When Yoshihiko Koyama ordered a fried dumplings set meal at a well-known Chinese chain restaurant in Tokyo in September he noticed something different — the price was a little higher than his previous visit.
Koyama was charged ¥710 instead of the ¥670 he usually paid for the set menu in a Hidakaya restaurant in the capital's Okachimachi district, illustrating how eateries and restaurant chains such as Hiday Hidaka are passing on soaring material and energy costs to consumers.
"It feels like a small increase but it's happening at other restaurants too," said 74-year-old Koyama who works in the jewelry industry in the area. "The cumulative effect can be huge."