Kyoto authorities announced Tuesday plans to hike lodging taxes, as Japan's ancient capital seeks to assuage grumbles from locals about too many tourists.
Lured by its myriad sights and a weak yen, Japan has seen foreign tourism numbers explode in recent years, with arrivals in 2024 expected to have hit a record of more than 35 million.
But like other hotspots worldwide such as Venice in Italy or Maya Bay in Thailand, this is not universally welcome, particularly in tradition-steeped Kyoto.
The city, which is a modest bullet train ride away from Tokyo -- with a view of Mount Fuji on the way -- is famed for its kimono-clad geisha performers and Buddhist temples.
Residents have complained of disrespectful tourists harassing the geisha like paparazzi in their frenzy for photos, as well as causing traffic congestion and littering.
For rooms costing between 20,000 and 50,000 yen per night, visitors will now see their tax double to 1,000 yen per person per night, under the new plans.
For accommodation over 100,000 yen per night it will soar tenfold to 10,000 yen. The new levies will take effect next year, subject to approval from the city assembly.
"We intend to hike accommodation tax to realise 'sustainable tourism' with a high level of satisfaction for citizens, tourists and businesses," a statement said.
Tensions are highest in the Gion district, home to teahouses where geiko -- the local name for geisha -- and their maiko apprentices perform traditional dances and play instruments.
Last year authorities moved to ban visitors from entering certain narrow private alleys in Gion after pressure from a council of local residents.
One council member told local media about an instance of a maiko's kimono being torn and another who had a cigarette butt put in her collar.
In 2019, the Gion district council put up signs saying "no photography on private roads" warning of fines of up to 10,000 yen.
"I appreciate tourists visiting the city, but there are also some downsides like the impact on the environment," resident Daichi Hayase told AFP, welcoming the new taxes.
"But it doesn't mean the city should impose excessive taxes. Tourists are coming despite painful inflation," the 38-year-old photographer said.
"If there's a burden on the infrastructure, I do think taxing tourists is a good idea," said Australian tourist Larry Cooke, 21.
But he said that the city had to find the "right balance".
Tourism has been booming for over a decade in Japan, with foreign arrivals rising five-fold between 2012 and when the Covid pandemic torpedoed foreign travel in 2020.
Since restrictions were lifted, and the government is hoping to welcome 60 million tourists per year by 2030, almost double last year's expected total.
Authorities have also taken steps beyond Kyoto, including introducing an entry fee and a daily cap on the number of hikers climbing Mount Fuji.
Last year a barrier was briefly erected outside a convenience store with a spectacular view of the famous snow-capped volcano that had become a magnet for photo-hungry visitors.
And in December Ginzan Onsen, a Japanese hot spring town with made-for-Instagram snowy scenes began stopping anyone arriving after 8:00 pm if they don't have a hotel booked.
© 2025 AFP
31 Comments
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Asiaman7
Would love to hear the specific plans for how this extra tax will be used to alleviate overtourism in Kyoto.
mist1
Trying to blame the foreign tourists again? Most visitors to Kyoto are residents of Japan.
mountaingrill
I know someone who works in Kyoto City Hall. This is not to assuage locals but rather a way to tax tourists. The local government is heavily in debt and desperate for income.
Meiyouwenti
“Trying to blame the foreign tourists again? Most visitors to Kyoto are residents of Japan”
Kyoto was a much nicer and quieter place before the surge of foreign tourists, especially from those coming from that nuclear-armed communist dictatorship on the other side of the Sea of Japan.
Bobby Franks
If history can be a guide, one might assume large chunks of the additional tax revenues might make their way to the personal accounts of certain individuals.
Kickbacks appear to be common in Japan — whether they’re to Japanese university chancellors or LDP politicians.
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“Kinuko Iwamoto, 78, is suspected of making the university pay about 117 million yen for fictitious consulting work. The police suspect that part of the money may have been channeled back to Iwamoto.”
https://japantoday.com/category/crime/ex-university-chancellor-arrested-over-alleged-breach-of-trust
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“Dozens of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are alleged to have pocketed profits from ticket sales as kickbacks by falsifying mandatory accounting reports.”
https://apnews.com/article/japan-politics-kishida-party-scandal-corruption-9a24f47e73552422a1a41a1f537e0760
JeffLee
I live in Tokyo. But the most crowded situation I ever found myself in was Kyoto at new years....in 1990. The city has always been way overcrowded. Visitors from overseas only account for 19% of the total, but the locals dont like them as much as their fellow countrymen, clearly.
