Reference
What food costs in Japan
Every guide tells you a place is cheap or expensive. Almost none tell you what the normal price is. This page is the answer in one table: what the government price survey says, what a resident expects to pay, and where tourist areas sit against both.
The line¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13)Above this for a lunch, a Japanese customer stops and decides rather than simply ordering. It holds even somewhere good, even somewhere famous.
Everyday prices, to scale — Tokyo ward area
The kinds of number on this page
Survey
Published figures from the Retail Price Survey run by the Statistics Bureau of Japan, for the Tokyo ward area. The survey does not publish a national average for eating out, so this page does not claim one. The item definition and the month surveyed are given as published, not rounded or reworded. Refreshed monthly — last checked 2026-10-04.
Local
My own reference price, for dishes the survey does not cover. It is the level at which a Japanese customer orders without thinking about it, with the month I last checked.
Chain
Menu prices from the big everyday chains, read from each chain's own website: tax included, eating in, regular size, an ordinary Tokyo branch. Shown as a range with the chains named, never as an average. A chain that does not publish its prices is left out rather than guessed. Checked monthly — last checked 5 Oct 2026.
Both
Where the survey and the street disagree, this page shows both. Ramen is the clearest case: the surveyed figure is well under what a bowl actually costs in Tokyo once you order it the way people order it.
Tourist area
What the same dish costs where visitors are the customers. Sourced or seen, with the date either way.
Noodles 麺類6/6
The most reliable anchor in Japanese eating out. Everyday food, sold at prices that barely moved for a decade until recently. Somen is left out: it is a summer dish eaten at home, not a restaurant category.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramenラーメン | ¥1,000 (≈ €6 / $6)Survey says ¥620 (≈ €3 / $4)Chains ¥420–¥748 | — | LocalFrom ¥800 for a plain bowl in Tokyo, about ¥1,000 once you add toppings · Oct 2026Survey中華そば（しょう油味）外食 1杯 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainPlain soy-sauce ramen, one bowl · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Tsukemen (dipping noodles)つけ麺 | ¥900 (≈ €5 / $6)Chain ¥990 | — | LocalTokyo, a standard bowl · Oct 2026ChainStandard tsukemen · Oct 2026Tsukemen TETSU: price and source
|
| Soba日本そば | ¥788 (≈ €4 / $5) | — | Survey日本そば 外食 1枚 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部 |
| Udonうどん | ¥818 (≈ €5 / $5)Chains ¥360–¥440 | — | Surveyうどん 外食 1杯 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainPlain kake udon, regular · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Yakisoba焼きそば | ¥600 (≈ €3 / $4) | — | LocalTokyo, as a dish at a restaurant · Oct 2026 |
| Standing soba at a station立ち食いそば | ¥500 (≈ €3 / $3)Chains ¥390–¥450 | — | LocalThe cheapest hot meal on a Japanese platform, and one of the best-value · Oct 2026ChainPlain kake soba · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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Sushi 寿司5/5
The dish every visitor has an opinion about and no reference price for. The survey covers conveyor-belt sushi only, which is itself the useful anchor.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conveyor-belt sushi回転ずし | from ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13)Survey says ¥241 (≈ €1 / $2)Chains ¥110–¥120 | — | LocalA whole meal for one person. The survey figure beside it is for two pieces of tuna, not a bill · Oct 2026Survey回転ずし店 にぎりずし／まぐろ（赤身）／2個 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainCheapest plate · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Sushi restaurant, lunch set寿司店のランチ | ¥1,500 (≈ €8 / $9)Chain ¥1,188–¥2,530 | — | LocalLess than half what the same counter charges in the evening · Oct 2026ChainWeekday lunch nigiri set, with soup and chawanmushi · Oct 2026Sushizanmai: price and source
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| Sushi restaurant, dinner寿司店の夜 | from ¥4,000 (≈ €23 / $25)Chain ¥3,828–¥5,478 | — | LocalAnd upwards with no ceiling · Oct 2026ChainNigiri set from the regular menu · Oct 2026Sushizanmai: price and source
|
