Japan Triples Tax on Foreign Tourists Starting July 2026

The surge in tourists to Japan has prompted several significant new policies. The Japanese government has decided to triple the international tourist tax and cancel a popular cherry blossom festival as measures to control overtourism, which is increasingly troubling local residents. Starting 1 July, Japan will raise the international tourist tax from 1,000 yen (Rp 107,500) to 3,000 yen (Rp 322,500) per person. This policy was confirmed by Hokuto Asano from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., who explained that the measure is part of a strategy to balance tourism ambitions with the quality of life for residents. The cherry blossom season, one of Japan’s biggest attractions, has again drawn large crowds. However, this year, the city of Fujiyoshida took a drastic step by cancelling the cherry blossom festival that was supposed to be held. The reason is overtourism. Some reports mention that the festival was forced to be halted due to serious problems such as: According to Asano, this phenomenon is not only occurring in Japan but also in many popular destinations around the world. In addition, Japan is preparing new procedures for foreign tourists, namely the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA). This system will likely require tourists: However, Asano emphasised that these regulations are still in the discussion stage, so they are not final and may change.