopy my information as this could lead to a breach of privacy.

Foreigners, residents in Japan should strive to keep the small rights which they possess.

And I’m sure the J-cops will have success catching these foreign criminals!

Agent _Neo

What fantasy land do you live in?

*If you don’t like the situation then write to your local Diet member to change the law to remedy the situation.

I don’t think you will be successful because Japan is hooked on the large amounts of foreign money that mostly Asian tourists bring to Japan.

*If not able for any reason, a Japanese person might help.

Leaving without paying is nasty and criminal, but protecting yourself from this is basic stuff.

Wherever you go on the planet, your passport info and card details are taken at booking or check in. If you are opening any form of accommodation, at least buy a book on the basics of how to do it. Not least because your government will expect you to have info on your guests and you may be breaking laws (rather than rules) by not doing so.

I've had both foreigners and Japanese working for me, most are honest people. However, I've also experienced dishonesty from both groups which cost me money. Yes, I felt betrayed and it's made me more wary about trusting others l than I used to be. Basically there are always some people, regardless of where they're from, who will take advantage of your good nature and rip you off. Sorry to break it to you like that, but that's just a fact of life. My advice, set up safeguards and contracts (depending on your line of business) to prevent or at least soften the impact that these deadbeat cheats have on your thoughts and your wallet. It took me a while to figure it out, but contracts and agreements are your best friends. PS . . . That goes for family members, too!

Im a foreigner and business owner here and sadly my experience with foreigners as customers and employees has led me to cease all dealings with them. In fact Im about to open another business as a restaurant and Im considering banning all foreigners under the age 50 from dinning there. During the 7 years I've been operating here I have never had a Japanese national steal from my business. I have numerous testimonies of the honesty and integrity found in the Japanese culture.

Even though most of the fault lies with the ryokan

Blame the victim.

but protecting yourself from this is basic stuff.

Blame the victim.

They probably didn't take card...but in all seriousness, Japanese people do bad things too, one night my friend had Ryokan guests that were young "yakuza", they didn't pay AND trashed the place.

Maybe hospitality isn't for them?

Assuming the people intentionally skipped out on paying, I hope they are caught and made a HUGE example of. A few million yen fine is a good start.

Foreign residents are not required to show their resident card. As many have already mentioned, though this is a very unfortunate instance, things like this happen more often than we would think. Local ryokans should finalize the bill upfront at check-in and secure a deposit card for additional bill rendered at check out. I’ve even heard of people walking out of restaurants without paying bills, especially during the peak hours..

No security camera anywhere? Too trusting even for Japan these days. Hope police track down these criminals for a public shaming, inform their consulates and notify immigration for inclusion into non-entry databases.

Im a foreigner and business owner here

and

 Japanese people do bad things too, one night my friend had Ryokan guests that were young "yakuza",

Is it not interesting that foreigners always seem come with these types of lines? The Japanese INN did not have any problem with Japanese guests. 

It is time to say the ugly truth. Foreigners are trouble makers. it is time to ask you people to leave Japan. Leave!!!!!!!

We dont want you here.

m a foreigner and business owner here and sadly my experience with foreigners as customers and employees has led me to cease all dealings with them. In fact Im about to open another business as a restaurant and Im considering banning all foreigners under the age 50 from dinning there.

LOL.

Reminds me of the Filipina "Snack" establishments in years gone by. All staff were foreign - and the sign on the door "NO FOREIGNERS!"

It would have been interesting to have at least some info such as their appearance.

Not to be racist, but we're they Asians, Caucasians, or Africans?

My opinion as a professional in hotel and lodging start-ups, operations and sales distributions over the last 15yrs all over Japan.

It appears that the Inn missed two steps in their booking process and should not be pointing the finger toward ''foreign guests'' doing a "runner".

I have no hard feelings and they should take full responsibility. You have 3 chances to contact the guest for payment. Before they stay, during the stay and after their stay.

There are many OTA channels for e.g. Booking.com, Jalan, Rakuten Travel, Expedia, Trip.com etc and it is the Inn's responsibility to setup the payment processes whether it is prepay, or pay at reception on check-in.

I've found receptionists miss payments all the time due to confusion of what website takes prepay, pay on arrival or both. It is simple, don't complicate.

