{"id":1433,"date":"2023-01-13T19:59:51","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T03:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovefortraveling.com\/?p=1433"},"modified":"2023-04-25T01:26:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T09:26:07","slug":"why-is-pizza-so-expensive-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovefortraveling.com\/why-is-pizza-so-expensive-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Pizza so Expensive in Japan?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve been getting this question for a while now, and I always answer it in the same way: It’s because Japan is an island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, Japan also has some of the highest rates globally for importing goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, no matter which city you’re in, there is bound to be imported that will be more expensive than the equivalent elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an Italian, this topic is in my culture, and later in this post, I will show you an exciting fact, so keep reading!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is Pizza in Japan expensive?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Why-is-Pizza-in-Japan-expensive\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because cheese is expensive to import, it makes sense that pizza in Japan would also be subject to these influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I believe three other factors play a huge role in the price of not only pizza. But food in general in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone should keep this in mind when they think about why food is so expensive in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The first factor, and most important of all, is labor costs<\/strong>. In Japan, labor is not cheap compared to most other places worldwide. Making this effect even more decisive is that no foreign or immigrant workers would be willing to work for a lower wage than what Japanese people would ask.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Another factor is the size of the country relative to its population<\/strong>. If we compare Japan to a country like France, we notice that not only does the land of the rising sun has more people and a higher density per square meter. It is a small country with a high population.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    Country<\/th>Area<\/th>Population<\/th>Density<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    France<\/strong><\/td>640,679 km2<\/sup><\/td>67,413,000<\/td>116\/km2<\/sup> (300.4\/sq mi)<\/td><\/tr>
    Japan<\/strong><\/td>377,975 km2<\/sup><\/td>125,360,000<\/td>334\/km2<\/sup> (865.1\/sq mi)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    France is about twice as big as Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As such, they can grow their vegetables and fruit to avoid the high costs of imports. Japan is too small for that, depriving the country of the luxury of producing its food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Finally, there is another element I would like to point out: taxes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’m not talking about sales tax here; most countries have sales tax to pay for most of their expenses using the taxes people pay for buying things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’m talking about something more like the inheritance tax or gift tax. (more here)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This tells you that anything you’re giving away to someone else is not yours anymore; therefore, it’s also subject to taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Japan has some of the highest taxes globally (sales included), making every bite we take slightly more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a result of these factors, it’s probably easy to see why food in Japan is so much more expensive than in other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other reasons why pizza costs more in Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Japan’s agricultural industry is almost non-existent, so it makes up for not importing too many crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, Japan has the highest livestock ratio, meaning they have to import animal feed and meat and dairy products, which cost a lot, especially in Japan’s costly grocery stores. <\/p>\n\n\n