Cheap sushi in Japan? Not for much longer as businesses charge tourists more than locals

Japanese businesses say ‘urgent necessity’ – such as rising labour costs – is driving them to introduce dual pricing so tourists pay more

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Tourists on Nakamise-dori, a shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, in 2024. In Japan, a growing number of restaurant and attraction operators are looking at charging foreign visitors more than residents. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:42pm, 23 Jul 2024

As Japan copes with an influx of tourists driven by the yen’s weakness, a growing number of restaurant and attraction operators are looking at charging foreign visitors more than residents, a development that has sparked concerns it may conflict with how the country wants to market itself.

Two-tiered systems where foreign travellers are charged higher prices than local people have mostly been seen in developing countries, leading to concerns that Japan could end up compromising its image as a high-end tourist destination.

But some businesses and entities have argued that the dual-price system is not meant to “rip off” visitors but done out of “urgent necessity”, citing rising labour and other costs as tourists numbers swell.

“How can we set the same menu price for local Japanese-speaking people and for foreign tourists, who require special help in English?” said Shogo Yonemitsu, owner of buffet-style seafood restaurant Tamatebako in the bustling Shibuya district in Tokyo.

A customer at Tamatebako in Tokyo. The restaurant charges foreign tourists more for the same meal than it charges Japanese and foreigners living in Japan. Photo: Instagram/@tamatebako_shibuya

Since its opening in April, the restaurant has charged foreign tourists 7,678 yen (US$49) for an all-you-can-eat and drink seafood buffet for a weekday dinner, while Japanese and foreigners living in Japan can have the same meal for 1,100 yen less.