If in fact these guests did a "runner" as they seemingly checked out a day earlier, than learn from that and fix your SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures) rather than point the finger at the foreigner. If the foreigners booked on an OTA then a valid credit card is required for these instances - think Airbnb and how they collect payment with no staff onsite. A passport copy/ proof of residence card Ï can agree is somewhat discriminative, but the measure is there if laws were to be broken and immigration has to be notified. On the flipside Japanese nationals do not need to provide a credit card for incidentals or ID, yet I've had Japanese damage my properties and "do a runner" .

In summary, I have no hard feelings for the Inn. People do runners at restaurants, so what learn from your mistakes, fix your processes and don't blame foreigners for it.

It could have been Japanese guests and then it wouldn't show up in the news.

(and even foreign residents of Japan are required to present and have their resident card photocopied, which includes their name, photo, and address).

This is NOT a legal requirement. If you have an address in Japan, you are not required to.

Seems like a beat up with so many details lacking and some super sleuthing in the article itself.

Maybe the major want to increase two-tier pricing in the city?

Maybe they want to change ID requirements for all foreigners?

Another stick on the fire of "over tourism" to generate ill will towards travelers.

Why can't they just look at Japan on youtube from their own countries? Better for climate change.

As somebody noted that they should just match the fingerprints, since all foreigners required to have prints taken at port of entry.

In theory, that should be possible. But I suspect that as for many things here, it's all for show and each agency is independent and things are set up so that in reality they are unable to share that information with one another in a timely manner. I really hope they are still not relying on fax machines etc to send the print copies to check by hand.

Yes! This sad little story is SO JAPANESE! Poor, naive Nihonjin - such kind, trusting people - are cheated by nasty, evil gaijin. No doubt the mass media imbeciles will be talking about this over the next few days.

I have stayed in a lot of hotels, both in Japan and outside. Without exception, the front desk people want to take a look at my passport, and get an imprint of my credit card. No problem. If I decide to ghost them, they can do all sorts of nasty things to my credit rating and alert the police as well.

This was the fault of the ryokan staff. Before letting anyone stay, they should demand proper documentation.

Agent_Neo

Today 09:03 am JST

Right like the expression "night run" in Japanese doesn't exist.

Night runs by Japanese is so much a thing that there are specialised moving "businesses" to help them disappear

As a professional in hotel and lodging start ups.

Rather than blame foreigners, check and improve your processes.

I doubt foreigners would book through an overcomplicated Japanese website for half-board plans. They would use booking.com, Rakuten Travel etc which require a credit card. Only exception might be Jalan and "pay on arrival".

Regardless it is the responsibility of the Inn to have these payment processes in place so if there was to be a no-show, a "runaway", or damage to the property than you can charge guests accordingly to the terms and conditions you have set/ guest has agreed to upon making the booking.

Rather than call the police, check how the guest booked and stop blaming foreigners for a mistake in your own booking process. You have 3x chances to get payment, pre-pay, during stay and post-stay. You missed the guest and that is on you.

Irony is that Foreigners require proof of residence card/ passport and Japanese don't need a credit card or ID for incidentals yet I have had Japanese and Foreigners damage properties and sometimes unable to charge Japanese due to the general rule that they are trustworthy.

If this was a Japanese guest doing a runner, it wouldn't make headlines.

To the Inn, I don't feel bad you missed a payment, go and fix your processes rather than calling the cops and blaming foreigners.

Probably just an unfortunate misunderstanding. In the hospitality industry this happens frequently.

Oh and as a long term resident no one except the police, immigration and customs officials, my employer and my city hall are ever going to see my passport or ID card.

Period.

This was the fault of the ryokan staff. Before letting anyone stay, they should demand proper documentation.

100% and receptionists wont ask Japanese for a credit card or ID because of "trust"

Gaijins...

I have always presented my residence card - and the establishments have always made a copy of it...

problem solved.

Ben Howard

Today 10:43 am JST

This was the fault of the ryokan staff. Before letting anyone stay, they should demand proper documentation.

> 100% and receptionists wont ask Japanese for a credit card or ID because of "trust

Not true.

They ask and have done so for years now in most cases a credit card is even required to make a reservation.

This place is living in the past and by past I mean well over 30 years in the past.

First and foremost, if the patrons truly did leave with malicious intentions, they are wrong. They add more fuel to the already burning blaze.

Secondly, while the business may feel the need to go old school, there are reasons why there are formalities. If it was the staff, then that's an employee issue.

