The country has seen record numbers of international arrivals in recent years, putting pressure on infrastructure, public transport, cultural heritage sites and cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
With the enhanced taxes, officials say revenue will be used to improve airport & port facilities, promote tourism & cultural activities, support environmental protection projects and maintain historical & cultural sites.
Here are some updates on taxes for visitors in Japan (2026):
Departure Tax (from July 2026)
National tax collected by the Japanese government
Applicable to: All travellers leaving Japan by air/ sea, regardless of nationality, aged 2 and above.
Cost: Increase from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 from July 2026 (included in the plane/ ferry tickets)
Accommodation Tax (from March 2026)
City or prefecture-level tax charged on accomodation stays
Applicable to: Overnight guests (per person, per night) in cities that impose the tax (e.g. Kyoto)
Cost: After March 2026, the tax typically range from ¥200 to ¥10,000 based on room price and city
Tax-free to Tax Refund (from November 2026)
Japan will implement a mandatory “pay first, refund later” tax-free system for all travellers, ending the instant 10% consumption tax reduction at checkout.
A record 42.7 million international visitors came to Japan in 2025:
More than 15.8% increase on the previous 36.9 million in 2024
First time to surpass 40 million, announced by JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organisation)
Around 10 million greater than the prepandemic 2019 (31.9 million)
The government has set targets of 60 million international visitors and visitor spending of ¥15 trillion in 2030.