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Quick answers
| Question | Clothes, bags, watches, electronics | Food, drinks, cosmetics, medicine |
|---|---|---|
| Open the packaging? | Yes. Keep the box and labels with the item. | Yes, but do not use any of it. |
| Use or wear it in Japan? | Yes, as long as you take it out of Japan. | No. Anything eaten, drunk or used up in Japan is not refunded. |
| Throw away the box? | Better not: the model number on the box helps customs identify the item. | Keep it as you bought it. |
| Put it in checked luggage? | Only after the customs check shows green. | Only after the customs check shows green. |
Using things before you leave
The Japan Tourism Agency and the National Tax Agency say that goods other than consumables may be used in Japan before you leave, as long as they are finally taken out of Japan. You can wear the jacket or the trainers you bought.
Consumables are different. If you eat, drink or use up any of them in Japan, customs cannot confirm them and the tax is not refunded. If you have used some, do not use the kiosk for that purchase: tell a customs officer at the counter.
One missing item cancels the whole receipt
Goods are checked per receipt. If even one item from a receipt is missing, eaten or given away, nothing on that receipt is refunded. Keep the goods from each receipt together.
Checked baggage
Do the customs check before you hand any bag to the airline. Goods that are already checked in cannot be confirmed, and the airline will not give a bag back for the tax-free procedure, so those goods get no refund.
A green result at the kiosk (or in the online check) ends the customs procedure; the official leaflet then sends you to the airline counter to check in your luggage. If the result is red, show the goods to the customs officers nearby first.
Shipping instead of carrying
- Posting tax-free goods home yourself is no longer possible. That procedure ended on 31 March 2025.
- Some shops can send your purchase abroad directly. That is a normal export sale: the price is without tax from the start, there is no ¥5,000 minimum and no customs check at the airport. Ask the shop.