There was no innocence in this incident from any party, with trust & humanity the only casualties.

How about keeping passports or driver's licenses or credit cards for security ?

Two thieves took advantage of the Ryokan goodness. That's a shame to all human kind.

Foreigners! Foreigners. Foreigners!! All of us are just crooks looking to get over or steal anything we can from the perfect country of Japan. It couldn't be that the FOREIGNERS just got confused and maybe had to leave in a hurry for some reason, no one was at the front, got confused about the checkout procedure etc. It has happened to me several times that no one was at the front when I needed to leave. Luckily, I had paid by credit card (hint, hint). This is only news in a country like Japan, with their gaijin obsession forever. Tomorrow's story is probably rolling off the press now. Remember, what one bad thing any foreigner does, we are all guilty for it. Oh well, back to watching the U.S. lay waste to the other countries in the Olympics. Lots of foreigners in the U.S. OMG!

I find this story hard to believe! Their 1st ever foreign guests left without paying? Why, up until now have there never been any foreign guests at this ryokan? And it cracks me up that they felt the need to make this a story. Something is very fishy about this... not sure yet what it is but I believe we're not getting all the information on what actually took place. Not saying it is impossible to happen, but my antennae is perked up

Bingo !

OssanAmericaToday 07:30 am JST

Even though most of the fault lies with the ryokan for not following the proper legal procedures that would have prevented this, the two losers certainly committed a crime which negatively affects the image and perception of all gaijin in Japan. The same people who dismiss this crime are the ones who complain that landlords are reluctant to rent to them.

So, that's your correlation? One person whom we have absolutely no connection to, does something bad and it justifies the thinking of some landlords no wanting to rent to foreigners? You would accept that in your home country? A Japanese person does something like this (believe it or not, they have been known to not be total angels) in the my home country and that means I can deny all others like them? Some of the posters on this site really worry me. Stop thinking Japan is someplace more special than the rest of the world. That is where they get that attitude of being superior to everyone. No one is dismissing this crime, but it is only national news in this gaijin-obsessed country. In America, the owners would report it to the police, wait for the perps to get caught, update their payment system and get on with life.

Dong Yu

Today 11:21 am JST

How about keeping passports or driver's licenses or credit cards for security

Because if they did and the guest went out the guest would be in violation of the law!

If you are not a resident foreigner with an alien registration card you need to carry your passport at all times

If you are not a resident foreigner with an alien registration card

What about foreigners who have arrived since 2015?

Strangerland

Today 11:56 am JST

If you are not a resident foreigner with an alien registration card

> What about foreigners who have arrived since 2015?

What does the date gave to do with it?

All foreign residents have to have a Zairyu card on them.

Those without it need their passports at all time.

What non se. first no such law that foreigners have to give any form of ID. Second Japanese write the details on a form, get their card swiped and finished. That hotel, if u can call it that, obviously dont swipe a card and dont understand pre payment. Just another news to put a negative light on foreigners when actually these businesses are irresponsible . So much for peace day today.

A quick search for reviews of this ryokan gives some curious details:

Though nearly all reviews are in Japanese, at least one (found on Google maps) from a year ago was written in Chinese. It was a thorough review, and the hotel owners responded, so obviously this more recent customer described in the article was not their "first" foreign guest.

More interestingly was that according to the article, the hotel posted about this recent problem on Twitter on Tuesday (Aug 6), about guests that stayed over the previous weekend. And on Booking.com there is a 2 star review from August 4th (Sunday) by a user named "Lorri" with a US flag next to the name. There was no detailed review other than saying in English "Very poor". And it says they stayed for 2 nights in August 2024.

The plot thickens....

What does the date gave to do with it?

Well, there haven't been alien registration cards since 2015.

All foreign residents have to have a Zairyu card on them.

Which is it, do they need an Alien Registration Card like you claimed in the first post, or a zairyu card like you claimed in the second? They aren't the same thing...

Upon looking up this story in Japanese, more details are given than in this English version.

Notably, the foreign guest reserved their stay through a "travel booking website" but somehow didn't pay in advance to do so. And then when the customers vanished after the first night, the staff attempted to contact them via this booking website, but they received no response. That's when they called the police.

Tragic they were the first foreign guests to skip paying. Letting the team down. In the UK many people are skipping paying for expensive meals. Maybe they didn't like the service leaving after one night.

In Australia the offence is called "Fail to pay for accommodation "

Usually dealt with by a fine.

