THE PRICE OF JAPAN

Cheap dinners, expensive cheese and the strange mathematics of the yen

On our recent trip to Hokkaido, my brother flew over from Switzerland and quickly developed a habit.

Whenever we bought something, he would convert the price into Swiss francs in his head.

Then he would look puzzled.

Surely there must be some mistake.

Things couldn’t possibly be that cheap.

But they were.

At least to him.

A lavish dinner with a starter, dessert and wine – the sort of meal that can produce an eye-watering bill in Switzerland — turned out to be something of a bargain.

For us, it was still reasonably cheap. Even without the benefit of the favourable exchange rate, eating out in Japan can be surprisingly affordable compared with many other countries.

Hotels, however, are another story.

For similar four-star accommodation in Hokkaido, we paid around 40 per cent more for a double or twin room per night than we had paid last year in Switzerland and the UK.

Fortunately, I did the maths after returning from the trip.

Had I done it beforehand, I might have had second thoughts about going.

It is easy to see why Japan has become such a magnet for foreign visitors.

For years, Japan had a reputation for being one of the world’s expensive countries.

That reputation now feels rather outdated.

About six years ago, ¥100 was roughly equivalent to one Swiss franc.

Today, it is closer to two.

For Japanese travellers visiting Switzerland, that means prices have effectively doubled – before even taking Swiss inflation into account.

For someone visiting Japan from Switzerland, it means the opposite.

Japan has effectively become half-price.

There is one small problem.

I live here.

Which means I don't get to enjoy the exchange rate when I go shopping.

And this becomes particularly painful when buying imported food.

These days, imported products seem to come in two sizes:

Mini size.

And maxi price.

The other day, I fancied some good old Swiss comfort food: Cordon Bleu.

Since Japanese butchers don't generally stock ready-made Cordon Bleu, this requires a little DIY.

Pork cutlets.

Ham.

Cheese.

Simple enough.

Until I looked at the price of Emmental and Gruyère.

I stared at the shelf.

The shelf stared back.

At that price, my Cordon Bleu was going to become a vegetarian dish.

So I looked for an alternative.

And found one.

Cheddar from Tokachi, right on our doorstep in Hokkaido.

It cost less than half the price of the Swiss cheeses.

I have never seen a Cordon Bleu recipe recommending Cheddar.

But then, I have also never seen one written by someone who has recently looked at the price of Emmental in Japan.

So I gave it a try.

And you know what?

It was excellent.

Perhaps there is a lesson here.

Japan may currently be wonderfully cheap for visitors from Switzerland.

But for those of us who live here, some things remain reassuringly expensive.

Especially if they come wrapped in a Swiss flag.

Fortunately, there is always Hokkaido Cheddar.