Japan mulling 1,000-yen departure tax

September 28, 2017

TOKYO- Japan's government and ruling camp are considering charging a tax of 1,000 yen per head to all people leaving the country, in order to secure financial resources for tourism, Jiji Press learned Wednesday.

The new departure tax will likely be imposed on both Japanese nationals and foreigners to ensure fairness, sources familiar with the matter said. Such tax has been adopted in some countries.

Aiming to introduce the tax in fiscal 2018 at the earliest, the government and the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling bloc will look to include the plan in a tax system reform package for the fiscal year from April 2018, which will be compiled late this year, the sources said.

The government has set a goal of increasing visitors to Japan to 40 million in 2020, when the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held. Jiji Press