Why are Japanese restaurants so expensive?

well, when you learn how to prepare food for a restaurant full of people wanting a diverse amount of sushi, then I'll agree. I eat sushi all the time, watch the chefs in action and am always amazed at the skill. If you don't understand the skill involved with making Japanese cuisine, you should maybe read into it a little. Dishes that look very simple are difficult to plate (present). It's delicate. It's feng shui for food. try doing it at home. Good luck with that.

 They may not serve big portions but actually the food and it's preparation is very complicated and takes a trained person to make it look easy. Just the preparation like the cutting and shaping of the foods takes a great deal of time to make the final cooking quick and easy looking. And the ingredients have to be top quality because the food is served so simply. Most of the cost is for labor and food

In a proper Japanese restaurant, cooks must train for years as an assistant to the "master" chef before becoming a professional. The presentation, preparation, and ingredients are trade secrets and passed on from master to student. (Even some Ramen shops) However, the better restaurants stress freshness and this requires additional costs to secure a supply of food that can meet the standards of the chef. The other reason is that you also pay for the atmosphere of the restaurant. If you think Japanese restaurants are expensive in the US and Europe, Japanese "Ryote" restaurants can cost up to 2 thousand dollars a person for dinner.

from - answerbag.com