Sayonara: You Now Have to Pay If You Want to Leave Japan
We may have just found your excuse to stay in Japan forever. As of Monday, the country introduced a new tax on visitors, appropriately called the "sayonara tax." In other words: If you want to leave, you'll have to pay — ¥1,000, to be exact (about $9 US dollars). The tax will be added on to plane tickets and ship fares for all passengers who are departing.
The tax is allegedly going to be used for more travel-friendly services, such as facial recognition at airports, free Wi-Fi on public transportation and even more language translations at popular tourist attractions after the fees add up over time. The government expects to amass ¥50 billion ($461 million) by the end of the year... Just in time for the Olympics in 2020.
Children under two are exempt from the fee, as are people who are only there for 24 hours or less — same goes for anyone who is forced to enter because of unavoidable circumstances, such as if your plane has to reroute. While this new tax definitely shouldn't deter you from going, at least now some of your money will go toward making trips even better for future visitors.
Japan isn't the first country to impose taxes like this on tourists. This past summer, Croatia increased the amount of taxes travelers need to enter the country by 25%.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app