Tax-Free Shopping

Tax type: Consumption Tax

Tax rate: 10% (8% for food/drinks)

Eligible travelers: Non-resident foreign visitors with "短期滞在" (temporary visitor) status

Stay limit: Must take goods out of Japan within 30 days of purchase

Minimum amount: JPY 5,000 (approx. USD 35) per store per day (tax-exclusive)

Per store/receipt: Per store per day; general goods and consumables counted separately

Currency: JPY

1. Shop at stores displaying "Tax-Free Shop" or "Japan Tax-Free" sign
2. Present passport (with landing permission sticker) at checkout
3. Store attaches purchase record to passport or registers electronically
4. Consumables are sealed in a special bag — do not open until departure

1. No separate customs/refund counter needed — tax exempted at purchase
2. Customs may check sealed consumable bags at departure
3. If goods are not taken out of Japan, tax must be paid back

• Tax exempted at point of sale (no refund process needed)

Processing time: Immediate — tax deducted at checkout

• Items consumed in Japan
• Items shipped within Japan
• Goods over JPY 500,000 per category need customs form

Tax-free operators: Japan Tax-Free system (government-run), Individual stores

Popular areas: Tokyo (Ginza, Shinjuku, Akihabara), Osaka (Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori), Kyoto, Fukuoka, Sapporo

• Japan exempts tax AT purchase — no airport refund process needed
• Two categories: "General goods" (electronics, clothes) and "Consumables" (food, cosmetics)
• Consumables must be sealed and taken out within 30 days
• General goods cannot be used in Japan before departure
• From April 2025: electronic record system replaces passport stickers
• Most major stores, department stores, and drug stores participate