Japan Increases Tourist Visa Cost for First Time in Nearly 50 Years

Japan’s visitation numbers have hit record totals in recent years.

Foreign tourists take selfies with a statue of Buddha in the Asakusa area of Tokyo on April 15, 2026. A record number of tourists visited Japan in March, the official tourism board said on April 15, despite a sharp drop in Chinese visitors after the relationship between Beijing and Tokyo have soured. Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

By Lacey Pfalz TravelPulse

Beginning July 1, all single-entry visa fees for international visitors heading to Japan will increase from 3,000 Japanese yen to 15,000 yen, a fivefold increase that will cost Americans nearly $100.

The new price hike, according to the BBC, is the first made since 1978.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters on June 19 that the changes “reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. We do not anticipate that it will have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.”

Americans will currently pay just under $93 to enter Japan with a single-entry visa; those entering with a multi-entry visa will pay 30,000 yen, or roughly $185, to visit Japan.

While Japan’s yen has been weakening to what experts say is a 40-year low, Japan’s visitation numbers have hit record totals in recent years, causing some headaches for tourist-heavy destinations while also providing the country with an opportunity to make more money to keep destinations and attractions clean, fund restoration and conservation efforts and more.

Japan welcomed a record of 42.7 million international visitors in 2025. Airlines are increasing their connections to the island nation this year following growing demand, with United introducing the first nonstop route between the U.S. and Sapporo this December.

In March, Kyoto announced it would implement a higher overnight hotel tax, with funds going towards cultural restoration and tourism.

In May of this year, Japan’s government voted to raise fees for foreigners, from visitor visas to residency applications.

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