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Tag - duty-free

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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DUTY FREE

While the total number of visitors to Japan have wavered as the Middle East conflict hurts travel demand, tourists from places like Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia have been increasing this year and the weak yen is encouraging them to spend.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 2, 2026
Japan¡¯s duty-free sales climb in May as tourism boom endures
Japanese department stores are rebounding from a shaky start to the year as lingering political tensions kept many Chinese tourists away.
The Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings saw duty-free sales rise 5.4% in March, in line with a 5.5% increase in overall sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s department store duty-free sales rebound as China-driven slump eases
The gains mark a shift for the stores, which had endured consecutive months of declining duty-free sales amid lingering tensions with China.
Tourists with their suitcases wait for a train in Osaka.
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2026
Japan¡¯s duty-free sales fall further as China tensions linger
Arrivals from China plunged 45% to 330,000 people in December, even as overall foreign visitor numbers for 2025 hit a record high ¡ª topping 40 million for the first time.
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said duty-free sales across its domestic stores fell 14% in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
China travel curbs hit Japan duty-free sales in December
Prolonged geopolitical tensions with Beijing are now weighing on Japan¡¯s retail sector.
The operator of Don Quijote stores has set ?400 billion ($2.7 billion) in tax-free sales as its 2035 goal.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 19, 2025
Don Quijote operator plans 250 new stores in tourism bet
Pan Pacific International Holdings aims to drive tax-free visitor sales and expand in locations of key tourist travel routes.
Data compiled by the Japan Department Stores Association shows that tax-free inbound sales at over 80 department stores across the country fell by 41% in May from a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 3, 2025
Japan¡¯s department store shares lag as tourist splurge slows
Tax-free inbound sales at over 80 department stores across the country fell by 41% in May from a year earlier.
Major department stores are doing their best to cater to foreign customers, but it¡¯s unclear if it will lead to more sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 27, 2025
Department stores¡¯ tax-free sales drop as tourists¡¯ shopping patterns change
Greater foreign tourist diversity has led to a change in shopping priorities, the executive of the Japan Department Stores Association said.
Arrows lead to the tax-free counter at a branch of discount retailer Don Quijote in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 4, 2025
Is Japan ready to say goodbye to tax-free shopping?
Amid widespread abuse of Japan¡¯s tax-free shopping system, a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are mulling over its possible abolition.
The Ginza shopping district in Tokyo in August
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 28, 2024
Japan to overhaul tax exemption system for foreign visitors
The new system is expected to allow foreign visitors to receive tax refunds for products purchased at prices with the tax included when they leave the country.
Passengers walk through the departure lobby of Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Oct 25, 2024
Over ?300 million in taxes not collected from foreign tourists in 2022
In cases where the amount of duty-free purchases exceeds ?100 million, authorities notify travelers of consumption taxation.
Fast Retailing booked its third consecutive year of record earnings on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 10, 2024
Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing posts 31% rise in full-year profit, beats estimates
Operating profit rose 31% to ?500.9 billion in the 12 months through August from ?381.1 billion a year earlier.
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Aug 13, 2024
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
A revision of the current system is being considered to prevent goods bought tax-free from being resold within the country.
Travelers in front of a Suntory duty-free shop at Kansai International Airport in December
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2024
Duty-free sales at Japan¡¯s department stores tripled in May
Record sales were achieved with the help of a significant influx of Chinese tourists and the yen¡¯s weakness.
Foreign tourists at a duty-free counter in a department store in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Jan 26, 2024
Duty-free sales at Japan department stores hit record high in 2023
The rise reflected the weak yen, as well as an increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan.
Welcia Holdings, Japan¡¯s largest drugstore chain, is one of the first Japanese companies to respond to China easing its ban on group tours to a raft of countries last week.
BUSINESS
Aug 18, 2023
Japan drugstore chain boosts duty-free counters on China bets
The company plans to offer duty-free services at 1,000 stores, up from about 260 currently, and it expects tourists to travel beyond Japan¡¯s major cities.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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