Other Tourist Scams in Nara

Fake Official Todai-ji Photography Service

Individuals posing as licensed temple photographers approach visitors near the Great Buddha Hall entrance at Todai-ji and offer to take professional photos for a stated "small fee." After taking several shots on the tourist's own phone, they switch to claiming payment for a separate "session" using their own camera and demand 2,000–5,000 yen for prints or a digital transfer that never materialises. Some operate in pairs where one distracts while the other handles payment.