The city of Kyoto plans to raise the accommodation tax to a maximum ¥10,000 per night — the highest in Japan — to improve city infrastructure and mitigate crowds amid problems regarding overtourism.
The city has been imposing an accommodation tax on tourists staying overnight since 2018, but the maximum amount each facility could charge was ¥1,000 per person per night.
“In order to achieve balance and harmony between the lives of our citizens and tourism, it’s extremely important to have citizens realize that tourism isn’t something that is far removed from our lives but rather something that directly connects to the richness of their lives,” said Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui on Tuesday.
