Until 31 October 2026, tax-free shops in Japan take the 10% consumption tax off at the till when you show your passport. From 1 November 2026 that changes to a refund: you pay the full price, tax included, and the shop gives the tax back once customs has confirmed at your departure that the goods are leaving Japan.
What changes
| Until 31 October 2026 | From 1 November 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| In the shop | Pay the price without tax | Pay the full price, tax included |
| At the airport | Customs may check | Customs confirms your purchases before you check bags |
| The tax | Never paid | Refunded by the shop once customs confirms |
| Minimum | ¥5,000 before tax (about ¥5,500 on the tag) in one shop, on one day | |
| Deadline | Leave Japan within 90 days of buying | |
What to do
- In the shop, ask for tax-free and show your passport. You pay the full price.
- At the airport, before you check any bags, go to a tax-free kiosk or the customs counter in departures with your passport and the goods.
- Once customs has confirmed, the shop refunds the tax by card, bank transfer, app or cash, depending on the shop. Ask how when you buy.
- Used something up in Japan, like cosmetics or food? Tell the customs officer instead of using the kiosk: things used in Japan don’t get the tax back.
Refund companies and shops can keep a fee. The app assumes you get about three quarters of the tax back, roughly 7% of the price on the tag.
What’s cheapest to buy in Japan
Typical saving for shoppers who live in:
| Brand | US | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issey Miyake | 55% | 50% | – |
| Uniqlo | 53% | 49% | 46% |
| BAPE | 49% | 35% | – |
| Zara | 37% | 11% | 20% |
| Miu Miu | 23% | 7% | 18% |
| Valentino | 23% | 11% | 17% |
| AMI Paris | 20% | same | 16% |
| Acne Studios | 19% | 9% | 8% |
| Longchamp | 13% | same | 11% |
Regular prices from each brand’s websites on 16–18 October 2026, after Japan’s refund, converted at the European Central Bank’s rates of 16 October 2026. US and Canadian prices include the average sales tax (7.53% and 12.3%), as the app does.
Two examples for a US shopper: Uniqlo’s seamless down parka (478577) is ¥14,900 in Japan, about US$88 after the refund, against about US$193 at home with sales tax (54% less). BAPE’s multi pixel camo shark full-zip hoodie (1M30-215-307) is ¥46,200, about US$272, against about US$547 (50% less).
Sources
In a shop right now? Scan the tag and see its price in 11 countries, in your own currency, with the tax refund taken off. Not there yet? Plan your trip: save what you want and see what the whole list saves you before you fly.
More guides
- Is Uniqlo cheaper in Japan?Yes: about half the US, UK or Canadian price, after the refund.
- Is BAPE cheaper in Japan?Yes: about half the US price, a third less than the UK.
- Is Issey Miyake cheaper in Japan?Pleats Please and Bao Bao at about half the US or UK price.
- Tourist tax refunds, country by countryMinimum spends, deadlines and how to claim in 8 countries.