If you are visiting Japan this year, you should consider budgeting a bit extra for your trip.
Despite the yen remaining low, the country has introduced new tourist taxes and price hikes that will likely bump up the cost of your holiday.
Some of the increased fees apply to all travellers, but some can be avoided depending on when you visit and where you stay.
Japan’s prefectures hike accommodation taxes
Kyoto introduced new visitor taxes earlier in the year in a bid to fund overtourism measures.
Under the new system that came into force on 1 March, visitors staying in luxury hotels will pay JPY 10,000 (€56) or more per night, while those in mid-range accommodation will be charged between JPY 1,000 and JPY 4,000 (€5.50 and €23).
The lowest rate, JPY 200 (about €1), will apply to budget stays under JPY 6,000 (€34) per night.
A slew of lodging taxes were also introduced across other prefectures on 1 April.
In Hokkaido, visitors have to pay JPY 100 (€0.53) for accommodation costing up to JPY 19,999 (€107) per night per person, JPY 200 (€1.07) for those between JPY 20,000 and JPY 49,999 (€267), and JPY 500 (€2.67) for anything above JPY 50,000.
On top of the prefecture-wide accommodation tax, 15 municipalities within Hokkaido have brought in their own separate fees.
In Sapporo, the capital of the prefecture, visitors will be charged an additional JPY 200 for lodging that costs JPY 50,000 or less per night per person, or an additional JPY 500 for stays costing more than JPY 50,000 per night per person.
Hiroshima now charges visitors staying in accommodation costing over JPY 6,000 (€32) or more a JPY 200 levy. Guests of hotels costing below JPY 6,000 are exempt.
Yugawara in Kanagawa Prefecture has introduced a lodging tax ranging from JPY 300 (€1.60) to JPY 500. Gifu in Gifu Prefecture now charges visitors JPY 200 per night for all categories of accommodation. Toba in Mie Prefecture has a fee of JPY 200 per night, irrespective of the type of lodging.
Nagano Prefecture, Kumamoto City, and Miyazaki City in Miyazaki Prefecture have received approval from Japanese authorities to bring in fees from June 2026, but have not yet announced the amounts.
Japan to increase departure tax from July
The Japanese government is planning to increase the international departure tax starting in the summer.
This fee, collected from all people leaving the country, most often those who travel by air, was introduced in 2019 at a flat rate of JPY1,000 (about €5.50). Officials are now raising it closer to “international standards”.
Germany, for example, charges departure fees for departing air passengers that range from €15.53 to €39.34 for nearby countries and €70.83 for all others.
From July 2026, Japan’s departure fee will triple to JPY 3,000 (about €16) per person for all travellers (aged two and older) leaving by air or sea.
Japan Rail Pass will get more expensive from October
Visitors travelling around Japan by train are also facing higher costs. From 1 October, the price of the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) will rise by JPY 3,000 yen (€16)) to JPY 53,000 yen (€283) for a seven-day adult pass in a standard train carriage.
Adult week passes for premium Green Cars will jump by JPY 4,000 (€21) to 74,000 yen (€395).
Twenty-one day passes will increase by JPY 5,000 to JPY 105,000 (€560) for adults in ordinary cars, and by JPY 7,000 (€37) to JPY 147,000 (€785) for those who have selected premium seats.
The JR Pass is available to visitors entering Japan under a 14-day or 90-day tourist visa. It allows unlimited rail travel across the country, including on most bullet train services.
If you want to save some cash, head to the official online platform, Japan Rail Pass Reservation, where prices will remain unchanged for a limited time.
Travel information website Japan Guide notes that the price hikes make the passes considerably less economically viable.
“The pass already underwent a massive price increase in 2023, which greatly diminished its appeal,” the company writes on its website.
“There are now very few itineraries for which the pass actually pays off compared with regular tickets and alternative transport options, such as domestic flights.”
Japan mulls visa fee increase
Japan’s decades-old visa fees have also been under review, but have yet to change.
Currently, a single-entry visa costs around JPY 3,000 and a multiple-entry visa about JPY 6,000.
If brought into line with other comparable economies – such as the UK’s £127 (€150) visit visa fee or the EU’s €90 Schengen visa fee – travellers who require a visa could see a major increase in the price of their trip.
(Travellers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most EU nations do not require a tourist visa).
The government has proposed to raise the fee to JPY 15,000 (€80) for single-entry and JPY 30,000 (€161) for multiple-entry.
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