Luxury Japan hotel stays face 10,000 yen nightly tax starting March 1

Kyoto’s lodging tax climbs in March

Kyoto City approved a tiered rise in its accommodation tax for stays from March 1, 2026, with the biggest jumps aimed at mid-range and luxury rooms. The city says the tax applies per person, per night, to guests in covered hotels, ryokan, guesthouses, serviced apartments and licensed short-term rentals.

The old three-tier system topped out at 1,000 yen a night. Under the new five-tier schedule, stays under 6,000 yen stay at 200 yen, while rooms priced at 6,000 to 19,999 yen rise to 400 yen. The 20,000 to 49,999 yen band goes to 1,000 yen, 50,000 to 99,999 yen jumps to 4,000 yen and 100,000 yen and up reaches 10,000 yen.

Who ends up paying more

The increase lands hardest on travelers, digital nomads and expats using mid-range business hotels or upscale serviced stays. A 10,000 yen nightly room now carries 400 yen in tax, up from 200 yen. A 30-night stay at that rate would mean 12,000 yen in lodging tax.

Luxury guests face the steepest bill. A room above 100,000 yen per person, per night now adds 10,000 yen in tax for each guest and Kyoto says the charge applies regardless of nationality or travel purpose. Ordinary residential leases, such as standard apartments under housing law, generally fall outside the tax.

How to plan for the higher bill

Kyoto’s accommodation providers collect the tax automatically, usually at check-in or check-out, so travelers won’t file anything separately. The key date is the stay date, not the booking date, which means trips spanning late February and early March can be split across the old and new rates.

Nomads and long-stay visitors using hotel-style accommodation in Kyoto should check nightly pricing before booking, since the tax is based on the room fee excluding meals. Read our full Japan guide for the complete picture and see more visa updates.