Japan smashes visitor records amid overtourism cries. Will its new tourist tax calm the surge?

Japan’s insatiable popularity has reached an all-time high, as the number of international visitors from January to September surpasses 30 million for the first time.

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

In fact, data shows that visitor arrivals have broken 2024 records every month this year – with 31,650,500 international tourists flocking to the country in the first nine months of 2025.

The increase comes just weeks after Japan approved the highest hotel tax ever to help “boost” its appeal and promote sustainable tourism.

The latest tourist tax in Japan

Earlier this month (October 3), the Ministry of the Interior and Communications confirmed that the tax, first proposed in March, would come into effect next year in the city of Kyoto.

This is the first increase since the tax was introduced in October 2018 and is expected to increase the city’s revenue from the accommodation tax from 5.2 billion yen (31.8 million euros) to 12.6 billion yen (71.5 million euros).

Currently, Kyoto tourist tax is capped at just ¥1,000 per night (around €5.68).

Hotel tax in Kyoto: how much will visitors have to pay?

The approved tax increase is based on the price of your home, which means not everyone will be charged the same.

Those who remainluxury hotelswill be hit the hardest, having to pay ¥10,000 per night, which equates to around €56.84.

A tax of ¥4,000 (€22.73) per night will be applied for rooms costing between ¥50,000 and ¥99,999 (€284.10 and €568.19), while a tax of ¥1,000 (€5.68) will be added for rooms costing between ¥20,000 and 49,999 ¥ (€113.64 and €284.09).

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For more economical accommodation types, costing between ¥6,000 and ¥19,999 (€34.09 and €113.61), the tax will only be ¥400 (€2.27) per night.

The lowest tax of ¥200 (€1.14) will be applied for any accommodation priced below ¥6,000 (less than €34.09).

Overtourism in Japan

With Japan’s growing popularity, it’s hard to say whether the new tourist tax will be enough to combat overtourism.

Although this influx could be beneficial for the country’s economy, it is already causing problems.

At Mount Fuji, concerns are growing about pollution and safety. human traffic jams clog the tracks.

Local authorities have already presented their plans for strengthen infrastructure and expand bus fleets to meet demand.

“Little negative impact”

Kyoto’s accommodation tax is not actually designed to deter tourists from coming – but was put in place to ensure that tourists “bear the cost of countermeasures against overtourism”.

“Following years of record demand, many destinations are looking to reduce pressure on local infrastructure and communities while ensuring the economic benefits of tourism are distributed more fairly,” Nicholas Smith, digital director of holidays at online travel agency Thomas Cook, told Euronews Travel.

“In practice, these taxes are rarely intended to discourage travel – they are designed to reinvest in what makes cities attractive: cultural preservation, public transport, cleanliness and better visitor management. »

Because of Kyoto’s tiered tax system, Smith says the lodging tax will actually have “little negative impact if it goes hand in hand with value creation.”

He adds: “Travelers who choose premium accommodation are motivated by quality and authenticity; when they see that their contribution supports local sustainability and enhances the destination, it enhances rather than diminishes their experience.”