Before you go to Japan

Register your immigration and customs details online before you fly. On arrival, show the QR codes at the immigration and customs counters instead of filling in paper forms.

Purchases until 31 October 2026: show your passport at a tax-free shop and the consumption tax is taken off at the till.

Purchases from 1 November 2026: you pay the price including tax. Within 90 days of purchase, scan your passport at the tax-free terminal at the airport or port when you leave Japan; the shop or its refund service then refunds the tax. Purchases of 5,000 yen or more (before tax) per shop per day qualify.

Keep your tax-free goods with you and do the airport procedure before checking in your luggage. Items used up in Japan are not refunded.

A rechargeable IC card such as Suica or ICOCA lets you tap through train and bus gates and pay in many shops. Welcome Suica is made for visitors: no deposit, usable for 28 days, sold at Narita and Haneda airports and major JR East stations.

Speak quietly and avoid phone calls on trains, queue on platforms, carry your rubbish until you find a bin, take your shoes off where you see slippers or a raised floor at the entrance, and ask before photographing people. Tipping is not expected.

Japan has four distinct seasons: cherry blossoms in spring, a rainy season in early summer, hot and humid summers, typhoons from late summer into autumn, and cold winters with heavy snow in the north. Check the Japan Meteorological Agency for forecasts and warnings during your trip.