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.
Japan is considering an increase in its departure taxes
