New duty-free shopping rule in Japan

Starting from July 1, 2018, Japan has relaxed the rules for duty-free (tax-free) shopping for foreign travelers!

Getting straight to the point, the new rule is: Total amount of consumables and general goods above 5000 yen will be eligible for tax exemption Goods in Japan are basically divided into two categories: ★ General items (left): electronic appliances, clothing, shoes, bags, watches, jewelry, ceramics, etc. ★ Consumable items (right): Food products, liquor/beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical/health products, tobacco, etc.

Up until June 30, 2018, the rule was as follows: ・General items > 5000 yen -　OK ・Consumable items > 5000 yen - OK ・General items + Consumable items = Total > 5000 yen - NOT OK In other words, a combined purchase amount of general and consumable items of more than 5000 yen was not tax-free. However, the new regulations, implemented from July 1, 2018, have removed this distinction between general and consumable items. ・General items > 5000 yen -　OK ・Consumable items > 5000 yen - OK ・General items + Consumable items = Total > 5000 yen - OK So as a consumer, you need not worry about which category the products in your shopping list fall under: as long as the total purchase amount in one store exceeds 5000 yen, it will be tax-free. This makes it easier for both shop owners and consumers! Of course, if you use coupons of various shops and facilities available in our app, you can save more money! Enjoy shopping in Japan like never before :) Download the Ikidane Nippon App: iOS / Android

Source: http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/news02_000337.html