Refund JapanThis page is written for English-speaking travellers going to Japan.
ReferenceLast checked August 24, 2026
The primary sources we use
Three of them. If a figure on this site is not traceable to one of these, it should not be on this site.
The three primary sources
Every number on this site traces to one of these. They are Japanese-language government and industry pages; the first also carries a traveller leaflet in English.
- Japan Tourism Agency — Japan Tax-free ShopChecked August 24, 2026The government page for the refund method, including a traveller leaflet in English. This is where the start date, the threshold, the 90-day deadline and the end of sealed packaging come from.
- Japan Tax-free Shop Association — refund methodChecked August 24, 2026The industry body's explanation of how shops will hand the money back, and the list of refund methods.
- Japan CustomsChecked August 24, 2026The customs side of the departure step.
What we do not cite
Other travel media, aggregators, and refund companies writing about their own service. Not because they are always wrong, but because citing them turns one unverified figure into two.
How often we re-read them
Weekly. The date on each page is the date of the last read, whether or not anything had changed. When something does change, the page that depends on it changes in the same pass, and so does the confirmed table.