LogFAQs > #979832499

action52 posted...

Japan used to be expensive. Back when the bubble economy was in full swing, prices were ridiculous. But it's gradually been getting cheaper and cheaper.

Since the pandemic the exchange rates on yen have become extremely low, which has made it jump up in the rankings compare to other countries.

What I've read is that prices in the bubble economy were insane compared other countries, then Japan basically went into a deep recession from the early 90s until today. Because of this, prices froze while inflation kept ticking along in the rest of the world.

Don't know how true that is, but when I lived in South Korea I went to Japan five times I think and always found it surprisingly reasonable. Hotel rooms in the big cities were small and a bit expensive but like half the price it would be in a big American city. Food was pretty cheap, and you could fill yourself up with a massive sushi meal with beer for like $20, or get a quick lunch for like $5.

Don't know what prices are like today but it's nice to hear that it's still cheap. The Japanese really don't like raising prices on anything.