Starting next year, expect a Hokkaido lodging tax to be added to your bill.
he government of Japan’s northernmost prefecture, and second-largest Japanese island, is planning for the Hokkaido lodging tax to be implemented from April 2026. But don’t fret; it is only expected to go up to ¥500 per night. As of today, 20 January, that’s only around US$3.20, courtesy of the forex roller coaster.
Yeah, Hokkaido is popular.
Adventure tourists know that it’s a great place for hiking, skiing, and most importantly, clean air. If culinary travel factors into your agenda, Hokkaido is most famous for dairy, crab, salmon roe, sea urchin, melon, and lamb, among many other products.
And yes, the shinkansen reaches the island, too, although not quite yet to Sapporo, its biggest city.
This Hokkaido lodging tax follows suit with many other Japanese municipalities that have seen surges in international tourism. In fact, since a number of local Hokkaido governments are expecting to prepare their lodging taxes, your nightly bill might get a double slap.
Tokyo has had a lodging tax since 2002. Kanazawa, Kyoto, Ōsaka, and Fukuoka also levy them.
To sum up the tentative charges:
- ¥100 if the room rate is <¥20,000
- ¥200 if the room rate is between ¥20,001 and ¥50,000
- ¥500 if the room rate exceeds ¥50,000.
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