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Kabukichō (Japanese: 歌舞伎町, Kabuki-chō, pronounced [kabɯki̥ tɕoː]) is an entertainment district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Kabuki-chō is the location of many host and hostess clubs, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the “Sleepless Town” (眠らない街, Nemuranai Machi, pronounced [nemɯɾanai matɕiꜜ]). Shinjuku Golden Gai, famous for its plethora of small bars, is part of Kabuki-cho.
The district’s name comes from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater, and although the theater was never built, the name stuck.
The area has many movie theaters, and is located near Shinjuku Station, Seibu Shinjuku Station, and several other major railway and subway stations.
In 2004, according to a spokesperson of Metropolitan Tokyo, there were more than 1,000 yakuza members in Kabukichō, and 120 different enterprises under their control.
Bottakuri is a form of bait-and-switch, where patrons are attracted by a low advertised price but then charged numerous hidden fees. In one instance, a group of nine was lured into a bar under the promise the all-inclusive cost was ¥4,000; the hostesses inside consumed 172 drinks and the final bill was ¥2,663,000. The staff at the bar allegedly threatened the patrons to ensure payment. In 2015, there were 1,052 reported cases of bottakuri in the first four months of the year alone, particularly targeting foreign tourists from China and Korea