Expensive Japan

Editor’s Notes

I came across a very interesting blog post on Japan Quirky Blog called ‘Expensive Things in Japan,’ which lists a bunch of random costs of things Here are some interesting ones…just take off two zeros from the numbers to get US dollar estimates:

1. Starting up your own mobile ramen-selling truck (ramen yatai): 1,500,000 yen

2. Running an ad on the giant TV screen at Studio Alta for a week: 600,000 yen - Studio Alta is Shinjuku, Tokyo’s most popular meeting spot. Studio Alta is not only a shopping mall building, but the top floor is the studio of a very popular noon-hour talk show, Waratte Iitomo (It’s Okay to Laugh) , hosted by Tamori (the man known to wear sunglasses all the time - pic to the left). The show is as big as, let’s say, Ellen’s talk show. There’s always celebrities hanging around in that area too!

3. Getting a ten-character kaimyo (戒名 - a Buddhist name given to people to use in the next world): 850,000 yen