Starting November 1, Japan’s tax-free shopping rules have been turned upside down.
Previously, stores deducted the 10% tax on the spot. For a ¥100,000 purchase, you only had to pay ¥90,000. Now you have to pay the full price including tax upfront—for a ¥100,000 purchase, that means paying ¥110,000. When you leave the country, customs checks that you’re actually taking the goods with you, and only then do you get your refund.
Here are two pitfalls to watch out for:
If you can’t present even one item on a receipt, you can’t get a refund for the entire purchase.
Some stores charge a 1.5% processing fee, so you’ll actually get back only 8–9%, not 10%.
There are some upsides, too. The ¥500,000 limit on consumables has been scrapped, and you no longer need to seal them in a bag—so you can finally use your face masks that same night.
Tax refunds have shifted from “at the store” to “when you leave the country.” That adds an extra step—and another part of the process that can be digitized. So Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is looking into refunding the money via stablecoins.
Last October, Japan launched the yen stablecoin JPYC. And starting this June, foreign stablecoins have also counted as electronic payment methods.
Do you think this could work?
#日本国交相将研究稳定币退税
Previously, stores deducted the 10% tax on the spot. For a ¥100,000 purchase, you only had to pay ¥90,000. Now you have to pay the full price including tax upfront—for a ¥100,000 purchase, that means paying ¥110,000. When you leave the country, customs checks that you’re actually taking the goods with you, and only then do you get your refund.
Here are two pitfalls to watch out for:
If you can’t present even one item on a receipt, you can’t get a refund for the entire purchase.
Some stores charge a 1.5% processing fee, so you’ll actually get back only 8–9%, not 10%.
There are some upsides, too. The ¥500,000 limit on consumables has been scrapped, and you no longer need to seal them in a bag—so you can finally use your face masks that same night.
Tax refunds have shifted from “at the store” to “when you leave the country.” That adds an extra step—and another part of the process that can be digitized. So Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is looking into refunding the money via stablecoins.
Last October, Japan launched the yen stablecoin JPYC. And starting this June, foreign stablecoins have also counted as electronic payment methods.
Do you think this could work?
#日本国交相将研究稳定币退税