Last Chance to visit Japan at low price?

Some westerners may think Japan's price of commodity is still high. But it isn't. Although the commodity price was very high in 1990s, now many are inexpensive than other G-5 countries.



Suppose you pay about 3.68 euros for a drink at Starbucks in Germany, you can buy the drink at about 2.5 euros in Japan.



How much is Big-Mac in America now? It costs you $2.31 in Japan. Hamburger costs you 66 cent at McDonald's in Japan. How much is Starbucks's cafe late in America? It cost you 310 yen, $ 2.56 (Short size) in Japan now. I used to drop in Starbucks in Tokorozawa station when it costed me 280 yen, $ 2.31 at current exchange rate. Now I go to another coffee shop its late costs me only $ 1.73 and it contains less sugar than Starbucks's one.



I bought many things in America when I was a high school student. I think Tabacco was the only thing which is expensive than Japanese one. Marlboro costed 250 yen, $ 2.27 at exchange rate of the age, per pack includes 20 cigarets in Japan while it costed over $4 in some quarters in America. As I recall, I've seen Marlboro was selling at $ 4.4 at one Holiday-In in Arizona.



Now accommodation fee in Japan is gradually rising up. There are 2 reasons among I know. One is economic upturn. The other is cheap yen. Yen's ability to buy is weak now. People tends to go domestic tour now in comparison with what we used to.



Some Japanese analysts started to mention it would become "weakening of the dollar against the yen". Given Dow-Jones average doesn't run up anymore, Japan's NIKKEI which is reasonable in price may run up. People buy Yen through dealing stocks and investment trusts. As the result, Yen may run up. Sensuously, $1 is 100 yen. 1 Euro may 120 yen or so.

Now $1 is over 120 yen. 1 euro is over 160 yen. $1 was 79 yen once in 1990s. Japanese export-related businesses went to pale.



Japanese commodity price is inexpensive now. But those may run up. This year may become the last chance in 00s. Future is uncertain though.



Well, I will write about tourist attractions I can recommend in Japan tonight or tomorrow's night. In those place, there are not many non-Japanese people and you can enjoy Japanese traditional culture many non-Japanese tourists haven't experienced.



I took the photo at Koku-koen park.