What Did 2026 Add to Your Japan Trip Bill? Every New Fee, Tax and Rule in One Table (Kept Updated)
This page may contain affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Last checked 2026-11-02. Rules and prices change — always confirm on the official pages linked below.
In this guide
Short answer
- The one confirmed 2026 increase on nearly every trip is the departure tax: ¥2,000 (≈ $13) more, already in your airfare.
- All taxes on a typical 10-night Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka trip: about ¥4,800–¥8,300 (≈ $31–$53) per person, departure tax included (our math, not an official total).
- Tax-free shopping is now a refund after customs checks your goods at departure.
- JESTA: nothing to do yet; it starts by March 31, 2029.
Dollar figures are approximate, at the Federal Reserve's 156.87 yen per dollar (Oct. 23, 2026).
What changed in 2026
| What | Starts | Amount | How you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departure tax | 2026-07-01 | ¥3,000 (≈ $19) per departure (was ¥1,000) | Inside your airfare |
| Tax-free shopping | 2026-11-01 | Refund after customs check at departure; ¥5,000 minimum unchanged | Store, then airport |
| Kyoto hotel tax (revised) | 2026-03-01 | ¥200–¥1,000 (≈ $1–$6) per person/night for rooms under ¥50,000 | Hotel bill |
| Himeji Castle | 2026-03-01 | ¥2,500 (≈ $16), 18+ (was ¥1,000); under 18 free | Ticket |
| Visa fee (only if you need a visa) | 2026-07-01 | About ¥15,000 single-entry (¥30,000 multiple); varies by nationality | Embassy or consulate |
(Tourism Agency, Kyoto City, Himeji City, Tourism Agency: tax-free rules, Foreign Ministry)
Already announced for later
| What | Starts | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Okinawa hotel tax | 2027-02-01 | 2% of the room price per person/night, up to ¥2,000 |
| Tokyo hotel tax | 2027-04-01 | 3%; under ¥13,000 per person/night exempt |
| National museums | Not announced (plan covers fiscal 2026–2030) | Dual pricing; prices not announced; free entry for children planned |
(Okinawa, Tokyo government, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Taxes you'll pay on a typical trip (total, not the increase)
Our example: 4 nights in Tokyo, 3 in Kyoto, 3 in Osaka, at the same room price in each.
| Room price per person/night | Hotel taxes, 10 nights | Departure tax | Taxes per person (total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¥6,000–9,999 | ¥1,800 | ¥3,000 | ¥4,800 (≈ $31) |
| ¥10,000–14,999 | ¥2,200 | ¥3,000 | ¥5,200 (≈ $33) |
| ¥15,000–19,999 | ¥3,200 | ¥3,000 | ¥6,200 (≈ $40) |
| ¥20,000–49,999 | ¥5,300 | ¥3,000 | ¥8,300 (≈ $53) |
Prices are per person: a ¥20,000 room for two is ¥10,000 each, so ¥5,200 × 2 = ¥10,400 (≈ $66) for both (rough guide, not official).
(Tokyo tax bureau, Kyoto City, Osaka Prefecture)
Item by item
Hotel taxes in your three cities
Rates are per person per night, on the room-only price before meals and consumption tax. (Kyoto City)
| City | Room price | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo (until March 2027) | Under ¥10,000; ¥10,000–14,999; ¥15,000+ | ¥0; ¥100 (≈ $1); ¥200 (≈ $1) |
| Kyoto | Under ¥6,000; ¥6,000–19,999; ¥20,000–49,999; ¥50,000–99,999; ¥100,000+ | ¥200 (≈ $1); ¥400 (≈ $3); ¥1,000 (≈ $6); ¥4,000; ¥10,000 |
| Osaka | Under ¥5,000; ¥5,000–14,999; ¥15,000–19,999; ¥20,000+ | ¥0; ¥200 (≈ $1); ¥400 (≈ $3); ¥500 (≈ $3) |
Osaka's rates date from September 1, 2025. (Tokyo tax bureau, Osaka Prefecture)
Departure tax
Exempt from the International Tourist Tax: children under 2 and passengers connecting within 24 hours. Certain tickets issued by June 30, 2026 keep the old ¥1,000 rate. (Tourism Agency, National Tax Agency)
Tax-free shopping
From sales on November 1, 2026, the consumption tax is refunded after customs confirms at departure that you're taking the goods out. (JNTO, Tourism Agency) Step by step: how the refund works.
