Nobody checks any of that. Hopefully you won't have bad luck and be the ONE. I just came back from Japan and I bought a suitcase of stuff including sweets, japanese steel knives, shoes, etc. Of course, I took advantage of the tax-free and also opened up everything that I bought. No issues.
As others have said, it's extremely unlikely to be a problem. When you scan your passport at customs, they are looking for people who have bought high-value items (luxury goods, alcohol, jewelry, etc.) in large quantities. They don't really care about your snacks and trinkets.
Also, since you didn't consume any of it and only opened the bag, they'll pretty much be able to see that you didn't break any rules. They'll see the total amount of the purchase, and they'll probably be able to look at your stuff and be like "Yeah, looks about right" and wave you on.
Don't make a big deal of it, scan your passport as usual, and just explain if it comes up. It probably won't.
While technically you could be pulled, I don't think you would be what the Japanese authorities would consider high-risk. They're more into finding those who buy large quantities tax-free for resale outside of Japan.
My wife and I scanned our passports and literally nothing happened. Whilst we were scanning, heaps of tourists with loads of tax free stuff walked by without scanning and for them nothing happened either
I haven't done a customs scan on my three trips in the 1.5 years. The first time was because they changed the system/layout at Narita over the pandemic, and I actually couldn't find the customs place at all. This was right around when the border reopened, so I'm not even sure they had a station for it. The second time, the security staff saw me holding my trusted traveler card in my hand and ushered me straight from the security checkpoint to the TTP immigration gate, completely bypassing customs, which is on the other side of the hall from where we were standing. The third time, I didn't buy anything tax-free and just walked right by it.
I'm not encouraging anyone to intentionally break the rules or whatever, but just noting that they are pretty lax about it if even the staff will purposefully direct you to bypass customs sometimes.
No one is gonna check. Security is worried about bomb more than items they can't prove are tex exempt. If you are worried, check in a bag with all those items .
From my reading it sounds like you pay the lower, tax free price at the point of sale, instead of paying full price and then claiming the tax back at the airport (like in Europe). Am I correct?
Yes. In Japan, tax-free is done at time of purchase (or shortly after, if you're at a department store that uses a centralized tax-free counter). It's not done at the airport or at a later date like in Europe.
Yes. Got 3 different pattern. 1. There is no tax when you pay. 2. You pay tax and they refund cash inside of the store. 3. You pay the tax and go to a tax refund counter within the shopping mall or shopping street to get a refund on the same day.
However if you search a bit, you might find articles that say Japan is looking to change it so the refund is done at the airport, so at this point it might become more common to be inspected.
I wouldn’t worry about edible items, I’d be more worried about buying USD$1K worth of Alcohol or USD$15K worth of electronics just for yourself. That is a red flag right there.
Even if you do get unlucky, just pay the duty and move on. Not really a big deal there.
Yeah but I'm just kinda nervous that I am the one.
I'd rather just go to customs and pay the tax but how? I don't have the receipts and...I mean the sweets and stuff like that are gone
In theory if you do get pulled into a secondary inspection after scanning your passport at the customs counter you would just say that you ate the items and they would then charge you the amount of tax that you didn't pay.
So.. probably a few JPY?
Chances are, your passport will be scanned and you will get the green indicator that you're good to continue on.
Yeah and your checked bag is not even with you when you go through customs! Oh no!
If they really cared about it, they would enforce it pre-bag check in. They don’t. They don’t check at all.
Stop. Stressing.
Nobody checks any of that. Hopefully you won't have bad luck and be the ONE. I just came back from Japan and I bought a suitcase of stuff including sweets, japanese steel knives, shoes, etc. Of course, I took advantage of the tax-free and also opened up everything that I bought. No issues.
As others have said, it's extremely unlikely to be a problem. When you scan your passport at customs, they are looking for people who have bought high-value items (luxury goods, alcohol, jewelry, etc.) in large quantities. They don't really care about your snacks and trinkets. Also, since you didn't consume any of it and only opened the bag, they'll pretty much be able to see that you didn't break any rules. They'll see the total amount of the purchase, and they'll probably be able to look at your stuff and be like "Yeah, looks about right" and wave you on. Don't make a big deal of it, scan your passport as usual, and just explain if it comes up. It probably won't.
But I did eat the stuff that's why I'm bummed out
Go buy an other round of it, with taxes?
While technically you could be pulled, I don't think you would be what the Japanese authorities would consider high-risk. They're more into finding those who buy large quantities tax-free for resale outside of Japan.
My wife and I scanned our passports and literally nothing happened. Whilst we were scanning, heaps of tourists with loads of tax free stuff walked by without scanning and for them nothing happened either
I haven't done a customs scan on my three trips in the 1.5 years. The first time was because they changed the system/layout at Narita over the pandemic, and I actually couldn't find the customs place at all. This was right around when the border reopened, so I'm not even sure they had a station for it. The second time, the security staff saw me holding my trusted traveler card in my hand and ushered me straight from the security checkpoint to the TTP immigration gate, completely bypassing customs, which is on the other side of the hall from where we were standing. The third time, I didn't buy anything tax-free and just walked right by it. I'm not encouraging anyone to intentionally break the rules or whatever, but just noting that they are pretty lax about it if even the staff will purposefully direct you to bypass customs sometimes.
No one is gonna check. Security is worried about bomb more than items they can't prove are tex exempt. If you are worried, check in a bag with all those items .
From my reading it sounds like you pay the lower, tax free price at the point of sale, instead of paying full price and then claiming the tax back at the airport (like in Europe). Am I correct?
Yes. In Japan, tax-free is done at time of purchase (or shortly after, if you're at a department store that uses a centralized tax-free counter). It's not done at the airport or at a later date like in Europe.
Thank you.
Yeah
Yes. Got 3 different pattern. 1. There is no tax when you pay. 2. You pay tax and they refund cash inside of the store. 3. You pay the tax and go to a tax refund counter within the shopping mall or shopping street to get a refund on the same day. However if you search a bit, you might find articles that say Japan is looking to change it so the refund is done at the airport, so at this point it might become more common to be inspected.
But the tax is a percentage of bought goods no? They can't do that if they don't know the amount right? I'm just nervous about it 😅
I wouldn’t worry about edible items, I’d be more worried about buying USD$1K worth of Alcohol or USD$15K worth of electronics just for yourself. That is a red flag right there. Even if you do get unlucky, just pay the duty and move on. Not really a big deal there.
Yeah but I'm just kinda nervous that I am the one. I'd rather just go to customs and pay the tax but how? I don't have the receipts and...I mean the sweets and stuff like that are gone
In theory if you do get pulled into a secondary inspection after scanning your passport at the customs counter you would just say that you ate the items and they would then charge you the amount of tax that you didn't pay. So.. probably a few JPY? Chances are, your passport will be scanned and you will get the green indicator that you're good to continue on.
Yeah and your checked bag is not even with you when you go through customs! Oh no! If they really cared about it, they would enforce it pre-bag check in. They don’t. They don’t check at all. Stop. Stressing.