Japan to OK sales of duty-free goods in vending machines

As the number of foreign tourists has increased, the number of duty-free shops across the country has more than quintupled in five years to some 52,000 in October, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. However, the number of employees has not risen at the same rate.

No kidding! Personally speaking there is no way in hell I would take a job having to deal with tourists in a duty free shop!

Takes a special kind of patience, and I have seen far too many really "nice" Japanese folks get rather frustrated with tourists to even consider a job like this, the money just aint good enough for all the headaches!"

Lets share more personal data with the government, no thanks!

Will the prices be low to compensate for not needing sales staff?

"Duty-free items such as cosmetics, character goods and watches will be sold in vending machines providing a tourist's identification can be verified through facial recognition and passport data, the sources said."

Hope they use the same company that made the Taspo cards! 12 year olds could use their parents cards to buy smokes and the facial recognition couldn't tell the difference.

Are the goods "duty free"? The Canadian Customs exemption instructions on my landing card make no mention of purchases at duty free outlets. For my whisky and sake, exemptions are based solely on volume and they never ask if I bought it at a duty free store. I'd love to bring in a ton of Japanese whisky and not pay any duty on it.

Anyway, the selection and prices of whisky, etc. are better in my local Tokyo discount shops than at the "duty free" shops, so I really don't see the point of the whole system.

The Canadian Customs exemption instructions on my landing card make no mention of purchases at duty free outlets

That’s because it’s free of duty in the country where the purchase was made, not the country it’s taken to.

they use the same company that made the Taspo cards! 12 year olds could use their parents cards to buy smokes and the facial recognition couldn't tell the difference.

Yeah. It’s not like their technology would have improved in the intervening decade.

Out comes my second passport to see if I can game the system..,,