Why is sushi in the US so much more expensive vs. Japan? Hi! I'm Japanese having lived in Japan most of my life, but saw when visiting the US/hearing from my Western friends how much more expensive sushi is (maybe 3-4x more expensive than here in Japan). I've seen nigiri at US Kura Sushi costing $3-4+ (400-500+ yen) per plate, whereas I'd get the same thing here, probably even fresher, for a little over 100 yen... Even some "special" rolls that feel super over-priced at $15-20/roll (and it's not even ootoro!) + TIP!! >.< Is there a specific reason(s) for this or is Japanese food in the US/West perceived to be more "luxurious" in your opinion? I imagine (at least in coastal areas) that you could get the same or similar types of fish, but is it an import/export issue? Or more of a perception/"everyone else charges these prices" type of thing? Of course, there are different quality of fish, restaurants, locations, exchange rate, etc.…