Negative Nancy
Kyoto is an overrated destination anyway. There are much nicer places without the crowds. I've always enjoyed aspects of Kyoto, but the infrastructure was poor before the recent tourism boom. I was planning on giving Kyoto a wide berth anyway, but I'm certainly not going to be paying ridiculous amounts of money to stay there.
sakurasuki
Overtourism, don't blame that to tourist JGovt take lot of money from them, either local or central Govt.
Geeter Mckluskie
A good way for everyone and not just shop and restaurant owners to benefit from the influx of tourism.
Geeter Mckluskie
So roughly $6 for a $300 a night hotel room. and $60 for a $600 a night hotel room.
@ 50,000 or 100,000 per night neither was I prior to the tax increase
Japantime
Hopefully This extra money will help Kyoto clean up the mess left by tourists. I’ve heard many people complain about tourists not understanding Japanese culture and respect.
Geeter Mckluskie
We've been told on these pages that the public coffers are bare. I don't thing alleviating overtourism is the goal here.
TokyoLiving
Excellent..
Foreign tourists want to visit Kyoto??..
Pay the price and behave well..
Alan Harrison
I don't think I'll stay atg a hotel in Kyoto again. I'll just stay with friends.
osan
as a long term Japan visitor, I don’t recommend Japan to my friends anymore.
people tend to be on the polite side, but they are not that friendly compared to other countries like Taiwan or Malaysia.
in our recent trip, we could see the most merchants see us just money milking creatures without putting any hospitality we used to experience in the past.
cuisine wise, there are even better options out there like Chinese or south East Asian.
the new wave of insta-fueled trash tourists.
one of the very few remaining strong points for Japan is the convenience of travel. Not sure if this is enough to keep the annual Japan travel tradition going on.wallace
There are still the hotel sales taxes and service charges on top of the room prices.
リッチ
So locals soon won’t be able to afford to go to one of their own cities.
Geeter Mckluskie
If they're in the habit of paying￥50,000 for a hotel room, I highly doubt the extra￥1000 will prevent them from going to one of their own cities.
GuruMick
Limit tourist numbers by a quota or by removing "visa on arrival " for some countries....those with billions in population come to mind.
Organised tours might help as weell....A million tourists dawdling all over the place not helpful to the appearance of overcrowding.
Establish more tours to out of the way places, maybe fix up municipal airports to handle O/S flights.
Most of Japan fairly empty
Zaphod
Won´t make a difference. Anyone who is willing to pay 100k per night would care about a extra 10k. That tax will have to be way higher to have an impact.
But it will make some money for the administration, so maybe they can hire a couple more guides to help keeping the tourist hordes in check.
WA4TKG
One more reason not to go there
Hito Bito
We LOVE tourists so much...wait, that's incorrect. Word forgotten. Let's try again.
We LOVE GOUGING tourists so much! Yokoso, lemmings! Feel that FAKE "Omotenashi" vibe and pony up!
Guess the cities just outside of Kyoto will now see a massive boom in tourists staying in their hotels? A literal two station train ride and one is outside the Tax Zone. Foolishness after foolishness...
CaptDingleheimer
Dear foreigners flocking to Japan,
As you visit and enjoy all the sites and attractions that Japan has to offer, let me advise you that you definitely do NOT want to go to an onsen. Getting naked with strangers is totally weird and you probably wouldn’t like it. So stay away from them. Especially the quaint, rustic onsens in Akita.
In fact, you probably wouldn’t like Akita either, so just give it a hard pass.
Geeter Mckluskie
Hahaha...clever
Newgirlintown
And the xenophobia continues.
smithinjapan
Kyoto, nearly bankrupt for some years due to misspending on construction, is DESPERATE for more money. We saw them BEG for visitors when Japan was closed, and now they turn their nose at them while opening their hands for MORE money? Japan should be ashamed.
wallace
Visited Kyoto more than 20 times but as a day tripper from Kobe. Tourists can stay in hotels in other places like Osaka and take a rapid train into Kyoto.
masterblaster
o mo te nashi
Geeter Mckluskie
Does it? I rather think they're welcoming the boost to the city coffers.
WoodyLee
:""Kyoto authorities announced Tuesday plans to hike lodging taxes, as Japan's ancient capital seeks to assuage grumbles from locals about too many tourists.""
YUP, always shoot yourself in the foot.
kohakuebisu
I support this. Nights in hotels are a luxury. I much prefer luxury taxes to taxes on everyday things like electricity and food.
If I have to pay extra taxes to have malt in my beer or an engine that is bigger than 660cc in my car, other folks can pay them for staying in Hotel Swankypants in Kyoto.