| Standing sushi bar立ち食い寿司 | from ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13) | — | LocalStanding does not mean cheap here — it means fast, and often very good · Oct 2026 |
| Supermarket sushi pack持ち帰りパック寿司 | from ¥1,000 (≈ €6 / $6) | — | LocalHalf price in the evening at most supermarkets · Oct 2026 |
Rice bowls 丼もの6/6
Where the gap between everyday Japan and tourist Japan opens widest. A seafood bowl has no official figure, which is exactly why its price can be anything.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyudon (beef bowl)牛丼 | ¥489 (≈ €3 / $3)Chains ¥460–¥498 | — | Survey牛丼 外食 1杯 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainBeef bowl, regular size · Oct 2026 |
| Oyakodon (chicken and egg)親子丼 | ¥780 (≈ €4 / $5)Chain ¥480 | — | LocalTokyo, a standard shop · Oct 2026ChainOyakodon, regular size · Oct 2026Nakau: price and source
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| Katsudon (pork cutlet)カツ丼 | ¥980 (≈ €6 / $6)Chains ¥650–¥690 | — | LocalTokyo, a standard shop · Oct 2026ChainKatsudon, regular size · Oct 2026 |
| Tendon (tempura)天丼 | ¥980 (≈ €6 / $6)Chain ¥730 | — | LocalTokyo, a standard shop · Oct 2026ChainThe standard tempura bowl · Oct 2026Tenya: price and source
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| Unaju (eel)うな重 | from ¥2,500 (≈ €14 / $16)Chains ¥1,060–¥1,900 | — | LocalEel is the one everyday dish that is genuinely expensive in Japan · Oct 2026ChainUnaju, basic grade · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Kaisendon (seafood bowl)海鮮丼 | ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13) | ¥4,500 (≈ €25 / $28)Kuromon (Osaka) and Nishiki (Kyoto), ¥4,000–5,000 | LocalNo official figure exists. Below this, a Japanese customer orders without thinking · Oct 2026 |
Set meals and washoku 定食・和食6/6
The default lunch for working Japan, and the format where the price tells you most about the place.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled fish set焼魚定食 | from ¥1,200 (≈ €7 / $8)Chains ¥1,090–¥1,230 | — | LocalRice, soup and pickles included — this is the standard Japanese lunch · Oct 2026ChainGrilled mackerel set meal · Oct 2026 |
| Tonkatsu setとんかつ定食 | from ¥1,700 (≈ €10 / $11)Chains ¥690–¥1,530 | — | LocalAbove the ¥2,000 line once you order the better cut · Oct 2026ChainPork loin cutlet set meal · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Tempura, counter, lunch天ぷら（カウンターの昼） | from ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13) | — | LocalThe same counter in the evening is several times this · Oct 2026 |
| Sukiyaki, per personすき焼き（1人前） | from ¥3,500 (≈ €20 / $22)Chains ¥1,430–¥3,190 | — | LocalA shared pot, so the figure is per head · Oct 2026ChainBeef sukiyaki for one, not all-you-can-eat · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Shabu-shabu, per personしゃぶしゃぶ（1人前） | from ¥3,500 (≈ €20 / $22)Chains ¥1,649–¥3,608 | — | LocalSame level as sukiyaki, and usually the same kind of restaurant · Oct 2026ChainShabu-shabu for one · Oct 2026 |
| Kaiseki course, per person会席・懐石（1人前） | from ¥7,000 (≈ €39 / $44) | — | LocalThe floor, not the typical. This is the one category where there is no ceiling and no reference price · Oct 2026 |
Meat 肉5/5
The single most satisfying thing visitors report eating in Japan — ahead of sushi by a factor of two. Also where "wagyu" on a sign stops meaning anything specific. Teppanyaki is left out: in practice it is the same purchase as a wagyu steak.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakiniku, per person焼肉（1人あたり） | from ¥4,000 (≈ €23 / $25)Chains ¥3,058–¥3,828 | — | LocalGrilling it yourself, one person, with drinks · Oct 2026ChainAll-you-can-eat course, cheapest to standard, drinks extra · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Wagyu steak, lunch和牛ステーキ（昼） | from ¥6,000 (≈ €34 / $38)Matsunami ¥6,600 | — | LocalLunch at Matsunami in Asakusa. The same counter in the evening is roughly double · Oct 2026Named restaurantWagyu sirloin steak lunch · Oct 2026Menu price and source
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| Wagyu steak, dinner和牛ステーキ（夜） | from ¥13,000 (≈ €73 / $82)Matsunami ¥8,800 | — | LocalDinner at the same counter in Asakusa · Oct 2026Named restaurantThe cheapest wagyu steak course · Oct 2026Menu price and source
