If you're wondering why things are relatively expensive in Japan, take a look at what a part time kitchen staff/floor staff earns in Japan:
Photo was taken from one of the notice boards at Shinjuku station in Tokyo.
The pay of JPY1,050 per hour is equivalent to the wages of a full time assistant manager or manager in Malaysia! Do the math and you'll know what I mean.
However this rate of wages for a kitchen staff/floor staff is justified due to the high cost of living in Japan. Imagine if their wages is low, people won't be able to survive.
So if a part time restaurant helper already earns this much, I wonder how much a manager earns in Japan? Probably equivalent to the wages of a CEO in Malaysia? Just kidding ... but who knows.