Describe the Japanese obsession with the high cost of living in Japan.

Theroux said the first thing a visitor encounters in Japan was a warning about the excessively high consumer prices. He compared the stories of outrageous fees for simple items as similar to the hazing that seniors put freshmen through in school. Theroux believed the focus on money was a way to discourage visitors from staying too long, but added that although the cost of living in Japan was not low, it was still possible to find reasonable prices.