“Is Japan cheap?”
To answer this question from the perspective of a traveler who knows the pulse of Singapore’s Orchard Road, the City of London, or the frantic energy of Shenzhen, the conclusion is stark:
Japan is not merely “cheap.”
It is a high-functioning civilization currently in a state of liquidation, being sold off at an irrational “negative premium.”
Beyond the superficial indices like the “Big Mac Index” or the abundance of 100-yen shops, let us examine the true nature of Japanese pricing through four critical lenses.
