Japan's tax-free change from November 2026: pay tax in store, get it back after a customs check. How early to leave for the airport and which car fits your bags.
For shoppers, departure day is the busiest of the trip: suitcases that will not close, boxes to carry separately, and a flight to catch. With Japan's tax-free change in November 2026, the system becomes a refund system, adding a customs step on the way out, so the timing of that last day needs rethinking.
Japan's tax-free change from 1 November 2026: pay the tax, claim it back
JNTO has announced that from 1 November 2026 tax-free shopping moves to a refund method: you pay the price including consumption tax in the shop, customs confirms on departure that the goods are leaving Japan, and the tax is then refunded (JNTO announcement). For registration, deadlines and how refunds are paid, follow the latest guidance from the Japan Tourism Agency and the shop.
Two things change for your departure:
- Customs needs to see your tax-free goods. Keep them in your cabin bag or show them before checking in, following customs and airport instructions. Pack them together where they are easy to get out.
- There is an extra step at the airport. Allow more time than you would have before, and set your airport transfer a little earlier.
More purchases: choose the car by count and size
The vehicle is decided by luggage, not by headcount. The Alphard seats 7 with room for 6 bags; the Hiace seats 10 with room for 9. Count the suitcases you arrived with, any new ones, and large shopping bags. If you have bought figures, models or boxed merchandise in Akihabara or Ikebukuro, those boxes are bulky and easily crushed, so list their sizes when booking and our team will confirm how they fit.
Two people who arrived with a suitcase each and are leaving with four cases and two big bags will be far more comfortable in an Alphard than squeezing into less. See how many bags fit in each vehicle.
Your departure-day timeline
- Pack the night before and keep tax-free items together.
- Recount your bags before check-out and tell our team if anything has changed.
- From central Tokyo it is about 30–45 minutes to Haneda and 60–90 minutes to Narita, depending on traffic. Add time for the departure tax-refund check and work back to your pickup time (see our Tokyo hotel to Narita or Haneda drop-off guide).
If you would like to stop at a shop on the way to collect an order or pick up something last-minute, let us know in advance and it can be arranged; see adding a stop to your airport transfer.
Give us your return bag count, box sizes and flight in one go, and the last day is no longer about luggage. Submit your trip on the booking page.
FAQ
- What is changing with tax-free shopping in Japan in 2026?
- According to JNTO, from 1 November 2026 Japan moves to a refund system: you pay the price including consumption tax in the shop, and the tax is refunded after customs confirms on departure that the goods are leaving Japan. Follow official Japanese announcements for the exact procedure.
- After the November 2026 tax-free change, should I leave for the airport earlier?
- Departure now includes a customs check of tax-free goods, so allow more time than before and set your airport transfer a little earlier.
- Will all my shopping fit in the car?
- The Alphard takes 6 pieces of luggage and the Hiace 9. Note any figure or model boxes and large shopping bags with their sizes when booking, and our team will confirm the vehicle.
- Can we stop at a shop on the way to the airport?
- If you would like to make a stop on the way, let us know in advance and it can be arranged.