Japan: Tourist Pasmo, cheaper passports
- Japan’s parliament approved a passport law revision on April 24 that cuts issuance fees, while Tokyo transit operators prepare a new Tourist PASMO IC card for foreign visitors from May 2026. - The revised fees drop a 10-year adult passport to ¥9,000 from ¥16,000, and an adult five-year passport to ¥5,000 from ¥11,000, according to Japanese news reports. - Japan is trying to spur outbound travel and smooth visitor transit use as inbound tourism stays strong and some destinations add local visitor charges. (asahi.com)
Japan is cutting passport fees from July 1 and rolling out a Tourist PASMO card in May for foreign visitors using Tokyo transit. (japantimes.co.jp) (travelandtourworld.com) Japan’s House of Councilors passed the passport law revision on April 24. The change lowers the standard 10-year passport fee for adults to ¥9,000 from ¥16,000 starting July 1, Japanese newspapers reported. (japantimes.co.jp) (asahi.com) The same revision lowers an adult five-year passport to ¥5,000 from ¥11,000 and a child’s five-year passport to ¥5,000 from ¥6,000. Online applications will cost less than paper applications under the new system. (asahi.com) (japantimes.co.jp) PASMO is the rechargeable integrated circuit card used across Tokyo-area railways, subways and buses. The tourist version is meant to give overseas visitors a simpler way to tap through gates without buying individual tickets. (pasmo.co.jp) (travelandtourworld.com) Japan had already been pushing more passport applications because relatively few Japanese citizens hold valid passports compared with the pre-pandemic period. Lower fees are meant to remove part of that cost barrier. (japantimes.co.jp) (asahi.com) The transit move points the other way: Japan is still adapting its big-city infrastructure for a heavy flow of inbound tourists. Tokyo’s train network is extensive, but first-time visitors often face multiple operators, fare systems and ticket machines. (pasmo.co.jp) (travelandtourworld.com) Those policies are landing as some tourist areas test extra charges tied to crowding and conservation. Kyoto’s assembly, for example, has approved lodging-tax changes, and some scenic sites have discussed or adopted preservation fees. (asahi.com) Together, the cheaper passport and the tourist transit card show Japan trying to make travel easier in both directions: getting residents abroad again and getting visitors around Tokyo with fewer frictions. (japantimes.co.jp) (pasmo.co.jp)
