Kyoto to Raise Accommodation Tax Ceiling to 10,000 Yen

Kyoto, Jan. 14 (Jiji Press)--The municipal government of Kyoto on Tuesday unveiled a plan to raise the ceiling of its accommodation tax levied on guests staying at hotels and inns in the western Japan city to 10,000 yen per person per night from the current 1,000 yen.

According to the internal affairs ministry, the planned figure will be the highest ceiling for a fixed-amount accommodation tax across the country, surpassing 2,000 yen in the town of Niseko in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which is the highest at present.

The Kyoto government will submit a revised draft ordinance for the hike to the city assembly’s session from February. If it is adopted at the session and approved by the internal affairs minister, the revised ordinance will take effect in March 2026.

The draft sets five tiers for the tax based on accommodation fees--200 yen for fees of less than 6,000 yen, 400 yen for fees between 6,000 yen and under 20,000 yen, 1,000 yen for fees between 20,000 yen and under 50,000 yen, 4,000 yen for fees between 50,000 yen and under 100,000 yen, and 10,000 yen for fees of 100,000 yen or more.

Amid the rapid increase of foreign travelers, Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, has been grappling with issues related to overtourism, such as overcrowded buses. The city plans to secure financial resources for countermeasures through the hike in the accommodation tax ceiling.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]