Japanese Teen’s $54K Bar Tab Won’t Be Paid Back

A teen’s $54K bar tab won’t be paid back in its entirety, a Japanese court has ruled.

Although the unidentified teenager racked up an impressive bar tab during his tour of Japanese hostess bars, a judge ruled that his father will only have to repay a fraction of the money.

It’s being reported that the adventure began when the 16-year-old and his friend stole his father’s American Express card. With plastic in-hand, the pair hit up several bars around Kyoto. Over the course of the evening, the teen and his buddy spent nearly $54,000 on expensive liquor from various establishments.

In case you were wondering, hostess bars allow men to spend time with beautiful women for a price. Most of the interaction is confined to flirting, drinking, and singing karaoke, though certain establishments do offer a bit more in exchange for cash. However, it’s believed that the teenagers did not pay for sex.

While the teen’s $54,000 bar tab was paid using his father’s American Express card, apparently the man won’t be responsible for all of the charges perpetrated by his son. Instead of the full amount, the father will only have to pay the equivalent of $3,700.

If elements of this story sound familiar, it’s likely because the incident took place back in 2010. However, the ruling that wiped away the majority of the damage done was recently handed down. Kyoto District Court said the credit card company would simply eat most of the charges.

It’s currently unknown if any of the hostess bars were approached by police since they allowed two minors to purchase alcohol at their establishments. Reports were also vague on the punishment the teenager received for stealing his father’s credit card.

What do you think about the Japanese teen’s $54K bar tab? Do you think it’s fair that his father doesn’t have to repay the entire amount?

[Image via Shutterstock.com]