Japan tightens tourist rules

Japan is making a summer trip more expensive and a spring trip more controlled at the same time: the national departure tax is set to jump from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 on July 1, 2026, and Kyoto already raised its hotel tax on March 1, 2026, with the top bracket hitting ¥10,000 per person per night. (airtraveler.club, city.kyoto.lg.jp) That price shift is landing after Japan just logged 42,683,600 foreign visitors in 2025, the highest annual total on record, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization’s January 21, 2026 release. (jnto.go.jp) The pressure is showing most clearly around postcard spots, not just airports and hotels. Fujiyoshida canceled its 2026 cherry blossom festival at Arakurayama Sengen Park after saying visitor growth was straining local neighborhoods, and reports on the decision say the event had been drawing about 200,000 people a year to a city of roughly 46,000 to 47,000 residents. (forbes.com, japanprchecker.com) That park is the one with the red Chureito Pagoda and Mount Fuji in the background, which means one staircase, one overlook, and one residential area end up carrying the load of a global photo trend. (forbes.com, hiddenjapan-gems.com) Nearby Fujikawaguchiko has been fighting the same problem from the street level up. The town became internationally known for putting up a barrier near a Lawson convenience store after crowds gathered in the road for Mount Fuji photos, and a new 1.4-meter barrier was later installed there again. (tokyoweekender.com, timeout.com) So Japan’s response now has two parts that work together: local governments are limiting crowding at specific choke points, while national and city governments are making tourism pay more of the bill. Kyoto’s new tax table now charges ¥200 for stays under ¥6,000, ¥400 for ¥6,000 to under ¥20,000, ¥1,000 for ¥20,000 to under ¥50,000, ¥4,000 for ¥50,000 to under ¥100,000, and ¥10,000 for ¥100,000 or more. (city.kyoto.lg.jp) The departure tax works differently because most travelers will barely see it. It is usually folded into the airfare or ferry ticket, so the July 1 increase shows up as a higher total price rather than a booth at the airport asking for cash. (airtraveler.club) For visitors, that means the old Japan bargain of a weak yen and cheap flights now comes with extra friction at the exact places people came to see. For towns near Mount Fuji and for cities like Kyoto, the new rule is simple: if one photo spot or one historic district is absorbing millions of people, the trip can no longer stay as cheap and as free-flowing as it was in the rebound years after the pandemic. (jnto.go.jp, city.kyoto.lg.jp, forbes.com)