Japan costs more to visit in 2026. Every new fee, in yen

Japan had 42.7 million visitors in 2025, a record by a wide margin, and 2026 is the year the bill for that arrived. Most of the new charges are small on their own. Together, on a typical ten-night trip for two, they add roughly ¥9,000 compared with the same trip a year earlier, and more again from April 2027 when Tokyo’s hotel tax changes. Here is each one, what it costs, and the one that changes how you shop.

The departure tax tripled on 1 July

Japan’s International Tourist Tax went from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per person for anyone leaving the country by air or sea, from 1 July 2026. You never see it at the airport. Airlines build it into the fare at the point of purchase, which is why the only sign of it on your itinerary is a slightly larger “taxes and fees” line. Japanese citizens pay it too. The money is earmarked for easing congestion in the places visitors crowd.

For two people that is ¥6,000 on the way out, up from ¥2,000. It is the single biggest new line on the bill and the easiest to forget, because you never pay it on purpose.

Hotel taxes: Kyoto now, Tokyo from April 2027

Accommodation tax is charged per person, per night, and added at checkout or built into the rate. Three cities matter.

Kyoto changed its bands on 1 March 2026 and now has the highest top rate in Japan. The tax is tiered by the room price per person per night, so a modest stay barely moves and a luxury one moves a lot.

Osaka raised its rates on 1 September 2025: ¥200 for stays of ¥5,000 to under ¥15,000, ¥400 up to ¥20,000, and ¥500 above that. Under ¥5,000 is exempt.

Tokyo is the one to plan around. From April 2027 the flat ¥100 or ¥200 charge becomes 3% of the room rate, with stays of ¥13,000 or less per person exempt. Private rentals and guesthouses, which were outside the old system, come in. Two people in a ¥30,000 room will pay ¥900 a night instead of ¥400. If your dates are in spring 2027 and your booking is in a hotel, assume the new rate.

Himeji started charging visitors more than locals

Himeji Castle raised entry for non-residents to ¥2,500 on 1 March 2026. People who live in Himeji still pay ¥1,000, and anyone under 18 enters free. It is now the most expensive castle ticket in Japan, and it is the first big test of two-tier pricing for tourists.

It won’t be the last. The Japan Tourism Agency convened an expert panel on 27 April 2026 to write national guidelines for dual pricing, due within the fiscal year that ends in March 2027. Seven national museums, including the Tokyo National Museum, are expected to move to it by 2031. Expect more attractions to ask where you live.

Mount Fuji, if you’re climbing

All four trails now charge ¥4,000 per person, per climb, set by prefectural ordinance rather than as a donation. On the Yamanashi side, the Yoshida trail gate closes from 14:00 to 03:00 to anyone without a mountain hut booking, and you reserve your slot and pay online in advance. The Shizuoka trails need pre-registration through the prefecture’s app. The 2026 season has ended, so this is for July to September 2027. Huts are extra.

Tax-free shopping flips on 1 November

This one changes what you do, not just what you pay. Until 31 October, you show your passport and the shop takes the 10% consumption tax off at the till, or refunds it at a counter nearby. From 1 November 2026, you pay the full tax-inclusive price in the shop and claim the refund when you leave Japan, after customs confirms the goods are going with you.

A few rules move at the same time. The split between “general goods” and “consumables” goes, along with the ¥500,000 cap on consumables and the sealed bags. Everything must be bought within 90 days of departure. The minimum is unchanged at ¥5,000 before tax, at the same shop on the same day.

What it adds up to

Take a common first trip: ten nights for two, five in Tokyo, three in Kyoto, two in Osaka, in mid-range rooms around ¥18,000 to ¥20,000 per person per night, with a day trip to Himeji. Here is what the new charges cost today, and the one that grows next April.

That is about ¥17,000 in taxes and tiered entry on this trip, against roughly ¥8,000 for the same trip under 2025’s rules. From April 2027 it becomes about ¥21,000. None of it is a reason to stay away. It is a reason to put the lines in the budget before you set it.

If this is a first visit, our Tokyo guide covers the four-day shape of the city, and the Sapporo guide is for anyone chasing February snow. Japan is not the only place adding fees for 2027. Here is the wider list.