Japan eyes tripling departure tax to combat overtourism

Japan is weighing a plan to triple its departure tax from 1,000 yen ($6.40) to 3,000 yen ($19.20) per person as record visitor numbers fuel growing concerns about overtourism’s toll on local communities and ecosystems.

About the plan: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s tourism policy panel has backed the increase, proposing an even higher 5,000 yen ($32) rate for business class passengers and above. The tax, officially called the International Tourist Tax, applies to all departing travelers regardless of nationality. It brought in 52.4 billion yen in fiscal 2024.

To balance the impact on Japanese travelers, officials are weighing cuts to passport fees, which currently run 15,900 yen ($102) for a 10-year passport via online application. They also propose maintaining tax-free shopping for foreign visitors as it helps with tourism spending.

Driving the news: Government data show visitors to Japan hit 36.87 million in 2024, while outbound travel by Japanese nationals came at just 13 million. New Tourism Minister Yasushi Kaneko, who was appointed last month, has described the concentration of foreign visitors in certain areas as “very serious.”

Separately, the Environment Ministry released a draft revision to its ecotourism policy earlier this month, the first update since 2008. The draft notes that social media and other factors have driven excessive tourist numbers to some destinations, leading to traffic jams, illegal waste disposal and damage to wildlife and plants. The ministry aims to strengthen monitoring and encourage responsible travel, and the policy could be finalized as early as March.

The big picture: Kyoto stands as a focal point of Japan’s overtourism challenge. The historic city drew more than 56 million international and domestic visitors last year to a population of roughly 1.5 million residents. About 90% of locals surveyed by the Yomiuri Shimbun voiced complaints about overtourism, citing packed public transit and disrespectful tourist behavior. Additional tax revenue would support measures to address these issues. Plans include building new parking areas and garbage bins, reducing congestion on public transportation and backing the introduction of reservation systems at tourist facilities.

Officials aim to finalize the tax decision by year’s end through discussions with the ruling coalition’s tax commission, with implementation possible as early as April 2026.