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[Updated: 10/13/2026]
Starting November 2026, Japan's consumption tax exemption system is switching to a "refund method." For full details on the system itself, please see this explainer article first. This page brings together how individual retailers are responding to the new system, along with specific procedures at airports and seaports, as the information becomes available.
Instead of the current on-the-spot exemption at checkout, travelers will pay the tax-included price at purchase and receive a refund after customs verification at departure. For eligibility conditions, the purchase-to-refund process, and frequently asked questions, see the full explainer article below.
See Full Details ›| Item | Until October 2026 (Current) | From November 2026 (New System) |
|---|---|---|
| At Purchase | Buy at the tax-free price (or get a refund at an in-store tax-free counter) |
Pay the tax-included price (register refund details, e.g. a credit card※) |
| At Departure | Verified by customs after security screening (restricted area) |
Verified by customs before security screening (general area) ※within 90 days of purchase |
| Refund | Completed in-store | Issued after customs verification |
※How and when you register your refund details (e.g. a credit card) varies by store and refund service used.
Under the new system, each refund requires registering your passport, purchase details, and refund account — and the process can vary slightly from store to store. Shop at several stores, and you'll be repeating this each time, while juggling multiple receipts. That's why it now pays to consolidate your shopping at a single store that has everything you need, and to check how each retailer is handling the new rules before you go — which is exactly what this page keeps track of.
We're compiling how individual retailers are responding to the new system, and will add more as information becomes available.
Refund Application Fees Waived
The PPIH Group has announced that refund application fees will be free at its stores nationwide from November 1, 2026 (a refund service provider's fee applies only for cash pickup at airports). Ahead of the system change, Don Quijote is also giving a limited-edition original bag to travelers who show the Visit Japan Web screen at checkout, at 38 stores nationwide while supplies last.
Details coming soon
Details coming soon
To be added
At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose, and Naha airports, online procedures via Visit Japan Web are available in addition to the tax-free kiosks. Step-by-step guides for each airport are in preparation.
We'll add them as they become available.
Step-by-step guides for major cruise ports handling international passengers - including Hakata, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Naha, Kagoshima, and Ishigaki - are in preparation.
We'll add them as they become available.
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