What Yodobashi has published (as of 29 October 2026)
| Topic | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tax-free branches | All Yodobashi Camera stores, plus Ishii Sports and Art Sports | Yodobashi announcement, 28 October 2026 |
| Refund method from 1 November | Pay the full price, refund after the customs check; cash on the spot at 11 stores if you register a credit card | Yodobashi announcement, 28 October 2026 |
| Refund fee and refund company | Refund company: Global Blue. Fee: not mentioned | Yodobashi announcement, 28 October 2026 |
| Visitor coupon | None on Yodobashi’s website | Yodobashi website |
| Gold Points on tax-free purchases | Not stated | Yodobashi Gold Point page |
| Minimum spend | ¥5,000 before tax at the same store on the same day | Japan Tourism Agency |
Ask before you pay
Yodobashi has not said whether a fee is deducted, or how refunds are paid other than in cash. Before you pay, ask at the tax-free counter what you will get back and how.
How the refund method works
From 1 November 2026 a tax-free shop charges the full price including consumption tax. You show your passport when you buy and register how you want the refund paid, for example to a credit card. The shop, or a refund company working for it, pays the refund only after customs confirms at departure that you are taking the goods out of Japan.
Cash on the spot is offered at 11 stores: Shinjuku West Main Store, Multimedia Ikebukuro, Akiba, Ueno, Yokohama, Umeda, Kyoto, Meitetsu Nagoya, Hakata, Sapporo and Sendai. Choose cash at the counter and register a credit card. You still show the goods and your passport to customs when you leave; if customs does not confirm the export, the amount paid out is charged to that card. Purchases from other Global Blue shops can also be processed at these counters.
You must leave Japan and complete the customs check within 90 days of the purchase date. The minimum is ¥5,000 before tax at the same store on the same day. There is no upper limit other than the quantity you can carry out of Japan yourself.
Big stores and their floors
| Store | Area | Floors to know |
|---|---|---|
| Multimedia Akiba | Akihabara, Tokyo; 1 minute from Akihabara Station | 1F phones, computers and Apple shop; 2F travel goods and alcohol; 3F cameras, watches, cosmetics and medicines; 5F appliances for overseas use |
| Shinjuku West Main Store | Shinjuku, Tokyo; Shinjuku Station west exit | Separate buildings for cameras, watches, travel goods, hobbies and toys, games, and multimedia |
| Multimedia Umeda | Umeda, Osaka | B1 computers and Apple shop; 1F medicines and daily goods; 2F cameras, beauty products, watches and alcohol; 3F travel goods |
| Multimedia Kyoto | Kyoto | 1F cameras, beauty appliances, watches, travel goods and medicines; 2F toys and hobbies |
| Multimedia Hakata | Hakata, Fukuoka | 1F cameras, watches, brand goods, cosmetics and travel goods |
| Multimedia Sapporo | Sapporo | 2F cameras, watches, brand goods and travel goods; 3F cosmetics and beauty appliances |
Useful before you fly
Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags
Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight
Notes on the stores
These floors come from Yodobashi’s own floor guides, which do not mark tax-free tills. Multimedia Akiba lists appliances for overseas use on 5F. For any appliance, check the voltage and plug type before you buy.
Yodobashi’s website is in Japanese, with store pages also in English. It has no pages in Chinese, Korean or Thai.
Items of ¥1,000,000 or more
For goods costing ¥1,000,000 or more before tax, customs may ask to see certificates of authenticity or warranties. Keep them with the item in your hand luggage.
Before you leave the store and at the airport
- Keep the receipt and register your refund method as the staff explain.
- Customs checks each receipt as a whole. If one item on a receipt is missing at the kiosk, nothing on that receipt is refunded.
- Before you leave Japan, do not use cosmetics or medicines bought tax-free, and do not eat or drink food or alcohol bought tax-free.
- At the airport, do the kiosk check before you check in any bag.
- The Japan Tourism Agency says registering on Visit Japan Web makes the procedure at tax-free shops smoother. Yodobashi has not said whether it reads the Visit Japan Web QR code.