[Pooge]

> A friend who'd never left the US was shocked to learn going to teppanyaki cost almost $200/person

Yes that is unfortunately true and sometimes they aren't even upfront about it. It's very common to have this fee in bars and izakaya[1].

But I would still argue that it's still quite affordable compared to other big cities.

I'm not arguing for the purchasing power of Japanese people inside Japan[2], but as a tourist it definitely seems like a first-tier destination without the price!

[1]: Japanese pub, basically

[2]: Trust me, they really did get the wrong end of the stick

Edit: After reading another comment, I actually misread Dollars for Yens and I think I was talking about something completely different!