In 50 years running a cafe in Tokyo, Shizuo Mori can't remember a time when his coffee supplies cost this much. The 78-year-old, who owns Heckeln, an old-school coffee shop in Tokyo's Toranomon business district, says the wholesale cost of his main product has surged 5% in the last three months. That is a jolting experience for a country where weak growth has meant that prices of many things - including wages - haven't risen much in decades. While he has not yet passed on the increase to his customers - coffee at his cramped shop costs 400 yen ($3.50) a cup - price pressures are squeezing his bottom line and he knows his regulars have low tolerance for such hikes. "Salarymen don't get paid a lot, so everyone will stop drinking if prices are too high," said Mori, whose shop is famous for its caramel sauce pudding, slabs of buttered toast and ham and egg sandwiches. Across Japan, consumers and businesses like Heckeln are facing sticker shock for everything from coffee, beef … [Read more...] about From beef bowls to coffee, cost surge squeezes Japan’s salaryman staples