YohoTrip

Japan · Review edition

Japan, checked fact by fact.

Only sourced, verified records are shown. Every item includes who published it and when we checked it.

1 · At a glance

3 · Visa & entry

Visa exemption framework

74 countries/regions are visa-exempt for short-term stay; standard stay is 90 days (exceptions include Indonesia/Thailand 15 days, Brunei/Qatar 30 days); exemption covers non-remunerative activities only (tourism, business, visiting relatives); final landing permission is decided by the immigration officer

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay) · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Malaysia passport — entry to Japan

Visa-free for 90 days, ONLY for holders of an ICAO-standard ePassport (chip passport), since 2013-07-01 (MOFA Note 3); holders of non-ePassports are officially advised to obtain a visa in advance, otherwise they face strict examination and may be refused entry

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan — Exemption of Visa (Short-Term Stay) · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Visit Japan Web

Free and optional (paper arrival/customs forms still accepted); immigration and customs merged into a single QR code since 2024-01-25; there is NO official app — beware paid look-alike sites/apps

Digital Agency, Government of Japan — Visit Japan Web · verified 2026-11-09 · operator

JESTA (planned pre-travel authorisation)

Enacted (signed into law 2026-06-05) but NOT yet in force; entry into force by Cabinet Order no later than 2029-03-31, operational target FY2028; designed to require a fresh authorisation for each entry; fee not yet set; no application channel yet

The Asahi Shimbun — Japan to adopt entry screening system (JESTA) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

Cash / means-of-payment declaration

Means of payment (cash, cheques, traveller's cheques, promissory notes, securities) totalling over JPY 1,000,000 or equivalent must be declared to Customs on both entry and departure (declaration only, no tax); gold bullion of 90%+ purity over 1 kg must also be declared

Japan Customs — FAQ 7305 Export/Import of Means of Payment · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Duty-free allowances (per adult)

Alcohol 3 bottles (approx. 760 ml each); cigarettes 200 sticks (or 50 cigars / 10 packs heated tobacco / 250 g other tobacco); other goods duty-free up to JPY 200,000 total overseas market value (items under JPY 10,000 excluded); travellers under 20 have no alcohol/tobacco allowance

Japan Customs — Procedures of Passenger Clearance · verified 2026-11-09 · official

4 · Money & FX

Denominations

Banknotes: 1,000 / 2,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 yen (the 2,000 note is rare, mostly seen in Okinawa); coins: 1 / 5 / 10 / 50 / 100 / 500 yen; redesigned 1,000/5,000/10,000 notes issued 2024-07-03, previous designs remain valid

Bank of Japan — Outline of Banknotes and Coins · verified 2026-11-09 · official

International Tourist Tax (departure tax)

JPY 3,000, collected within the airfare (raised from JPY 1,000 on 2026-07-01 per secondary reporting of the Japan Customs position; the JPY 3,000 figure matches the current JNTO page)

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) — Plan your trip · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Tax-free shopping — refund model (from 2026-11-01)

Since 2026-11-01 tax-free shopping works on a refund basis: pay the tax-inclusive price in store, then complete customs confirmation by scanning your passport at a tax-free procedure terminal at the departure airport/port within 90 days of purchase to receive the refund; consumables already consumed in Japan are not refundable; purchases made on or before 2026-10-31 follow the old in-store system

Japan Tourism Agency — Tax-free shopping for travellers · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Tax-free shopping — threshold

Same store, same day, tax-excluded spend of JPY 5,000 or more (threshold unchanged under the refund model; the old special packaging rule for consumables was abolished)

Japan Tourism Agency — Tax-free shopping for travellers · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Tax-free confirmation via Visit Japan Web

Visit Japan Web online confirmation is available at 7 airports: Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha (short-term stay / diplomatic / official status only)

Japan Tourism Agency — Tax-free shopping for travellers · verified 2026-11-09 · official

5 · Payments

Cash vs card norms

Japan remains cash-centric (small shops, restaurants, shrines and local transport often need cash), while credit cards are widely accepted at most stores, restaurants and taxis in major cities

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) — Plan your trip · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Welcome Suica (physical IC card)

Visitor IC card: no deposit; valid 28 days including the purchase date (invalid on day 29); remaining balance is NOT refundable; sold at airports and JR East Travel Service Centers

JR East — Welcome Suica (purchase, validity, refunds) · verified 2026-11-09 · operator

Welcome Suica Mobile (iPhone app)