However, I remember a case where the offender told me "he liked to take people down "...ie. fool them and rip them off.

We had this conversation when he was in prison...lol. Wasnt his first time.

Should be easy to track the people down...use sniffer dogs, Beagles are good, start at the room and go from there.

Very disappointing, sad, the owner were trusting, angers and much as disappoints, also creates distrust towards overseas visitors.

I really enjoy the hospitably and the bespoke service The ryokan (Japanese inn) offers.

I remember a German tourist complaining about the "bespoke Ryokan service "

The bowing, even kneeling etc...

"It's too much !! " he said {try to say this with a German accent for humouress effect }

No, foreign residents are not required to show their resident card

As far as I know, no one has asked a court for adjudication on this affair. As it stands, however, this is actually kind of iffy and hardly as clear cut as the likes of Arudou Debito would like it to be.

Let's work through the problem from the basic starting point of there being no specific administrative law to regulate Ryokan. In that case, you and the ryokan would handle it as a matter of free contracting under Civil (private) law. If the ryokan isn't happy with how well you proved your identity, it has full discretion to refuse.

Of course, the Hotel Business Act modifies this somewhat by adding Article 5 which restricts the right of the ryokan to not contract. People like Debito usually ride on this. However, even here it's already less than clear whether demanding and recording proper identification qualifies as a "denial" rather than just a condition in the procedure of contracting. Considering this is a severe restriction on the ryokan's freedom to contract, very arguably the correct reading is to read it minimalisticaly, leaving as much of the ryokan's freedom as possible.

In addition, Article 6 of the HBA imposes the duty on ryokan to obtain and keep information ready for submission, and imposes a duty on the lodger to provide that information to the ryokan. Further, there's an implication that the information is to be provably correct (otherwise, how can it be known whether the lodgers or the ryokans have fulfilled their duty).

The substantive duties in Article 6 does not come with a prescribed procedure. It is thus left to the executive authorities to determine what that procedure is, balancing the goal of retaining accurate information (and ensuring everyone is fulfilling their substantive duties) with the practical ability of the hotel to obtain, verify & record said information and also with not creating an excessive burden on the lodger.

In that light, authorities have balanced this in different ways - often prescribing procedures (using circulars and notices) that require hotels to photocopy primary sources (the cards). This is in essence asking the hotel to use rights it already has, rather than creating new rights. From that point of view, such a procedure is also acceptable by law.

If I'm one of those people with Resident cards, I'd just put it up.

With a lot of tourism, this can happen and not just in Japan, everywhere.

I hope the police get soon that pair of clowns..

Good foreigners residents must show the residency card..

Shameful. Japanese have also left hotels without paying.

Do you know someone who has done it?

Shameful. Japanese have also left hotels without paying.

Do you know someone who has done it, prove it...

Sure. Think back to all the articles about Japanese people who have left hotels without paying, with the staff only to discover the body of a murder victim. It happens enough that it’s not big news.

Which goes to prove . . .

Tokyo living....this very paper has run stories on Japanese failing to pay for meals then assaulting the restaurant owner...

Not a big leap to think some Japanese have skipped out on accommodation.

You could probably research Police reports for specific instances.

But yeah...asking for "proof " of claims....I've done it here too.

Kazuaki above....you DO seem a VERY SERIOUS person.

There is something wrong with this story. I don't buy the ring-and-run concept. Japan is the most wired country in the world regarding cameras and tech. Trust yet verify.....

Kazuaki Shimazaki

Today 01:49 pm JST

No, foreign residents are not required to show their resident card

> As far as I know, no one has asked a court for adjudication on this affair.

Not sure what you are trying to prove but according to the Kanagawa government no requirement in the law and at least in Kanagawa the government is asking the hotels and Ryokans to stop asking foreign residents to show their Zairyu card.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/03/5a5206b30e6c-hotels-in-western-japan-urged-not-to-request-foreign-residents-id.html

If I'm staying in a hotel at first I will refuse to show my Resident card if requested but if the hotel staff insists I will not make a song and dance about it.

We had this conversation when he was in prison...lol.

what did you do to be in prison?

It could just be honest mistake. They thought they paid through the site, but hadn’t. Then they left thinking they’d paid, and being on vacation aren’t as readily contactable as people may normally be.

Do they not put refundable holds on credit cards anymore?

