New Local Accommodation Taxes Hit Nagano, Kumamoto and Miyazaki

Japan’s accommodation tax landscape has expanded again this month. Nagano, Kumamoto City, and Miyazaki City received government approval to introduce new local lodging levies from June 2026, adding three more destinations to the growing list of Japanese cities charging visitors a per-night fee.

The charges vary by property nightly rate. Stays costing less than ¥6,000 (approximately €34) are subject to a minimal ¥200 (about €1) levy. Mid-range accommodation in the ¥6,000–¥20,000 bracket carries a charge between ¥1,000 and ¥4,000, while luxury properties at ¥20,000 or more per night attract up to ¥10,000 (around €56) per person per night. Hotels and guesthouses collect the tax at checkout and remit it to the local authority — no separate payment is required from guests.

Part of a wider national strategy

These three cities follow Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, all of which implemented accommodation taxes in earlier years. Japan’s central government announced in March 2026 a new national target for addressing overtourism, directing a significant share of accommodation tax revenues toward sustainable infrastructure: multilingual signage, heritage conservation, public transport upgrades, and reservation systems at crowded sites.

From July 2026, Japan’s international departure tax also triples from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per person for all travellers aged two and older leaving by air or sea. Taken together, the new local accommodation taxes and the higher departure levy mean visitors to Nagano and other newly covered destinations should budget an additional ¥3,200–¥13,000 per night (plus ¥3,000 at departure) compared with a Japan trip in 2024.

What this means for travellers visiting these cities

Nagano is a winter Olympic city that draws mountain sport enthusiasts and visitors to the Jigokudani Monkey Park year-round. Kumamoto, rebuilt after the 2016 earthquake, is a gateway to Aso Volcano and a growing destination in Kyushu. Miyazaki sits on the Pacific coast of Kyushu and is known for subtropical beaches and local seafood.

For those planning broader Japan itineraries, the accommodation tax is now effectively universal across major tourist destinations. Our budget travel guide for Japan has been updated to reflect current all-in costs, including the expanded accommodation levy and the forthcoming departure tax change. Travellers staying in budget guesthouses or hostels will barely notice the charge; those in upscale properties should factor it into their nightly calculations.

Osaka and Kyoto both already levy accommodation taxes and remain among Japan’s most popular bases. Adding Nagano to the covered destinations underscores how the system has moved from a pilot in a handful of gateway cities to a near-standard feature of Japanese tourism.