JR East iPhone app (launched 2025-03-06, English UI): valid 180 days, top up via Apple Pay, no deposit, balance expires unused; requires an iPhone supporting Apple Pay

JR East — Welcome Suica (purchase, validity, refunds) · verified 2026-11-09 · operator

Regular Suica / phone IC cards

Regular Suica carries a refundable JPY 500 deposit and stays valid long-term; iPhone users can issue a regular Suica directly in Apple Wallet; most overseas Android phones lack Osaifu-Keitai/FeliCa and cannot use phone-based Suica — buy a physical card

JR East — Welcome Suica (purchase, validity, refunds) · verified 2026-11-09 · operator

6 · Power

7 · Connectivity

9 · Ride-hailing & transport

GO — main taxi app

Japan's largest taxi app (JapanTaxi and MOV merged in 2020); dispatches licensed taxis; English UI; since Nov 2023 visitors can register with an overseas mobile number and pay with foreign-issued Visa/Mastercard/Amex/JCB or Apple Pay; coverage is near-nationwide (GO's inbound page states all 47 prefectures)

Real Japan Guide — GO taxi app for tourists (summarising GO official help pages) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

Ride-hailing rules / other apps

Unlicensed private-hire passenger transport is illegal in Japan; Uber and DiDi also dispatch licensed taxis (Uber mainly in major cities, DiDi strong in Osaka); S.RIDE is another licensed-taxi app

MailMate — Japan taxi apps for foreigners · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

Driving with a foreign licence / IDP

Only an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention is accepted (carry it with your home licence and passport); driving is permitted for up to 1 year from entry; Singapore and Malaysia are Geneva Convention parties, so SG/MY drivers use the IDP route (the licence-plus-authorised-translation exception covers only Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan)

Sumimasen Guide — Driving in Okinawa (summarising National Police Agency guidance) · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

10 · Airport to city

Narita (NRT) to Nippori/Ueno — Keisei Skyliner

Fastest 36 min to Nippori / 41 min to Keisei-Ueno; adult one-way fare JPY 2,580

Keisei Electric Railway — Skyliner · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

Narita (NRT) to central Tokyo — JR Narita Express (N'EX)

Fastest 53 min to Tokyo Station; adult one-way fare JPY 3,140 to Tokyo, JPY 3,330 to Shinagawa/Shibuya/Shinjuku (JR East fares revised 2026-03-14)

JR East — Narita Express (N'EX) tickets · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

11 · Language

12 · Time zone & holidays

Public holidays 2026

18 days off in total: the 16 national holidays plus a substitute holiday on May 6 and a citizens' holiday on Sep 22 (between Respect for the Aged Day Sep 21 and Autumnal Equinox Day Sep 23, forming Silver Week Sep 19-23)

Cabinet Office, Government of Japan — National Holidays · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Peak travel periods

Golden Week (late Apr-early May), Obon (mid-Aug), Silver Week (Sep, in years it forms) and the year-end/New Year period (government offices close Dec 29-Jan 3) are domestic travel and price peaks

Cabinet Office, Government of Japan — National Holidays · verified 2026-11-09 · reputable

13 · Weather & seasons

15 · Tipping & etiquette

16 · Emergency contacts

17 · Health & water

Bringing medication — no-paperwork limits

Without an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho, formerly Yakkan Shoumei): prescription medicines up to a 1-month supply, non-prescription medicines up to a 2-month supply, external-use products up to 24 units per item; larger amounts require applying for Import Confirmation online in advance

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Bringing Medicines for Personal Use into Japan · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Controlled medication — permits and bans

Narcotics and stimulant raw materials (e.g. lisdexamfetamine/Vyvanse, certain opioid painkillers) require advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department regardless of quantity (apply at least 14 days ahead); amphetamine-based medicines (e.g. Adderall) are prohibited even with a prescription. Nuance: preparations containing 10% or less pseudoephedrine are NOT classed as stimulant raw materials on the NCD list (2024-12-12) — secondary sources conflict, so travellers must confirm with MHLW/NCD officially

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Bringing Medicines for Personal Use into Japan · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Travel insurance (editorial)

JNTO advises travellers to arrange adequate travel insurance before departure; on YohoTrip this module carries only an editorial link to the travel-insurance guide, with no prices or product recommendations

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) — Emergencies · verified 2026-11-09 · official

Internet access & VPN

Japan has no general blocking of websites or apps. This statement is general information only, not legal advice. Rules change — check official sources before you travel.

No VPN product is promoted on this page.