Tab (Tsuke)

Tsuke is leaving the bill unpaid, recorded by the venue, and settling it later in one go. It is an old custom at snack bars and high-end clubs, extended only to long-standing regulars whose payment the venue trusts; a first-time guest or a visitor cannot ask for it. You can say "put it on my tab" only once the venue has come to accept that from you.

At host clubs the same thing is called urikake. Cases of hosts covering guests' unpaid tabs, and guests running up debts, drew public attention; the trade has moved to abolish tabs and the law has been tightened through amendments to the Amusement Business Act.

For a visitor the conclusion is simple: settle the bill on the night, in cash or by card. If someone suggests paying later, you need not agree.