From an Asahi article: “Foreigners take advantage of weak yen to feast on pricey dishes”.
It refers to a new seafood eatery in Toyosu which is charging up to 7,800 yen for seafood bowls, which have been christened “inbound-don” (a ropey pun on rice bowls and “inbound” tourists).
This was the first I heard of it but “inbound pricing” (インバウンド価格) has become a hot topic recently, as hotels and restaurants in particular set their prices at a level that US tourists expect to pay, rather than what Japanese can afford.
Tourist traps are nothing new – remember Robot Restaurant? – but with the yen at 155 to the dollar and tourism at an all-time high the situation has become more extreme than before.
I wondered what examples of this people have seen. Or have you had any recent experiences of being charged more because you’re a foreigner? (Obviously this is bad news for those of us who still earn in yen…)
by Bob_the_blacksmith