[manarth]

The comparison isn't like-for-like: the article is describing sit-down restaurants where diners are likely to spend an hour or more in the restaurant.

A $5 ramen from a chain restaurant in Japan might be viewed as the equivalent of a UK McDonalds meal deal at £5.50 (UK prices generally translate 1 USD into 1 GBP, so it is more expensive in the UK, primarily accounted for by taxes).

[rjh29]

You can go to plenty of chains in Japan where you can spend an hour, you'll still spend half of what you pay in the UK.

McDonalds too, a Big Mac meal is £7.99, it is £3.60 in Japan.