As Of Today, The Simple Act Of Leaving Japan Will Cost You A Tidy $13

Bad news if you already have a hard time leaving Japan when your holiday is over: it just got very slightly harder. In addition to the emotional toll of heading back home to your normal life, there is now a financial one, with the introduction of a ¥1,000 (about $13 AUD) tax on people leaving the country by ship or by plane.

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Kicking off today, the tax will be tacked on to all outbound tickets for anyone leaving the country from a stay of more than 24 hours — applying to citizens and non-citizens alike. Children under the age of two are exempt, as are people who have had to land and then subsequently depart from the country due to bad weather or similar circumstances.

According to the Japan Times, the money raised by the tax will be used to fund tourism and travel facilities around the country in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, with the government expecting to raise around AUD $650 million in the 2019 fiscal year.

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