The Japanese government is moving to significantly increase taxes and visa fees imposed on foreign tourists in response to overtourism and traffic congestion.

According to a report by the Mainichi Shimbun on the 12th, the Japanese government is considering raising the current "International Tourist Departure Tax" (departure tax) from 1,000 yen (about 9,500 won) to over 3,000 yen (about 28,500 won). Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned during the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election in September that she would raise the departure tax to 3,000 yen.

On the 2nd of last month, travelers were lined up for check-in at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Yonhap News

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The Japanese government plans to use the additional tax revenue for measures related to overtourism, such as alleviating traffic congestion and cracking down on violations of regulations by some foreign tourists. For the 2023 fiscal year (April 2023 to March 2024), revenue from the departure tax reached 39.9 billion yen (about 378.4 billion won).

However, since the departure tax is paid by all travelers leaving Japan, the burden on Japanese nationals will also increase. To address this, the government is considering using part of the additional revenue to lower passport issuance fees for Japanese citizens. Currently, the online issuance fee for a 10-year passport is 15,900 yen (about 150,000 won), and there is a possibility this could be reduced to as low as 10,000 yen (about 95,000 won).

Additionally, the Japanese government has announced that it will raise visa issuance fees for foreign visitors starting in April next year. The current single-entry visa fee is around 3,000 yen, but discussions are underway to raise it to the level of major developed countries such as the United States (185 dollars, about 270,000 won). This will be the first increase in visa fees since 1978.

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Furthermore, starting around 2028, the government is planning to implement pre-screening procedures and charge a separate fee for foreign nationals making short-term visits without a visa.

Some in the political sphere are also calling for the abolition of the consumption tax exemption system currently applied to foreign tourists. The Mainichi Shimbun reported, "While measures that increase the burden on foreigners could help alleviate the negative effects of tourism, there are also significant concerns that they may discourage visits to Japan," adding, "There are also voices within the government calling for careful deliberation."

As of September this year, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 31,650,500, surpassing 30 million annually in the shortest period ever.

Last year, the number of Koreans who visited Japan was recorded at 8.82 million. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), among the foreigners who visited Japan in the first half of this year (January to June), about 4.7835 million were Koreans, ranking first ahead of China and Taiwan. This figure represents a 7.7% increase compared to the same period last year. Koreans can stay in Japan for up to 90 days without a visa for purposes such as tourism, visiting relatives, or study tours.