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Airport duty-free in Japan and how it differs from tax-free shopping

Duty-free shops after departure immigration and tax-free shops in town are two different systems. From 1 November 2026 tax-free shopping in town works by refund, but airport duty-free does not change: the price at the till is already without tax. Here is how the two compare, as of 21 October 2026.

By Mikako Yoshida ·Published 21 October 2026

Airport duty-free in Japan and how it differs from tax-free shopping
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 · Photo: MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Duty-free and tax-free compared

Airport duty-free shopsTax-free shops in town
WhereAfter departure immigration. Some airports also have arrival shops before customs.Shops with a tax-free sign all over Japan, including shops in the departure lobby
Taxes removedConsumption tax; on alcohol and tobacco also liquor or tobacco tax and customs dutyConsumption tax only
How you payThe price is already without taxFrom 1 November 2026: the full price, then a refund after the customs check
Customs kioskNot neededNeeded, before you check in your bags
Who can buyAnyone leaving Japan on an international flight, Japanese residents includedVisitors and some Japanese citizens living abroad
Minimum spendNone¥5,000 before tax in one store on one day
Duty-free shops at Kansai Airport
Duty-free shops at Kansai Airport · Photo: Fotointheworld (CC BY 4.0)

The new refund system does not change airport duty-free

Duty-free shops past immigration are bonded shops: their goods have not been taxed, so the price you pay is already tax-free. Chubu Centrair Airport says no tax-free procedure is needed there. You show no receipt at a kiosk and register no refund method.

The refund system applies to tax-free shops in town and to tax-free shops in the departure lobby, before security. Goods from those shops need the customs check at the kiosk before you check in.

Your last day, in order

  1. Kiosk check for tax-free goods from town

    In the departure lobby, scan your passport at the customs kiosk with all tax-free goods with you. Do this before you check in any bag.

  2. Check in, security and immigration

    Once you pass departure immigration you cannot go back to the lobby or the kiosk.

  3. Shop duty-free or collect a pre-order

    Pay at the duty-free price, or collect what you ordered online at the pick-up counter.

  4. Keep duty-free liquids sealed

    Liquids over 100 ml come in a sealed security bag (STEB). Keep it sealed if you change planes, and check that your connecting country accepts it.

For your departure day

Duty-free at the main airports

AirportShopsPre-order
NaritaFa-So-La DUTY FREE in every terminalOnline, about 5% off, collected after departure immigration
Haneda Terminal 3TIAT DUTY FREE on 3FOnline at least 24 hours before departure, about 5% off; the pick-up counter on 3F is open 24 hours
KansaiKIX DUTY FREEOnline until shortly before departure; not from Terminal 2
Chubu CentrairDuty-free shops after departure immigration, and an arrival shop by the baggage claim—

Useful before you fly

eSIM for Japan, installed before you leave home

Airalo Saily Yesim

JR Pass and Shinkansen tickets

Klook KKday

Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags

Klook Trip.com Welcome Pickups

Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight

Radical Storage

Hotels in Japan

Klook Trip.com

Coupons

Arrival duty-free shops

Narita, Kansai and Chubu have arrival duty-free shops between the arrival gates and customs, selling imported alcohol and tobacco to passengers coming off international flights. What you buy there counts towards your customs allowance, and anything over it is taxed.

What you can bring into Japan without duty

ItemAllowance per adult (20 or over)
Alcohol3 bottles of 760 ml
Cigarettes200 (heated tobacco, cigars and other tobacco have their own limits)
Perfume2 oz, about 56 ml (eau de toilette and eau de cologne do not count)
Other goods¥200,000 in total at the overseas price; a single item over ¥200,000 is taxed in full

Duty-free shops in town

Lotte Duty Free in Ginza sells duty-free to people leaving Japan: you buy in the store with your passport and flight details and collect the goods at Narita or Haneda after departure immigration.

Okinawa has its own duty-free shops for people flying from Okinawa to the rest of Japan, such as T Galleria in Naha. They remove customs duty but not consumption tax, up to ¥200,000 per person, and the scheme runs until March 2027.

Questions

Is airport duty-free cheaper than tax-free shopping in town?
On alcohol and tobacco it removes more tax. On other goods both remove the 10% consumption tax, but from 1 November 2026 shops in town may deduct a refund fee and airport duty-free does not. Prices and ranges differ, so compare.
Can Japanese residents buy at airport duty-free?
Yes. Anyone leaving Japan on an international flight can buy after departure immigration.
Do I need the customs kiosk for duty-free purchases?
No. The kiosk is only for goods bought tax-free in shops before immigration.
Can I buy duty-free when I arrive in Japan?
At Narita, Kansai and Chubu, yes: alcohol and tobacco, within your customs allowance.

Related guides

At the airportWhere the kiosks are and what green and red mean.Refund methods and feesHow the money comes back, and the fees shops have announced.Visitor couponsOfficial coupons from electronics stores, drugstores and department stores.

Read this next

US customs allowance when you return from JapanReturning to the US from Japan: US$800 duty-free per person, a 3% flat rate on the next US$1,000, 1 liter of alcohol, 200 cigarettes and USDA food rules.Claiming your tax refund at the airportWhere to find the tax-free kiosk at Japanese airports, what green and red results mean, using Visit Japan Web, and what to do on connecting flights and cruises.Can you open, use or check in tax-free items?Yes, you can open them. Clothes, bags and electronics may be used in Japan; food and cosmetics must not be used up. Do the customs check before checking bags.Mistakes that cost you the refundThe most common reasons travellers lose their tax refund under Japan’s new system: checked bags, opened items, missing receipts, the 90-day limit and more.

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