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Diet passes legislation to limit departure tax use to tourism

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Many folks don't realize the number of other "taxes" and "fees" that airports and airlines are currently charging for their services. Unfortunately this too will soon be forgotten unless it is charged as an airport departure fee separately collected prior to leaving the country. For example, in some airports in the PI you have to pay a departure tax prior to going through final security screening.

If that is how it gets charged here, it is going to make for added delays in getting out of the country.

I for one would love to have more details on how this is going to be carried out.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Where would you pay 1200 yen for a cup of Coffee ? You could buy the Cup and a bag of coffee for that sum...

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Critics of the tax had expressed concern that its revenue would be diverted for other purposes unrelated to tourism.

Personally, I don't see any problem with charging tourists a fee and using the money for other useful purposes such as funding daycares or hospitals for the elderly. It's fair. Tourists come here to enjoy Japan, and every Japanese person deserves to directly share in the benefits of mass tourism rather than just suffering the downsides.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

@M3M3M3 & dcog9065

I'm not sure whether you have misunderstood, or if it's me that's misunderstanding... it's not just a tax on 'tourists' i.e. foreigners visiting Japan (and then leaving), the 1,000 yen is to be paid by every single person departing from Japan (Japanese people included).

Please correct me if I'm wrong!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Oh silly me, I thought the title said the tax will be limited to tourists. Guess that was wishful thinking.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It is EVERYONE paying to leave, not just tourists.

SO, because we do not want to pay a ridiculous fee to go to a casino and decide to fly elsewhere to gamble, we now get taxed to leave to go do that as well?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Haruka said it clearly. Seems you guys commenting on this story dont get it. We all have to pay. Painfully to those of us whose jobs demand constant travels. I use the airports almost weekly and Im no tourist. How is this tax gonna benefit me?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

You have to pay to leave the country now? What if you don't pay? Do they just keep you? Sounds like a cash grab with the Olympics coming up.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

I've been to Japan 8 times it's always pleasant and stress free. All this tax will do is the opposite.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The government will use the money raised to help tourists enjoy "pleasant and stress-free" trips, facilitate access to information on tourist attractions and prepare resources for visitors to experience Japanese culture and nature.

I hope that means translation of Japanese information available to locals into English and other languages which can be accessed via QR codes, websites and print material.

I hope that means encouraging private companies to improve their signage as well as giving cash incentives to employers in the service industries to hire multi-lingual staff.

I hope that means paying multi-lingual staff in front line service positions more than others who can function in Japanese only.

I hope that translates into supporting those publications which already communicate well to a non-national audience with more funding for marketing and greater distribution.

All of those items would help to improve visitors' experiences while in Japan. At present "pleasant and stress free" trip experiences are somewhat hit and miss--especially for first time visitors or visitors who are not content to merely check off a bucket list of tourist attractions and be done.

Unfortunately, a visitor's experience in a prestigious gallery or museum is often much less than it could be because there is minimal or no translation. The further a visitor travels from metropolitan areas the worse it is.

I recall seeing photographer Kishin Shinoyama's photographic exhibition The People at Kanazawa's stunning 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. The power of the images was such that I made descriptive notes and in halting Japanese asked someone next to me, "Excuse me for bothering you, but who is that?" They helped me to spell the name in romanji and sometimes offered an explanation such as famous singer, kabuki star or silver and gold twins. Then I Googled everyone in order to grasp the cultural significance of what I had seen.

Alas, not many visitors want to work that hard, would likely cruise through, understand very little of a significant body of work and miss a deeply rewarding experience.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I've been to Japan 8 times it's always pleasant and stress free. All this tax will do is the opposite.

If paying ¥1,000 for an airport tax is going to give you that much stress, I might suggest stopping coming to Japan at all.

We who live here don't want to have to pay for your extended hospital stay because you keeled over paying a tax that is the cost of a beer or two!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Seems like a lot of you have forgotten: We always had to go to the machine and buy a departure tax at both Haneda and Narita...and I am sure it was the same at other places of departure. But, because they started to streamline things a number of years back, including visa issues etc., they added the tax to the cost of tickets. So, you are being double taxed in the future.*****

Travellers departing via the International Passenger Terminal are required to pay a Passenger Service Facilities Charge (PSFC).

This fee goes toward the expense of maintaining and managing our many shared facilities and equipment for displaying traveller information.

Passenger Service Facilities Charge

The rates are as shown below.

Departure Passengers Adult 2,570 yen, Child 1,280 yen, Transit Passengers Adult 1,280 yen, Child 640 yen.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Airport Charges

The airport charges will be imposed on passengers who use the following airports. 

International

Tokyo Narita (Departure)Passenger Service Facility Charge12 years old〜 

JPY 1,020

2years old~11years old 

JPY 510Passenger Security Service FeeJPY 520Osaka Kansai (Departure)Passenger Service Facility Charge12 years old〜 

JPY 2,730

2years old~11years old 

JPY 1,370Passenger Security Service FeeJPY 310

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Departure taxes are for less-rich countries who need hard currency. Japan should be embarrassed.

