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Be Aware: Shady Practice, Hidden Charges at Izakaya In Japan

Do you check your receipt after you have done grocery-shopping to make sure that you are not overcharged for non-purchased items?  What about at a restaurant?  Probably rarely, right?  It is kind of not classy when you do so, especially on special occasions.  However, you SHOULD if you do not want to get overcharged in Japan.  This is why....

O-toshi or Tsuki-dashi

For a start, a little information about Izakaya restaurants/bars is helpful.  Izakayas have been getting popular outside of Japan.  Big cities in the United States, like New York and Chicago, have been embracing this new Izakaya trend.  Of course In Japan, they are excellent places to dine in.  You can enjoy small dishes, such as skewered chicken (Japanese: Yakitori), and Japanese Sake drinks (filtered or unfiltered) along with beer and non-alcohol drinks.  Izakayas are indeed unique and fit to some small gatherings of friends and co-workers.

Experiencing that Izakaya culture in Japan is really cool in that you can taste unique food and drinks.  You could also "taste" an authentic flavors or elements of Japanese  culture in person, one of which is hidden charges at Izakaya.  It is surely a surprise attack to foreign visitors and probably upsetting, but it is a standard practice in Japan.  Japanese people rarely even bother to challenge for corrections.  Here is how it works, or how you should prepare for these upsetting charges at Izakayas in Japan. 

When you walk in an Izakaya (beware that not all the Izakayas follow this practice!), small dishes are served, usually BEFORE or WHILE you are wondering what to order.  Literally small appetizers, such as marinated fish or radish (shown in the above picture) are placed on your table.  They are pre-cooked and "ready-to-go" dishes.  Each of your party can enjoy their individually served "O-toshi" or "Tsuki-dashi"(called in Japanese).  You would think this is a nice welcoming gesture, right?  Remember that you have not placed an order yet.  

Then, you start ordering food and drinks and enjoying them.  Dishes are delicious and drinks are super-cool in both terms of temperature and uniqueness.  When it comes to pay the bill, you should realize that "welcoming" small dishes are not free at all.  The charge for these "O-toshi"s (namely, for the number of persons in your party) is added to what you ordered.  Usually, each dish costs between 300 yen to 500 yen.  So, if you have 5 people in your group, you have to pay additional 1500 yen (suppose the small dish is only 300 yen).   (The O-toshi in the above picture costs 600 yen.)

Most of the times, you may prefer not to have that "O-toshi" or "Tsuki-dashi",  or you definitely want to control what to pay for, but you are kind of obligated to pay for them.  What if you did not check the bill before paying?  You would NEVER notice the hidden charges given to you!!  Unfortunately, you might have already been overcharged against your will.

Here comes a problem then.  Can we say "no" to that "O-toshi" or "Tsuki-dashi"?   Most Izakayas would definitely mind, but some might accept your requests, especially when you are foreigners.  In general, Japanese people do not bother to make such a request because they do not want to rock the boat.  They do not, especially when they are in social gatherings.  However, it does not necessarily mean that they blindly or willingly accept this strange hidden-charge custom.  Some Japanese Izakaya-goers have recently started claiming that they do not pay for what they do not order, much less for what they do not want.  Nobody likes being forced to pay, right?  This custom has aroused a hot debate in Japan.

Whether you can make a "no" request to "O-toshi" or "Tsuki-dashi," you had better examine the bill at Izakayas.  With this sneaky custom in mind, you could say "no" as soon as they are placed on your table.  Good luck!!