FOCUS: Higher restaurant prices add to pressure on Japanese consumers

When Yoshihiko Koyama ordered a fried dumplings set meal at a well-known Chinese chain restaurant in Tokyo in September he noticed something different -- the price was a little higher than his previous visit.Koyama was charged 710 yen ($4.9) instead of the 670 yen he usually paid for the set menu in a Hidakaya restaurant in the capital's Okachimachi district, illustrating how eateries and restaurant chains such as Hiday Hidaka Corp. are passing on soaring material and energy costs to consumers."It feels like a small increase but it's happening at other restaurants too," said 74-year-old Koy…READ FULL ARTICLE