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Japan's new tax refund system from November 1, 2026
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Department store tax-free shopping from 1 November 2026

Department stores add up everything you buy in one store on one day, and you register the refund at the store’s tax-free counter. The stores that have published details for the new system deduct a fee from the refund. Here is what Takashimaya, Isetan Mitsukoshi, Hankyu Hanshin, Daimaru Matsuzakaya, Kintetsu and Seibu Sogo say, as of 21 October 2026.

By Mikako Yoshida ·Published 21 October 2026

Department store tax-free shopping from 1 November 2026
Ginza, Tokyo · Photo: Basile Morin (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How it works in a department store

  1. Pay on each floor

    Pay the full price including tax at each shop or floor, and keep every receipt.

  2. Go to the tax-free counter the same day

    Bring your passport, all the receipts, the goods and the card you paid with to the store’s tax-free counter before it closes that day. Purchases from all floors of one store on one day count together towards the ¥5,000 minimum before tax.

  3. Choose how to be refunded

    Usually a credit card in your name, Alipay or WeChat Pay. Some stores also offer cash at certain airports, for an extra fee.

  4. Customs check when you leave

    Within 90 days, do the kiosk check at the airport before you check in your bags. After a green result, the tax minus the store’s fee is paid back.

Isetan department store, Shinjuku
Isetan department store, Shinjuku · Photo: Lombroso (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What each store says (as of 21 October 2026)

StoreNew-system noticeFeeRefund to
TakashimayaYes: register at the tax-free counter on the day of purchaseA system handling fee; rate not published (1.55% under the old system)Not stated for the new system
Isetan MitsukoshiYes: tax-free counter on the day of purchaseA processing fee; rate not publishedCredit card in your name, Alipay or WeChat Pay; no cash
Hankyu HanshinYes: the refund company is Global BlueGlobal Blue system fee; rate not published (1.55% until 31 October)Credit card in your name, Alipay or WeChat Pay; cash at some airports for an extra fee
Daimaru MatsuzakayaNot yet; its pages describe the old system1.55% under the old system—
Kintetsu (Abeno Harukas)Not yetNot published—
Seibu SogoNot yet; its pages describe the old system1.55% under the old system—

About the fee

Refund fees are not set by law. Under the old system most department stores deducted 1.55% of the price. Global Blue, which handles refunds for several department stores, told a Japanese business newspaper in April 2026 that under the new system it will deduct up to about 3%. None of the stores had published its new rate by 21 October 2026.

Hankyu Hanshin adds that foreign cards, Alipay and WeChat Pay may charge their own currency conversion fee, and that the refund fee is not returned if you return the goods.

Visitor discounts

StoreDiscountHow to get it
TakashimayaShopper’s Card: 5% off purchases of ¥3,000 or more before taxShow your passport at the tax refund counter. Not valid for watches, jewellery, luxury brands or JR Nagoya Takashimaya.
Isetan MitsukoshiREWARDS in the MITSUKOSHI ISETAN JAPAN app: 5% offSet it up in the app and activate it at a tax-free counter with your passport. Sale items, food and many luxury brands are excluded. The old Guest Card is no longer issued.
Hankyu HanshinGuest coupon: 5% off, valid for 7 daysShow your passport at the overseas customer counter or the information desk. It can be used together with tax-free.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya5% coupon on purchases of ¥3,000 or more including taxShow your passport at the store’s service counter. Not valid for food, sale items or luxury boutiques. At Daimaru Tokyo it covers cosmetics only.
Kintetsu5% coupon on purchases of ¥2,200 or more including taxShow the coupon at checkout and again at the tax-free counter.

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

Tax-free counters in major stores

StoreCounter
Isetan ShinjukuMain Building 6F
Nihombashi MitsukoshiMain Store 7F, International Customer Service
Hankyu UmedaB1, Overseas Customer Counter
Daimaru ShinsaibashiMain Building 9F and South Building 4F
Daimaru Tokyo12F
Abeno Harukas KintetsuWing Building 3.5F, Overseas Customer Salon
Seibu IkebukuroAnnex 2F

Tips

  • Do the counter procedure on the day of purchase, before the counter closes. It cannot be done the next day.
  • Purchases in two different stores of the same chain do not add up.
  • The person who bought the goods must come in person with the original passport.
  • For a single item of ¥1,000,000 or more, the store records extra details such as the serial number.

For your departure day

Related guides

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

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