I have the EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II (although mine is made in Taiwan). And I am very happy with it, definately not L quality, but a great upgrade to the kit lens.
I'm not sure if they make them in Japan anymore, I think the recent onmes have come from Taiwan.
As for what to expect to pay, I got mine for £85 on eBay, so you pick up some real bargains with this lens. The only downside is that it is not very wide, but I complemented it with a Sigma 10-20, so no issue for me, but you would struggle with this for landscape.
Another option you want to look at is the Sigma 17-70, another good lens, with abit more on the wide end.