Kansai raises visitor fees

Travel in Kyoto and Himeji got more expensive on March 1, with Kyoto raising its lodging tax and Himeji Castle charging nonresidents 2,500 yen for entry. (kyoto.travel) Kyoto’s new accommodation tax now runs from 200 yen to 10,000 yen per person per night, depending on the room rate. The top tier applies to stays costing 100,000 yen or more per person per night, up from the old maximum tax of 1,000 yen. (kyoto.travel) The revised Kyoto brackets are 200 yen for stays under 6,000 yen, 400 yen for 6,000 yen to 19,999 yen, 1,000 yen for 20,000 yen to 49,999 yen, 4,000 yen for 50,000 yen to 99,999 yen, and 10,000 yen for 100,000 yen or more. Kyoto City said the tax excludes meals and consumption tax and is charged on the room rate alone. (kyoto.travel) Kyoto has collected an accommodation tax since October 1, 2018, and city tourism officials said the money is used for tourism promotion and “sustainable urban development” for residents and visitors. A Kyoto City notice issued on October 3, 2025 said the higher 2026 rates were expected to lift annual revenue to about 12.6 billion yen. (kyoto.travel (city.kyoto.lg.jp) That Kyoto notice said the added revenue would be used to promote tourism that draws on the city’s “diverse and profound” attractions and to push further on balancing tourism with daily life for residents. The city had sought national approval under Japan’s Local Tax Act before the new rates took effect. (city.kyoto.lg.jp) In Himeji, the new castle pricing took effect the same day. Adults 18 and older who are not Himeji residents now pay 2,500 yen, while Himeji residents still pay 1,000 yen and visitors under 18 enter free. (visit-himeji.com) Himeji’s official tourism site said the fee structure was set after calculating 10 years of maintenance, management and preservation costs for the Special Historic Site. The city said the money will go to preservation repairs, improvements, restoration work, inbound visitor measures and digital systems. (visit-himeji.com) The Asahi Shimbun reported the higher Himeji fee will help pay for maintenance including seismic reinforcement of stone walls, and said city officials described it as Japan’s highest admission fee for a castle keep. The paper also reported that local residents kept the lower price because municipal taxes already help support the site. (asahi.com) Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site, listed by UNESCO as the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture. The site includes 83 buildings and is one of the best-known heritage landmarks in the Kansai region. (whc.unesco.org) The result is a sharper split in Kansai’s visitor costs: Kyoto is taxing overnight stays more heavily at the high end, and Himeji is charging more at the gate. Both changes are already in force for spring 2026 travel. (kyoto.travel (visit-himeji.com)