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| Yakitori, per skewer焼鳥（1本） | from ¥200 (≈ €1 / $1)Chains ¥154–¥209 | — | LocalPriced per skewer, and nobody orders one. A meal is several, plus drinks · Oct 2026ChainOne skewer · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Jingisukan (lamb)ジンギスカン（1人前） | from ¥3,000 (≈ €17 / $19) | — | LocalA Hokkaido dish, and cheaper there than in Tokyo · Oct 2026 |
Griddle and street food 粉もの・B級5/5
Osaka and Hiroshima food, and the category where a tourist-area version costs triple without tasting better.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okonomiyakiお好み焼き | from ¥980 (≈ €6 / $6)Chain ¥1,180 | — | LocalOsaka and Hiroshima versions are different dishes at a similar price · Oct 2026ChainPork okonomiyaki (butatama) · Oct 2026Chibo: price and source
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| Takoyaki, 6-8 piecesたこ焼き（6〜8個） | from ¥500 (≈ €3 / $3)Chain ¥715 | — | LocalA snack rather than a meal, and the classic thing to eat while walking · Oct 2026ChainTakoyaki, eight pieces · Oct 2026Gindaco: price and source
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| Monjayakiもんじゃ | from ¥800 (≈ €5 / $5) | — | LocalTokyo, and almost unknown outside it · Oct 2026 |
| Kushikatsu, per skewer串カツ（1本） | from ¥250 (≈ €1 / $2)Chains ¥143–¥209 | — | LocalPriced per skewer. A meal is several, and the sauce is not for dipping twice · Oct 2026ChainOne beef skewer · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Gyoza, one plate餃子（1皿） | from ¥400 (≈ €2 / $3)Chains ¥300–¥363 | — | LocalA side dish in Japan, not a main · Oct 2026ChainPan-fried gyoza, six pieces · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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Hotpot and soup 鍋・汁物4/4
Mostly a dinner-for-two-or-more format, which makes the per-person figure the one that matters.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motsunabe, per personもつ鍋（1人前） | from ¥3,000 (≈ €17 / $19)Chains ¥1,958–¥2,508 | — | LocalA Fukuoka dish, usually ordered for two or more · Oct 2026ChainMotsunabe, one portion · Oct 2026 |
| Mizutaki, per person水炊き（1人前） | from ¥2,500 (≈ €14 / $16) | — | LocalAlso Fukuoka, and the gentler of the two · Oct 2026 |
| Oden, per pieceおでん（1個） | from ¥250 (≈ €1 / $2)Chains ¥130.68–¥160 | — | LocalPriced per piece, including at convenience stores in winter · Oct 2026ChainOne piece of daikon · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Miso soup, as a side味噌汁（単品） | from ¥200 (≈ €1 / $1)Chains ¥96–¥110 | — | LocalUsually included with a set meal — this is the price when it is not · Oct 2026ChainMiso soup ordered on its own · Oct 2026 |
Izakaya and drinks 居酒屋・酒5/6
The place visitors most often get a bill they did not expect — usually not because of the food, but because of what was added to it.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izakaya, per person with drinks居酒屋（1人あたり・飲み物込み） | ¥3,000 (≈ €17 / $19) | — | LocalWhat a normal night out comes to per head. Not a floor — this is the typical bill · Oct 2026 |
| Otoshi (compulsory small dish)お通し | No fixed price | — | No numberA small dish arrives unordered and a seat charge is added. It is standard practice, not a scam, and it is rarely written in English.There is a scale: ¥300 is generous, ¥500 is normal, ¥1,000 means you are being taken. You cannot usually decline it, so read it as a cover charge and judge the place by it. |
| Draft beer生ビール（1杯） | ¥650 (≈ €4 / $4)Budget chains ¥410–¥659 | — | LocalPer glass, at an independent izakaya · Oct 2026Budget chainDraft beer, one glass · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Sake, one go (180ml)日本酒（1合） | from ¥1,000 (≈ €6 / $6)Budget chains ¥410–¥549 | — | LocalOne go is 180ml, about a glass and a half · Oct 2026Budget chainThe basic sake on the menu · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Highballハイボール（1杯） | from ¥500 (≈ €3 / $3)Budget chains ¥410–¥499 | — | LocalWhisky and soda, the default cheap drink · Oct 2026Budget chainThe basic highball · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Shochu焼酎（1杯） | from ¥450 (≈ €3 / $3)Budget chains ¥328–¥549 | — | LocalUsually the cheapest thing on the drinks list · Oct 2026Budget chainCheapest glass of shochu · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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Cafes and sweets 喫茶・甘味5/5
