Tokyo, Japan [123RF]
Tokyo, Japan [123RF]

Japan tripled its international tourism departure tax starting Wednesday.

The levy, which applies to anyone leaving Japan by air or sea, rose from 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen ($18) per person, according to Japanese media reports.

The tax applies to both foreign visitors and Japanese nationals departing the country.

It is collected as a surcharge added to the price of airline or ship tickets purchased from Wednesday onward.

Annual revenue from the departure tax had stood at around 50 billion yen (478 billion won). The tripling is expected to push that figure to roughly 120 billion yen (1.14 trillion won).

The Japanese government plans to use the additional revenue to fund measures against overtourism — the strain placed on local communities by excessive visitor numbers.

Complaints about overcrowding at popular tourist destinations across Japan have been mounting.

Japan cuts passport fees — here's why

Alongside the tax hike, Japan is also lowering passport issuance fees starting this month, the Nikkei reported, as cited by Yonhap on June 24.

The move is aimed partly at encouraging more Japanese citizens to obtain passports, and partly at easing the added financial burden the higher departure tax places on Japanese travelers.

Under the new fee structure, adults 18 and older applying online for a 10-year multiple-entry passport will pay 8,900 yen — a 44 percent reduction from the previous 15,900 yen.

Those applying in person at a counter will pay 9,300 yen, down 7,000 yen from the previous 16,300 yen.

Fees for travelers under 18, who are eligible only for a five-year passport, will fall 60 percent from 10,900 yen to 4,400 yen. For those under 12, the fee drops from 5,900 yen to 4,400 yen.

The five-year passport option for adults 18 and older will be discontinued.

Japan's passport ownership rate is considered relatively low compared with other countries.

According to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of valid ordinary passports in circulation last year stood at about 21.93 million, giving a per-capita ownership rate of roughly 18.9 percent.

A survey by the Japan Association of Travel Agents showed that as of 2023, passport ownership rates stood at around 40 percent in South Korea, 50 percent in the United States, and 60 percent each in the United Kingdom and Taiwan — all higher than Japan's.

Japan's previous passport fees were about 10,000 yen (93,000 won) higher than those in South Korea or Taiwan, a gap cited as one factor holding back passport ownership rates.


yul@heraldcorp.com