Japan Eyes Raising Departure Tax to 3,000 Yen

Tokyo, Dec. 10 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the ruling parties are considering increasing the so-called departure tax from the current 1,000 yen per person to 3,000 yen starting in fiscal 2026, informed sources said Wednesday. The additional revenue will be used to finance measures addressing issues related to overtourism, such as congestion and nuisances at tourist spots. The change is expected to be included in a fiscal 2026 tax system reform package. The departure tax, formally called the international tourist tax, was introduced in 2019 and is collected on top of the price of airline tickets in general. The government had considered raising the levy to 5,000 yen for business-class passengers and above, but dropped the plan due to the administrative burden it would impose on airlines. In fiscal 2024, tax revenues from the departure tax reached a record high of about 52.5 billion yen, driven by an increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan. The funds are used to improve the environment for hosting inbound visitors, among other things. The government is also considering lowering passport issuance fees to ease burdens on Japanese citizens traveling abroad. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]