Tourism Consumer Hotline for Tourists

An increasing number of overseas visitors are reaching out for advice about problems they encounter in Japan, such as unexpectedly small hotel rooms, counterfeit brand-name goods, or being charged higher prices than Japanese customers for identical services. The National Consumer Affairs Centre of Japan (NCAC) reported that its Consumer Hotline for Tourists received a record 388 consultation calls in fiscal 2024—an increase of 161 compared to fiscal 2023 and well above the previous high of 264 recorded in fiscal 2019.

The hotline, launched in December 2018, is available in seven languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, French, and Japanese. Of the calls received in fiscal 2024, 59.5% (231) were in Chinese, 25% (97) in English, 10.1% (39) in Japanese, and 4.9% (19) in Korean. The calls conducted in Japanese came either from tourists who could speak the language themselves or from Japanese acquaintances calling on their behalf. Accommodation-related issues proved the most common concern, accounting for 27% of all inquiries.

Callers said they found garbage and hair left in their guest rooms, and that their rooms were smaller than they looked in the photos on booking websites. They also said their purchased goods were broken after their luggage was handled roughly. Others complained about dual pricing at restaurants, saying they were asked to pay a service fee of up to 20 percent of the bill just because they were from overseas. Some noted that prices in Japanese menus were 10- to 20-percent lower than the prices in foreign-language menus. At least one caller said restaurants should tell customers in advance that they cannot take leftovers home. Callers also complained about the supposed healthy foods they bought at duty-free shops on bus tours. Others asked how to return or demand refunds for luxury brand bags that turned out to be fakes.

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thomas said:

such as unexpectedly small hotel rooms,

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One only sleeps in the hotel room

thomas said:

counterfeit brand-name goods,

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People go to Japan to buy…Armani etc?

thomas said:

or being charged higher prices than Japanese customers for identical services.

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That's naughty, but the Japanese staff do need to wear respirators when dealing with inbounds (because of strong fragrances) and receive PTSD counselling after witnessing inbounds sitting on steps and eating in public in a loud voice.

Ukigumo said:

People go to Japan to buy…Armani etc?

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Many do.