When first checking in at the reception, the receptionist required me to fill out a card, with my home address etc, sometimes on occasion runs my credit card through the machine.

However some Ryokan, I have visited a few, are cozy, less formal, offer tailored personal customer service, not one-size-fits-all.

Don't envisage/anticipate a sleep, dine and dash cliental. I think I paid my room in advance with a card. dining/drink etc on check out

The law should mandate for all tourists (local or from abroad) to show either a passport or a valid ID; and a copy made of it in case the guest breaks the law in any way or tries to run without paying like in this case. They should also provide a valid credit card at check in. No exceptions.

@Strangerland

Which is it, do they need an Alien Registration Card like you claimed in the first post, or a zairyu card like you claimed in the second? They aren't the same….

.

Times have changed since you lived here.

If you want an update then just go to the MOJ website.

All of us staying here over 3 months know what is necessary.

This could have been an honest mistake on the guests' part because to my knowledge, I scarcely know of any hotel or accommodation that isn't pre-paid upon booking, automatically debited on or near your check-in date, or paid upon check-in. I myself can't remember the last time I paid upon check-in or check-out; everything is usually prepaid.

The inn should also admit to their own fault in the matter because they failed to follow proper procedure when checking in guests - getting a form of ID, checking the card used to book / pay for the booking, and informing the guests about check out procedures etc. The "woe is me" attitude isn't doing them any favours, and I feel as though they're hamming it up somewhat because the guests were non-locals.

However some Ryokan, I have visited a few, are cozy, less formal, offer tailored personal customer service, not one-size-fits-all.

That's a good point. It could be considered gauche, especially in smaller, traditional establishments, to ask for payment up front.

I recently stayed in a pretty swanky place - I've stayed there before; we're 'members' or whatever - that didn't require any payment until checkout. Although, my wife checked us in while I scoped out the pool with the kids so they may have taken a card number or something.

How can they make a reservation without providing phone number or email. They should also be disappointed with their staff who didn’t even see them leave. Not collecting your guests ID is amateur at best even as you can’t even use an Internet cafe without showing your ID. Heck some places even ask for it when paying by credit card. As for payment most place take cash only and I suspect it’s because they are not reporting all their earnings to the government for taxes. Other than that and perhaps cc fees what other reason could there be? Most places who are new to CC pass on the fee to the customer. Which I wish everywhere did. Discount for cash. Their disappointment should be with their staff and I also hope anyone who tries to skip out on a bill anywhere is found. 10 times the issue in question should take care is it without police involvement. The police even probably was amazed at the incompetence of the place to not collect basic info. The little touch about them practicing English was a joke. How to play the victim at its finest.

....to my knowledge, I scarcely know of any hotel or accommodation that isn't pre-paid upon booking, automatically debited on or near your check-in date, or paid upon check-in.

Not true. Anyway, just checked the hotel. It's on several sites including booking.com. And on bookingmcom, can reserve it and they allow you to pay at the property, or pay in advance like most hotels on that site. Not sure why the hotel can't get the guests details from whatever site the people used to book it.

if you read the texts and the view-ups/down... it reads like a lot of self righteus gaijins and their attitudes about living in Japan relative to where theu are from...I live in Japan because I love it here...I view myself as a guest in this wonderful country...I'm Canadian...and I'd still rather live here...no one ever complains about Canada

Shame on these travelers. I have a feeling the hotel can find them if they know how to search, but there's a good chance they might not until the people are out of country. Anyway, on behalf of all foreigners, I would like to apologize for the behaviour of these people and assure you we are not all that way.

Only once since living in Japan have I ever paid on leaving the hotel and that was a long time. I usually get asked for my passport and am given the form to write down my details instead. Occasionally they ask if they can see my ID and I tell them no way Pedro!

These evildoers who didn’t pay give foreigners a bad name, ruddy swines that make life harder sometimes for the decent law abiding foreigners that reside here.

Though nearly all reviews are in Japanese, at least one (found on Google maps) from a year ago was written in Chinese. It was a thorough review, and the hotel owners responded, so obviously this more recent customer described in the article was not their "first" foreign guest.

Yes, but its a more interesting story if they say it were their first foreign guest and they studied English oh so hard only to be betrayed by the first people to turn up. I'm sure some readers will love the cranked-up "nasty foreigner" angle.

