Japan triples departure tax

Japan will charge ¥3,000 instead of ¥1,000 when people leave the country by air or sea from July 1, 2026. Japan’s National Tax Agency says the levy applies once per departure and is generally collected by airlines or shipping companies in the ticket price. The agency lists exemptions for crew, people under age 2, and transit passengers who leave within 24 hours of entering Japan. The same National Tax Agency notice says some tickets bought under qualifying transport contracts made before July 1, 2026 can still use the old ¥1,000 rate even if the trip departs later. Private-jet travelers must pay the tax directly before boarding. The tax is not new. Japan introduced the International Tourist Tax on January 7, 2019 as a per-person charge on outbound travelers, and the current increase is the first rate revision since then. The timing comes as Japan is still managing record visitor volumes. The Japan National Tourism Organization said 42,683,600 international visitors came to Japan in 2025, up 15.8% from 2024 and the highest annual total on record. Another travel cost is also rising later in the year for foreign tourists who use the nationwide rail pass. The JR Group said on April 9, 2026 that Japan Rail Pass prices sold through overseas agencies will increase for purchases made on or after October 1, 2026. The increases are modest but broad. A standard seven-day adult pass will rise from ¥50,000 to ¥53,000, a 14-day pass from ¥80,000 to ¥84,000, and a 21-day pass from ¥100,000 to ¥105,000; Green Car versions also rise. JR Group said online purchases on its reservation service will stay at current prices for a limited time, even as agency prices go up in October. The company said the change follows fare revisions by some JR companies since the last rail pass price increase on October 1, 2023. Japan’s tourism agencies have framed the broader push around capacity and spending. The Japan Tourism Agency says its International Visitor Survey is used to measure how much visitors spend and to help design policies for attracting foreign tourists. For travelers booking Japan trips now, the calendar matters as much as the headline price: departures from July 1 face the higher exit tax, and rail-pass purchases from October 1 face the new JR rates.