🇯🇵 Shopping & tax free Shopping tip

Japan’s 10% consumption tax refund and how discount-store coupons stack

Spend ¥5,000 or more (before tax) in a single store and the 10% consumption tax is deducted on the spot.

As of 2026-08-18

This is the Shopping & tax free item for a trip to Japan. The 3 checkpoints below can only be settled properly before you leave — put them off and you queue at an airport desk or spend the first day on them instead. Work through them once and nothing has to be reopened.

Key checkpoints

You must present the physical passport — a copy or a photo is not accepted
Consumables (cosmetics, medicine, snacks) are sealed in a clear bag; opening it before you leave Japan makes it taxable
Discount chains such as Don Quijote give a further 5% off above ¥10,000 — screenshot the mobile coupon in advance

What to do before departure, in order

Two rules decide the order. First, anything with a deadline — pre-registration, bookings, documents to be issued: miss the cut-off and there is no substitute. Then whatever also works locally, which costs little to postpone.

Most of the items above can only be done before you leave. After arrival, patchy connectivity and opening hours make them harder, so finish what you can while you are still at home.

What to pay attention to in Japan

Japan has digitised its entry procedure, so registering in advance cuts airport queueing time considerably. Cash is still dominant in parts of the country, though, so arriving with cards only can leave you stuck.

Mains voltage is 110V, so some appliances from home will not work directly — check your adapter.

Also worth checking for this destination

For this destination it is worth reading these as well.

Official sources behind this article

The steps, fees and deadlines above were checked against 2 official sources listed below — pages published by the bodies that run the scheme itself, with the issuing institution named after each. Where they disagree with this page, they are right. Fees and forms change without notice, so open them once more before you travel.

Baggage rules covered by this article

2 items named in this article are also governed by airport screening and airline rules. Check the cabin/checked verdict before you split your bags. The verdicts below are about what may fly; an item the destination country bans outright is a separate matter.

The rules behind those baggage verdicts

The baggage verdicts above follow from 3 Korean rules listed below, named in the original Korean because that is how they are indexed at the national law database. These are the rules themselves, not an airline summary — when screening staff disagree, this is the text that decides. What they settle is whether an item may fly; an item the destination country bans outright is governed by that country's own rules.