Japan travel costs, checked against the source
Most English-language guides to Japan's taxes and fees are written from other English-language guides. This one is written from the Japanese originals — the National Tax Agency's own Q&A documents, Japan Customs, and the published terms of the companies involved. Every page says which document it came from and when it was last checked.
What changed for shoppers on 1 November 2026
Japan's tax-free shopping moved to a refund method. You now pay the full price including consumption tax at the till, and the tax comes back to you after a customs check on your way out of the country. There is a step at the airport that did not exist before, and it has to happen before your checked bag leaves you.
Three questions account for most of the confusion.
- Do I have to do anything at the airport if I don't want the refund?No. Taking the customs check is optional. Skip it and you have simply paid the same tax a resident pays — nothing to declare, nothing to show.
→ Japan's tax-free airport check - Can I wear or use what I bought?Yes, unless it is a consumable. Clothes, shoes and electronics can be used in Japan and still clear customs. Food, medicines and cosmetics have to leave unconsumed.
→Can you use what you bought tax-free in Japan? - Where exactly does the check happen?At a terminal in the international departure lobby, before baggage check-in — or on your own phone, at seven airports. A second machine for cash refunds is optional and separate.
→ Japan's tax-free airport check
What you pay when you leave
Japan charges an international tourist tax on departure: ¥3,000 per person for departures on or after 1 July 2026, with a ¥1,000 transitional rate where the transport contract was concluded and the departure date fixed before that date. It applies whether or not you shopped tax-free.
How these pages are made
Each page is written from the primary Japanese document, not from other English sources. Figures, dates and conditions are taken from the original text rather than summarised, and where something is a traveller's report rather than an official rule, the page says so. Every page carries the date it was last checked.