Useful for calibrating everything else. A coffee is the cheapest way to learn what a place thinks it is.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee, cafeコーヒー（喫茶店） | ¥637 (≈ €4 / $4)Chains ¥300–¥580 | — | Surveyコーヒー 外食 1杯 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainBrewed coffee, smallest size · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Matcha with a sweet抹茶と和菓子 | ¥1,000 (≈ €6 / $6) | — | LocalA guide only. Dedicated tea houses are rare now, so the price varies widely · Oct 2026 |
| Kakigori (shaved ice)かき氷 | from ¥700 (≈ €4 / $4) | — | LocalAt an old-style specialist. Those have thinned out, and the photogenic cafes that replaced them charge 2,000 to 3,000 for the same bowl of ice. Not worth it on a tight budget · Oct 2026 |
| Parfaitパフェ | from ¥800 (≈ €5 / $5)Chains ¥439–¥1,298 | — | LocalAt a cafe · Oct 2026ChainA standard chocolate sundae or parfait at a family restaurant · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Crepeクレープ | from ¥500 (≈ €3 / $3)Chain ¥450–¥750 | — | LocalA street stand, eaten walking · Oct 2026ChainStandard crepes, cheapest to most expensive · Oct 2026Dipper Dan: price and source
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Takeaway and prepared food テイクアウト・中食5/5
Where Japan is genuinely cheap, and where a long trip saves real money. Also the fairest comparison against a tourist-area stall.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convenience store onigiriコンビニおにぎり | from ¥150 (≈ €0.8 / $0.9)Chains ¥145.80–¥354 | — | LocalA wide band — 150 for a plain one, up to 350 for salmon roe or tuna belly · Oct 2026ChainPlain salted rice ball up to the dearest regular one · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Convenience store bentoコンビニ弁当 | ¥700 (≈ €4 / $4)Chains ¥398–¥754 | — | LocalA full meal, hot, at any hour · Oct 2026ChainThe range of boxed meals on sale in the Kanto region · Oct 20263 chains: prices and sources
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| Ekiben (station bento)駅弁 | from ¥1,200 (≈ €7 / $8)Chains ¥700–¥2,100 | — | LocalUp to 2,000 for the regional ones. About twice a convenience store bento · Oct 2026ChainStation bento on sale at Tokyo Station · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Department store deli, one itemデパ地下惣菜（1品） | from ¥400 (≈ €2 / $3)Chain ¥368–¥799 | — | LocalSold by weight or by brand, so there is no ceiling. Some counters mark prices down in the last two or three hours, not always (JNTO) · Oct 2026ChainSalad sold by weight, per 100g · Oct 2026RF1: price and source
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| Bakery, one itemパン（1個・専門店） | from ¥300 (≈ €2 / $2) | — | LocalAt a proper bakery. A supermarket loaf is a different purchase · Oct 2026 |
Fast food and chains ファストフード4/4
The floor of eating out in Japan, and a useful reminder of how little a meal can cost.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburgerハンバーガー | ¥280 (≈ €2 / $2)Chains ¥190–¥250 | — | Surveyハンバーガー 外食 1個 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainThe plain hamburger · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Curry riceカレーライス | ¥930 (≈ €5 / $6)Chains ¥646–¥680 | — | Surveyカレーライス 外食 1皿 · Aug 2026 · 特別区部ChainPlain curry rice, regular size · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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| Gyudon chain, regular牛丼チェーン（並） | ¥490 (≈ €3 / $3)Chains ¥460–¥498 | — | LocalThe one case on this page where the survey figure and the street agree almost exactly · Oct 2026ChainBeef bowl, regular size · Oct 2026 |
| Family restaurant, lunchファミレスのランチ | from ¥980 (≈ €6 / $6)Chains ¥500–¥824 | — | LocalDrink bar usually extra · Oct 2026ChainWeekday lunch set, drink bar extra · Oct 2026 |
Breakfast 朝食3/3
The decision long-stay visitors make eleven times. A hotel buffet against a set breakfast outside is the single biggest repeating choice in a two-week trip.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel breakfast buffetホテルの朝食ビュッフェ | from ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13)Chain ¥1,500–¥2,300 | — | LocalDepends on the grade of hotel, and Tokyo runs high. Over eleven mornings this is the biggest repeating decision of a two-week trip · Oct 2026ChainBreakfast buffet, one adult, booked in advance · Oct 2026APA Hotel: price and source
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| Japanese set breakfast和朝食 | ¥600 (≈ €3 / $4)Chains ¥330–¥430 | — | LocalPlaces serving a proper morning teishoku are scarce. The gyudon chains fill the gap with a breakfast set · Oct 2026ChainCheapest Japanese breakfast set: rice, miso soup, egg or natto · Oct 2026 |