JESTA
JESTA will cover short-stay visa-free visitors and cruise passengers; a Cabinet Order sets the start, by March 31, 2029. (Immigration Services Agency)
If your route goes further
| Place | Starts | Tax per person/night |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 2026-04-01 | ¥100–¥500 (Sapporo ¥300–¥1,000) |
| Hiroshima Prefecture | 2026-04-01 | ¥200 at ¥6,000+ |
| Kumamoto City; Miyazaki City | 2026-07-01 (Miyazaki scheduled) | ¥200 |
(Hokkaido, Sapporo, Hiroshima, Kumamoto City, MIC: Miyazaki)
What the official sources don't say yet
- Mount Fuji 2027: dates and fees are announced before the season; in 2026, climbers paid ¥4,000 (≈ $25) per climb. (Fuji FAQ, Fuji home)
- Okinawa: if a town adds its own tax, ask your hotel for the combined amount. (Okinawa)
What to add to your budget
- Find your room band in the typical-trip table and multiply by travelers.
- Hot-spring inn: add the bath tax, standard ¥150 per person per day (set locally; not a 2026 change). (MIC)
How to check our numbers
Most pages are in Japanese; Chrome's Translate (address-bar icon; phone: ⋮ menu → Translate) puts them in English.
| Page | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Tourism Agency | Leaflet link 「国際観光旅客税の税率が3,000 円に引き上げられます」 |
| Kyoto City | Rate table effective March 1, 2026 (令和8年3月1日施行) |
| Tokyo government | Rate and start-date lines (税率：宿泊料金の3%／施行日：令和9年4月1日) |
| Osaka Prefecture | Rate table; start date reads 「施行日は令和7年9月1日」 |
| Himeji City | Fee table in 「3月1日以降の姫路城縦覧料等について」 |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Line with 「一次有効査証は約15,000円」 |
| Immigration Services Agency | Start-date line (令和11年3月31日までの間において政令で定める日) |
Change log
- 2026-11-01: First version.
- 2026-11-02: Reorganized tables; added budget steps.
Official sources
- Tourism Agency — Tourist tax — https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/seisaku_seido/kihonkeikaku/inbound_kaifuku/ryokakuzei.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- National Tax Agency — Tourist tax — https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/kansetsu/kanko/index.htm (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Kyoto City — Hotel tax — https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/gyozai/page/0000236942.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Tokyo tax bureau — Hotel tax — https://www.tax.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/shitsumon/tozei/hotel/general_01.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Tokyo government — Hotel tax release — https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2026/06/2026063004 (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Osaka Prefecture — Hotel tax — https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/o050040/zei/alacarte/shukuhakuzei-kaisei.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) — Bath tax — https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_sosiki/jichi_zeisei/czaisei/czaisei_seido/150790_22.html (retrieved 2026-11-01)
- JNTO — Tax-free guide (English) — https://www.japan.travel/en/us/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-japans-new-tax-free-shopping-system/ (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Tourism Agency — Tax-free — https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00019.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Tourism Agency — Tax-free rules — https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visa fees — https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/visa/tetsuzuki/pagew_000001_02672.html (retrieved 2026-11-01)
- Immigration Services Agency — Law outline — https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001464339.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Hokkaido — Hotel tax — https://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/sm/zim/tax/218623.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Sapporo — Hotel tax — https://www.city.sapporo.jp/citytax/shukuhakuzei/index.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Hiroshima Prefecture — Hotel tax — https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/site/zei/hiroshima-syukuhakuzei01.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Kumamoto City — Hotel tax — https://www.city.kumamoto.jp/kiji00368347/index.html (retrieved 2026-11-01)
- MIC — Miyazaki — https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001055671.pdf (retrieved 2026-11-01)
- Okinawa — Hotel tax — https://www.pref.okinawa.jp/kurashikankyo/zeikin/1003660/1036559/1041134.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Fuji climbing site — FAQ — https://www.fujisan-climb.jp/faq (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Fuji climbing site — Home — https://www.fujisan-climb.jp/ (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Himeji City — Castle admission — https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/castle/0000030746.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System — Foreign Exchange Rates (H.10) — https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h10/current/ (retrieved 2026-11-03)
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — Museums Q&A — https://www.bunka.go.jp/bunkacho/shokan_hojin/94340601.html (retrieved 2026-10-31)
Updated
Updated 2026-11-03 · Sources retrieved 2026-10-31, 2026-11-01 and 2026-11-03
Disclaimer
We can't give individual tax or legal advice; confirm amounts with the issuing authority.
Spotted a mistake?
We check every report against the official source and update the page. See how on our Corrections.
A small team living in Japan. We write from official sources and say so when something hasn't been confirmed.