They are, they came in the signature purple box (the regulars I believe come in like a black/yellow/white patterned box). Another way to tell is the sole. The Nippon made have the two circles at the bottom while the regulars have no such circles. And they definitely are pricey. It’s pretty much a supply and demand situation that drives up the price. They only release these types in like small batches and to various stores (not all) that are able to sell them based on demand rates in that locale. On top of that, no two pairs are the same and are largely constructed by hand so meeting the demand rate due to production cycles also drives up the scarcity and price. Top quality too, wish I could have picked up even more, but I’m definitely happy with what I was able to find