Maybe you should take a look at this link. I don't think countries like Australia and China count as 'less-rich'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departure_tax

Who pays US$1000 to get to Japan from the USA? I'm seeing US$690 from the east coast right now leaving tomorrow for a week.

If you aren't picky about layovers or choice of airline, be my guest and spend 6 hours in China. I prefer non-stop on ANA, so I'll pay a little extra.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Interesting to note that Japan is one of the few countries (I know) that basically gives tourists the discounts (JR passes, tax-free goods) and charges residents + citizens more money left and right . In this case it is the same, However, if you go to a number of countries the residents of those countries pay a smaller departure tax then visitors. Also admissions to places such as the Taj Mahal (India), the Johor Bahru Sultan Palace and Angkor Park (Cambodia) are cheaper or even free for their residents. In Guam residents get a card giving them discounts on hotels, etc. that the tourists don't get. Well I guess Singapore charges only residents (and not tourists) to go in their casinos. . .

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I think it concerns to an international law of taxation to be reformed for any Olympic games or World Cup or other international events from now on. It's about the insurance to travel and it should be reduced from there and all travelers (tourists) have this insurance registration form to entry the country it'll be held the event as host. If it's not clear that it will be only for this 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, elsewhere it will be daily basis for any travelers going abroad or coming to visit Japan, to pay that amount even after the Olympic games, though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Who cares? I am very against excessive taxation, and I think taxes today are very excessive. But this 1000 yen per passenger on an international flight is practically nothing in the scheme of things. I think it's safe to say that it will have zero impact on anybody's life.

The money will be wasted, of course. But most tax revenue is wasted. What's new?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Well I guess Singapore charges only residents (and not tourists) to go in their casinos. . .

Soon to be in Japan too!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

But this 1000 yen per passenger on an international flight is practically nothing in the scheme of things. 

1000 yen multiplied by 20 million (which is still less than half what the government thinks they'll get for tourism) is 20 BILLION yen a year. Or 40 Billion if they hit their tourism targets.

That's not 'practically nothing in the scheme of things.'

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Honestly, I'm paying around a thousand US dollars or more for a plane ticket to Japan, so I am really not too worried about having to pay an additional $10. I had to pay about that much back in 1992 to depart Korea when I was stationed there.

Looking it up, I see quite a few other countries do it too and some charge a lot more. (looks like Fiji charges about $125! 1000yen is getting off easy...)

It would be nice if they would just roll it into the price of the airplane ticket like some countries, instead of probably having to run everyone's credit cards before going through security though.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In Chuuk and Palau the residents of each pay a lot less for this tax.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That's not 'practically nothing in the scheme of things.'

It's 1000 yen per international flight. Most people don't fly internationally every week. Most don't even fly internationally every year. That's as close to nothing as you can get in taxes.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is a good tax but am disappointed it's not closer to 4,000 yen or more. Tourism brings some economic benefit to the country, but this windfall is not shared widely throughout the economy and society.

Tourists are generally a social burden so this tax on them is a no brainer. Tourists will come regardless, and if they don't choose to come because of a 1,000 yen departure fee, then it's probably better they never came in the first place

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

M3M3M3: It's cute that you think the government would use this money for its intended purposes. I think we both know it'll be put towards military spending or something, and when revealed the scandal will be defended as, "Using the money to bolster the threat against China makes tourists more comfortable!" or, "Using the money to provide whalers with added security of our defense forces means we can force ambassadors to eat whale meat so they know it's okay and everyone's happy," or "Giving billions to this third-world country will help society in Japan! and now we need to increase the tax further" or something like that. I mean, they always use donations and taxes earmarked to help society in the way they state they will, right?

Like I said, it's sweet that you think they'll use it how they claim they will.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

More taxation is almost always bad.

It is these little taxes that hurt poorer people most.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Departure taxes are for less-rich countries who need hard currency. Japan should be embarrassed.

Who pays US$1000 to get to Japan from the USA? I haven't paid more than US$800 for a long time, though for business trips the company has paid much more with very short notice. I'm seeing US$690 from the east coast right now leaving tomorrow for a week.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

So, you are being double taxed in the future.*****

Your comment was about Narita and Haneda, this tax will be for all airports in Japan that fly internationally.

In Chuuk and Palau the residents of each pay a lot less for this tax.

Yeah and you pay around 1,500 yen (750 pesos) in Cebu. SO?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I've been to Japan 8 times it's always pleasant and stress free. All this tax will do is the opposite.

Come on, it's only 1000 yen...

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Sounds a little like mafia. Luckily there are no mafia in japan. ¥1000 is 5 days wages for many countries even if Aso once stated ¥1200is a reasonable price for a mug of coffee.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

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