Japan Travel Taxes 2026: The ¥3,000 Departure Tax and Hotel Taxes Explained
Japan's departure tax tripled to ¥3,000 in July 2026, and Kyoto raised its hotel tax in March. What each tax costs, who pays, and how to budget for them on your trip.
Two kinds of tax quietly add to the cost of a Japan trip: the departure tax you pay when you leave, and hotel (accommodation) taxes charged by some cities. Both changed in 2026.
None of them are huge, but it helps to know what the extra lines on your ticket or hotel bill are.
At a glance
- Departure tax: ¥3,000 per departure from July 1, 2026 (was ¥1,000). Usually already in your plane ticket price.
- Tokyo hotel tax: ¥100–¥200 per person per night (changing in April 2027).
- Kyoto hotel tax: ¥200–¥10,000 per person per night, depending on the room price (new rates from March 1, 2026).
The departure tax: now ¥3,000
Japan's International Tourist Tax is charged every time someone leaves Japan by air or sea.
| Before | From July 1, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Per departure | ¥1,000 | ¥3,000 |
- Who pays: passengers departing Japan, foreign visitors and Japanese residents alike (with a few exceptions; see the National Tax Agency for details). Infants under 2 are exempt.
- How you pay: airlines and ferry companies collect it, usually by adding it to your ticket price. You do not pay anything at the airport.
- Tickets bought earlier: under a transitional rule, the old ¥1,000 rate applies if you depart using an eligible ticket issued on or before June 30, 2026.
The government says the money goes to things like smoother airport procedures, measures against crowding, and developing tourism sites.
Check your ticket breakdown
On your airline booking, look for a tax line marked as Japan's departure tax or "International Tourist Tax". If you see ¥3,000, that is it. You do not need to do anything else.
Hotel taxes
Some cities charge an accommodation tax per person, per night. Your hotel collects it, sometimes on top of the price you saw online. It is usually listed separately on the bill.
Tokyo
| Room charge per person per night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under ¥10,000 | None |
| ¥10,000 to under ¥15,000 | ¥100 |
| ¥15,000 or more | ¥200 |
Change coming in April 2027: Tokyo will switch to a tax of 3% of the room charge, with stays under ¥13,000 not taxed, and the tax will also cover vacation rentals (minpaku).
Kyoto
Kyoto's hotel tax went up on March 1, 2026, and the top rates are high. The tax is based on the room and service charge per person per night, not including meals or consumption tax:
| Room charge per person per night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under ¥6,000 | ¥200 |
| ¥6,000 to under ¥20,000 | ¥400 |
| ¥20,000 to under ¥50,000 | ¥1,000 |
| ¥50,000 to under ¥100,000 | ¥4,000 |
| ¥100,000 or more | ¥10,000 |
Example: two people sharing a room for ¥30,000 a night pay ¥15,000 each, so the tax is ¥400 per person, or ¥800 per night for the room.
Other places
Other cities and prefectures in Japan have their own accommodation taxes too, and more are being introduced. If your booking site shows "taxes not included", ask the hotel how much will be added at check-in.
How much to budget
For a typical 7-night trip for one person:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Departure tax (in your ticket) | ¥3,000 |
| Tokyo, 4 nights at ¥12,000 per night | ¥100 × 4 = ¥400 |
| Kyoto, 3 nights at ¥15,000 per night | ¥400 × 3 = ¥1,200 |
| Total travel taxes | ¥4,600 |
Not a lot compared with flights and hotels, but worth knowing so the hotel bill is not a surprise.
Sources
- Japan Tourism Agency: International Tourist Tax (Japanese)
- Japan Tourism Agency: Leaflet "The International Tourist Tax will be increased to JPY 3,000" (PDF)
- National Tax Agency: International Tourist Tax
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Accommodation tax (Japanese)
- Kyoto City: Accommodation tax (Japanese)
Prices change
Prices, exchange rates and rules in this article were checked on the date shown above. They can change at any time, so please confirm on the official website before you book or buy.