For the other posters saying "I run accommodation and know all about it", this is a ryokan. We've not been to a ryokan for years because they are expensive and kid-unfriendly, but twenty years ago, settling the bill on departure was pretty common. You would book them with a phone call and none of that Internet nonsense. If a ryokan has an older clientele, any change to this will come across as "Oi! Payup before you show up granddad! Whip out your Paypay!" which is not the o mo te na shi ryokans are famous for. They are supposed to feel like a step back in time.

We are all foreigners or ‘gaijin’ when we go abroad, even Japanese people become ‘gaijin’ when they step foot outside Japan.

nukkuheddo

Today 05:02 pm JST

if you read the texts and the view-ups/down... it reads like a lot of self righteus gaijins and their attitudes about living in Japan relative to where theu are from...I live in Japan because I love it here...I view myself as a guest in this wonderful country...I'm Canadian...and I'd still rather live here...no one ever complains about Canada

1-) you pay taxes here same as the Japanese but are not afforded the same rights, so this joke " a guest" if you were you wouldn't be paying taxes and you would be treated special.

2-) Canadian here, if you missed everything I complain about Canada as well as a few others then you are new here or haven't been paying attention.

After well over 30 years in Japan, I still cannot get over the gaijin willing to make excuses or try and justify xenophobic articles and behaviour by the Japanese.

As others have pointed out, this article has more holes in it than a sieve, with the top one being that this was not actually they first time to have foreigners as clients, to giving the wrong information about who must present ID.

I did not realize that there were still hotels that did not swipe a credit card before issuing a room key. That still does not excuse what the guests did.

The guests owed the inn 57, 000 yen. Additional details not included in the article can be found here:

https://news.goo.ne.jp/article/fnn/nation/fnn-741469.html

True. Photos should be shared. Perps need to be named and made to pay.

Yeah, I can just imagine the hotel owner saying to the customers at check-in, 'Can I take a photo of you?'.

no one ever complains about Canada

Are you kidding me? I just watched a video about people complaining about the situation in Canada and the cost of living crisis. Wake up! I'm not even Canadian or Québecois.

This story sounds either very fishy or complete garbage.

A more informative link: https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1350720

The inn customarily requires id and contact info at check-in:

旅館ではチェックインの際、スマートフォンでパスポートの登録などをしてもらっていました

For an unspecified reason, this did not occur, with the ryokan trusting the two to provide the information later.

The inn does, however, have names and numbers for the runners:

2人の名前や電話番号は把握していました

It took me a few seconds to find the story, and a minute or so to read.

Foreign residents are not required to show their resident card. 

True. No resident of Japan is required to show ID.

Just curious to know where the guests were from.

how much was the damage?

Tucked away in the mountains of the Nagano Prefecture town of Takayama, Matsukawakan looks like a very nice place to spend a night or two. 

Pretty sure I stayed there before.

Times have changed since you lived here.

Yes, I know.

If you want an update then just go to the MOJ website.

Ok? What does this have to do with anything I said? I'm not sure why you addressed this comment to me, as it has nothing to do with anything I said.

All of us staying here over 3 months know what is necessary.

I haven't lived there in years and so do I.

how much was the damage?

How much was the damage? As I posted,

the guests owed the inn 57, 000 yen.

That information and additional details not included in the article can be found here:

https://news.goo.ne.jp/article/fnn/nation/fnn-741469.html

How did I find that? By typing in the name of the ryokan in Japanese- 松川館- and Nagano- 長野- and guests not paying- 観光客未払い。

Which led to links that added critical information lacking from the JT/Sora article.

If you live here and want to know what's happening, you absolutely cannot rely on sites such as this to keep you informed.

Learn Japanese- that is your only ticket to independence.

@kurisupisu

There's nothing concrete written about what's fantasy, so please write it down. Do I have to point it out every single time?

By the way, inbound consumption accounts for only 0.7% of Japan's GDP. Even if more than 30 million foreigners come, their share of GDP won't even be 1%. They don't have to come, do they? lol

For the longest time, foreigners have been damaging the trust of Japanese people, and this is the reason why it's difficult for foreigners to rent properties in Japan today.

I'm also surprised that there are opinions defending foreigners who stay in hotels without permission.

It's clearly a crime, isn't it?

Hotels should charge foreigners for payment in advance in the future.

For now, this will prevent unauthorized stays.

I would have thought the owner would have at least some record of their names and nationalities. Not recording any identification is an invitation for someone to commit a crime. I hope the police catch them. I can't stand badly behaved tourists.

