What is changing for travellers in Japan

Three changes arrived in the second half of 2026 that affect what a trip costs and what you do on the way home. None of them should stop you going, but you should plan for them.

1 July 2026: the departure tax is now 3,000 yen

The International Tourist Tax, paid by people leaving Japan, rose from 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen per departure from 1 July 2026. Check your ticket breakdown to see how it is charged. For a family of four it adds up to 12,000 yen, so include it in your budget: see our daily budgets guide.

1 October 2026: nationwide JR Pass prices went up

The official new adult prices for the nationwide pass are below. Japan Rail Pass says you can still buy at the pre-October prices through the official Japan Rail Pass website for a limited time, and the end date has not been announced. Prices from other sellers may follow the new rates, so compare before you buy.

Pass	Ordinary (new)	Ordinary (old)	Green Car (new)
7 days	53,000 yen	50,000 yen	74,000 yen
14 days	84,000 yen	80,000 yen	116,000 yen
21 days	105,000 yen	100,000 yen	147,000 yen

A higher price makes the pass worth it on fewer routes. Run your own route through is the JR Pass worth it? or the itinerary maker.

1 November 2026: tax-free shopping is now pay first, refund later

Before November you did not pay the 10 percent consumption tax in the shop. Now the shop charges the full price including tax, and you get the tax back when you leave Japan. In short:

• You spend at least 5,000 yen before tax at one shop on one day.
• Within 90 days of buying, you show your passport at a tax-free terminal in the departure area, before you check in your baggage. At seven major airports you can start the process online through Visit Japan Web.
• The terminal tells you whether your goods need a customs check. Allow extra time, because missing a flight because of the procedure is not compensated.
• Keep goods, receipts and passport together. If an item on a receipt is missing, none of the items on that receipt qualify.
• Sealed packaging for consumables is no longer required, but items you consume in Japan do not qualify.

Plan for this at your final airport in Japan, and put it in your trip checklist.

What we have not covered

Other changes, such as the planned electronic travel authorisation (JESTA) and higher visa-related fees, are still being rolled out. We will add them here once we can confirm the details on official pages. For visas today, see do I need a visa for Japan?