Japan Smashes Records Guest Of Annihilation Creates Excess. Will the new tourist tax reduce surgery?

Japan’s undisputed popularity has reached an all-time high, with international visitors from January to September surpassing 30 million for the first time.

According to the country’s national tourism organization, 3.26 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan last month – marking an increase of 13.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

In fact, the data shows that the arrival of tourists has broken 2024 records in every single month this year – with 3150,550,500 international visitors touching the country in the first nine months of 2025.

This incident comes just a few weeks after the renewal of the highest hotel tax – to help the “Hotel table to help” improve its “visits and promote sustainable tourism.

Japan’s latest tourist tax

Earlier this month (October 3), the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications confirmed that the levy, which was first proposed in March, will come into effect next year in the city of Kyoto.

It marks the first increase since this tax was introduced back in October 2018, and it is slated to increase the city’s income from property tax from ¥5.2 billion (€31.5 million (€71.5 million).

Currently, Kyoto’s residence tax it is charged just ¥1,000 per night (about €5.68).

Kyoto hotel tax: How much will guests pay?

The approved tax deduction is based on the price of your property, meaning everyone will be charged the same.

Those who live in betweenLuxury Hotelswill be hit hard, should fork out ¥ 10,000 per night, which works out to about € 56.84.

A tax of 4,000 (€ 000 (€ 1.73) Night tax will be applied to rooms costing between ¥ 50 000 9,000) and € 99,999 (€ 1,9,999 (€ 1,9,999 (€ 1

Related

For most types of accommodation budgets, which cost between ¥6,000 and ¥19,999 (€34.09 and €113.61), the tax will be 400 (€400 (€2.27) per night.

A minimum tax of ¥200 (€1.14) will be charged on any accommodation received below ¥6,000 (less than €34.09).

Excess in Japan

With the popularity of Japanese skiing, it’s hard to say whether the latest tourist tax will be enough to deal with the excess.

While immigration may be good for the country’s economy, it has led to problems.

At Mount Fuji, concerns are growing over pollution and safety as Human traffic gathers on the slopes.

Local authorities have outlined plans Bolster infrastructure and increase the army of buses to cope with the high demand.

‘Less negative impact’

Kyoto’s accommodation tax is not designed to deter tourists from visiting – it is made to ensure that tourists are “bearing the cost of a courtmeasure by fraud”.

“After years of record demand, many places want to reduce the pressure on the infrastructure and local communities are equally distributed,” Nicholas Smith, Holideli Divital Direct agency Thomas Cook Online Travel Agenth, told Euronews Travel.

“In practice, these taxes rarely discourage travel – they are designed to stimulate the things that make cities attractive: Cultural Preservation, Public Cleanliness, and better visitor management.”

Because of the Kyoto tax system managed in Kyoto, Smith points out that the tax on accommodation will have a small impact “a small negative impact if they are accompanied by value creation”.

He adds: “Travelers who choose a premium accommodation are motivated by quality and authenticity; when they see that their contribution supports local sustainability and improves when it melts their experience.”