The number of foreign visitors to Japan in the first half of this year reached a record high. In shopping areas such as Shibuya and Ginza, you can see people arriving in large chartered buses and enjoying shopping at department stores and brand stores. When you walk through the downtown area, you can hear many different languages.
One of the reasons they visit Japan is the weak yen. Prices of everything are rising in this country as it tries to get out of deflation, but it is still cheap for foreigners. You can see this clearly by comparing the prices of hamburgers around the world using the Big Mac Index published by a British economic magazine. Speaking of fast food, a ramen shop in Meguro that has a constant line of customers is amazing because it serves a bowl of ramen for 600 yen, and you can call for "more vegetables, more garlic, more fat, more caramel." I think Westerners would find this value for money unbelievable.
When you think about it, the evolution of the internet and smartphones has greatly changed the way we travel. You can quickly book air tickets and hotels online, and with Google Maps you won't get lost in unfamiliar places. It's easy to look up popular restaurants, and Google Lens can translate menus in an instant.
One editor who is poor at English was traumatized by being questioned in detail about the reason for his stay at immigration in the United States, so he started attending an English conversation school. It looks like smartphones might soon be able to serve as interpreters as well.
