TOKYO, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kyoto City in western Japan unveiled a plan to raise the ceiling of its lodging tax for people staying at hotels and other accommodations to 10,000 yen (about 64 U.S. dollars) per person per night from the current 1,000 yen, according to the municipal government.
Under the planned system, guests will pay 200 yen per person per night for rooms costing less than 6,000 yen, 400 yen for fees between 6,000 yen and under 20,000 yen, 1,000 yen for fees between 20,000 yen and under 50,000 yen, 4,000 yen for fees between 50,000 yen and under 100,000 yen, and 10,000 yen for fees of 100,000 yen or more.
The top rate will be the highest ceiling for a fixed-amount accommodation tax across the country, surpassing 2,000 yen in the town of Niseko in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The municipal government will submit a revised draft ordinance for the tax hike to the city assembly's session. If it is adopted at the session and approved by the internal affairs minister, the revised ordinance will take effect in March 2026.
Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, has been grappling with issues related to overtourism due to rapidly growing inbound tourism. ■
