TOKYO - Hotel prices in Japan have shot through the roof, leaving locals struggling to find affordable accommodation, while foreign tourists seem unfazed.
A tourist from Australia mentioned spending about 30,000 yen per night for a three-week stay, totaling 600,000 yen, which they consider normal. Meanwhile, a European visitor staying in Tokyo for a week finds the rate of 70,000 yen per night surprisingly affordable compared to European prices, which can be double that amount.
On the other hand, a woman from Aichi Prefecture finds the rates in Tokyo's city center, exceeding 10,000 yen per night, too steep. She was shocked to find a seafood bowl in Tsukiji priced over 5,000 yen, joking that it seemed one zero too many for their budget.
The average hotel price in Tokyo has surged from around 6,000 yen during the pandemic to nearly 16,000 yen now. The era of fixed prices has given way to dynamic pricing, where rates fluctuate in real-time based on supply and demand.
This aggressive pricing is supported by strong inbound demand, but it's the business travelers who are feeling the pinch. A male company employee noted that the influx of foreign guests makes it difficult for domestic business travelers to afford the rates, sometimes resorting to capsule hotels or manga cafes when budgets are exceeded.
