Japan Is Following Other Countries With New Tourist Tax Changes

Overtourism — the phenomenon of too many tourists overwhelming cultural attractions, local populations, and natural spaces — is an upsetting travel nuisance that only seems to be getting worse. More and more popular destinations around the world are looking to implement plans to combat overtourism. However, such popular destinations also do not want to ignore the economic benefits of tourism. An increasingly prevalent solution is tourist taxes, which have already taken effect in Bhutan, Indonesia Germany, Italy, parts of the United States, and many more. Japan has been doing the same since 2019 to an extent, but will soon increase the amount of tourist taxes and where they are required.

Aside from taxes on accommodations like hotel stays in a few major cities, visitors to Japan pay 1,000 yen (around $7, as of April 2025) when leaving the country — it is known as the Sayonara Tax. This money goes back into the infrastructure that makes tourism possible, but taxing tourists has other purposes in Japan too. There are gorgeous unmissable tourist destinations in Japan that the locals work diligently to preserve, and tourist taxes can help.

In March of 2025, Japan's government discussed increasing the tax to be paid by departing tourists from 1,000 to 5,000 yen. Country officials cited Egypt and Australia's departure taxes, which are both more than double the equivalent of 1,000 yen, as influences for such considerations (per SCMP). Also in March, Japan's Internal Affairs and Communications department added more cities to the list of Japanese destinations charging accommodation taxes. Places like France, Austria, and Spain use this type of tourist tax across the country rather than only in certain cities.

Another example of Japan using money from tourism for beneficial purposes is Junguria Okinawa, a 60 hectare nature-infused theme park in Okinawa. Junguria Okinawa blends action-packed amusement park adventure with the region's awe-inspiring rainforest. Given that this rainforest is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, it needs to be visited in a sustainable way to ensure its protection and to better educate the public. This is why Junguria Okinawa will charge Japanese visitors 6,930 yen ($47) and foreign visitors 8,800 yen ($60) when it opens in July 2025.