Hi Hawk, I understand "dine and dash" insurance liability can be added/covered, however this will be an additional cost to a hospitably industry that is still recovering from a devastating pandemic.

I agree with smithinjapan sentiment, I feel embarrassed as a foreigner, Mother Japanese, Father, English, my accent is a give away, when selfish criminality, I believe a tiny minority, besmirches the behaviours/reputations of a the vast majority of foreign residents, overseas visitors that are law abiding and appreciative.

I do thoroughly enjoy these "out of the way" Ryokan inns, onsen/spas, local delicacies, such a lost of business can be harsh to bottom line.

@AntiquesavingAug. 9 02:05 pm JST

I'm not denying that. But we both know that other local jurisdictions' authorities have taken the opposite stance. Kanagawa is not wrong - it's also taking a balance, and I don't think anyone has openly challenged their stance. Just that unlike the critics' wishes the stance of the other jurisdictions is likely not to be wrong either. It's a matter of discretion.

I'd also add if you are a hotel in one of those other jurisdictions, you'd probably comply with the circular. The circular is not a legal act so it is not automatically illegal to fail to comply, but it does show the authorities' interpretation of the law. If it is not complied with and problems arise, the hotel may be held liable for not diligently fulfilling its substantive duties leading to consequences. They may be able to challenge this in court, but there is a degree of deference to executive authorities, and by the time you add this up, smart money is just to comply.

@StrangerlandAug. 9 02:19 pm JST

It could just be honest mistake. They thought they paid through the site, but hadn’t. Then they left thinking they’d paid, and being on vacation aren’t as readily contactable as people may normally be.

Surely they can remember whether they saw that little screen that asks for their Credit Card details. They'd probably also remember the frustration of being told to enter a "One Time Password" that's sent to their phone. Really, it's not that plausible you don't know whether you paid through the site or not.

Surely they can remember whether they saw that little screen that asks for their Credit Card details.

Why is this so sure? People traveling often book multiple hotels. Maybe they did remember that screen, but for a different hotel they paid for on this trip.

They'd probably also remember the frustration of being told to enter a "One Time Password" that's sent to their phone.

Only if the site on which they booked it required that. And again, if they were booking multiple sites, they could mix it up with a different hotel.

Hotels and Ryokans are often fully booked and usually I make a reservation in advance. Check-in procedures and payment are not the same in every hotel/ryokan. Every hotel is doing it somehow differently.

There should be a clear guideline from their hotel/ryokan association how to deal with guests when checking in.

Often elderly Japanese people do not even have any ID or keep them in their home.

I never had any problem checking into a hotel in Japan, but I have my creditcard and also resident card ready all time and I see no reason why I should not pay in advance. Some hotels in rural areas not accustomed to foreigners were asking me for ID but preferred my Japanese driving licence as I arrived anyway by car driving myself - they did not really understand what a resident card is about for.

What these foreigners did is really bad, but this ryokan has to improve its policy about check-in and payment.

I would say, if somebody shows up for check-in, cannot or is refusing to identify himself, has no creditcard as guarantee for payment- regardless if foreigner or Japanese - in such a case the hotel should firmly insist in payment in advance of at least the full room rate for the first night. No money = no room key.

What this ryokan considers to do in future is the wrong way to go. All Japanese and ALL foreigners regardless living in Japan or elsewhere should be handled in exactly the same way during check-in procedure.

https://news.goo.ne.jp/article/fnn/nation/fnn-741469.html#google_vignette

*今後は、同様のトラブルを防ぐため、外国人客にはチェックイン時の精算を求めていくとともに、旅館側の考えも伝えていきたいとしている。*

*In the future, in order to prevent similar troubles, the hotel will ask foreign guests to pay at the time of check-in, and will also communicate the inn's thoughts.*

Though not specified in the tweet, given the rural location of the inn, it’s likely that the guests had booked a package that included not only their room but meals too, making this a case of double damage to the hotel financially.

Not true, as per my post above.

The guests booked just the room.

It didn't take me long to find this out.

All you did was read a tweet, Sora correspondent? That's the editorial standard?

It's sad this happened but hopefully they've learned from this; charge people beforehand. That's what most of the world is doing anyway.

This might be the hotel: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2evtxwA2yHqXXMjX7

I hope the hotel gets their money.