Japan's Departure Tax In Cash

Above, the departure tax in yen (¥1,000). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday, the Khaleej Times of the United Arab Emirates posted an article on Japan's new departure tax, also known as the "sayonara tax" on visitors over the age of two (with some exceptions, such as diplomats).

The departure tax is ¥1,000/person.

The article's headline read, "New tourist departure tax to make exiting Japan expensive". Expensive?! This had me laughing.

Just how expensive is 1,000 yen?

By U.S. standards, and the current exchange rate, it's not expensive at all.

Here's what the departure tax is in U.S. dollars (at the current exchange rate):

Above, the Japan departure tax in U.S. dollars is $9.18. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So, if you're visiting Japan and are departing, what you're really paying is $9.18/person over two years of age.