| Cafe morning set喫茶店のモーニング | ¥1,000 (≈ €6 / $6)Chains ¥500–¥580 | — | LocalA Tokyo figure. In Kansai and especially around Aichi it is about 500, and often comes free with a coffee — morning service is a western-Japan institution that barely exists in Tokyo · Oct 2026ChainMorning set with a coffee · Oct 20262 chains: prices and sources
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Markets and street stalls 市場・食べ歩き3/4
The same dishes as above, sold where visitors are the customers. The difference is not a premium — it is a different category of purchase.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seafood bowl at a market市場の海鮮丼 | ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13) | ¥4,500 (≈ €25 / $28)Kuromon, Nishiki, ¥4,000–5,000 | LocalThe same bowl one street back · Oct 2026 |
| Grilled skewer at a stall串もの（1本） | ¥500 (≈ €3 / $3) | ¥2,000 (≈ €11 / $13)Wagyu skewers at a tourist arcade | LocalWhat a skewer costs at a festival stall · Oct 2026 |
| Eating skewers in the street is not an everyday Japanese habit. It belongs to festivals — yakitori, chocolate-covered bananas, toffee apples — and the ¥500 figure is that world. The ¥2,000 wagyu skewer is a different thing entirely: a format invented in the 2000s aimed at visitors. Japanese people essentially do not buy them. | |||
| One item while walking食べ歩き1品 | ¥500 (≈ €3 / $3) | ¥1,000 (≈ €6 / $6)The upper end in a tourist area | LocalOne coin. The recognised ceiling for street food · Oct 2026 |
| One coin — ¥500 — is what Japanese people understand street food to cost. Spending ¥1,000 on something eaten while walking puts you in comfortable-income territory by local standards. Above ¥1,000 in a tourist area, the price is set for inbound visitors and for nobody else. | |||
| Crab leg, grilled焼きガニ（1本） | not set yet | from ¥1,500 (≈ €8 / $9)Crab regions such as Niigata, at a stall | — |
| This is the real selling price where crab is a local product. Two things follow. Tokyo barely eats crab at all, so a crab stall in Tokyo is already out of place. And in the crab regions themselves, people eat it at home rather than at a stall — so even locals are not paying the stall price. | |||
When there is no number 値段が書いていないもの0/4
The limit of this page. These are the charges that appear at the till rather than on the menu — and the reason a reference price matters most exactly where it does not exist.
| Dish | Everyday price | Tourist area | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jika (market price)時価 | No fixed price | — | No numberThe menu gives no figure because the wholesale price moves daily. Common for sushi toppings, crab, fugu, lobster, wild-caught fish and matsutake. It is a legitimate practice, not a trick — but it removes your reference point entirely.Ask the price before you order. This is not rude, and Japanese customers do it. "Kore wa jika desu ka? O-ikura desu ka?" — Is this market price? How much is it? |
| Service chargeサービス料 | No fixed price | — | No numberTypically 10–15% added at hotels and higher-end restaurants, stated in small print rather than on the dish price.Assume it at any hotel restaurant or ryotei. It is separate from consumption tax. |
| Seat charge and late-night surcharge席料・深夜割増 | No fixed price | — | No numberSome bars add a cover charge, and some add a percentage after 22:00 or midnight.Look for a small notice at the entrance or on the menu cover before sitting down. |
| All-you-can-eat time limit食べ放題の時間制限 | No fixed price | — | No numberThe headline price covers a fixed window, usually 90 or 120 minutes, with an extension charged separately.Check the window when you order, not when you are enjoying yourself. |
How complete this is
68 of 68 dishes have a figure. Eight come from the government price survey; the rest come from someone who eats them, with the month each was checked. 45 also carry menu prices from the everyday chains, last checked against the chains' own websites on 5 Oct 2026. Where the survey and the street disagree, both are shown rather than one being quietly dropped.
Prices are in Japanese yen. Conversions are approximate, at ¥177.30 to the euro and ¥158.23 to the US dollar as of 20 Oct 2026. Rates come from the European Central Bank, which publishes on working days only. What food costs in Japan →