The town of Kutchan near Niseko ski resort will introduce a lodging tax for next winter. The local town assembly passed the tax this week with plans to instigate the tax from November 2019.
Should the tax eventuate it will become the first fixed rate lodging tax in Japan. Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo have a fixed levy tax rather than a percentage rage. If you stay in a hotel, inn or private lodge in the Kutchan region from next winter then it is proposed you will be taxed 2 percent of your accommodation rate.
It is not clear if this will cover all of Niseko’s accommodation villages (most likely) or just the immediate Kutchan downtown as the details need to be confirmed with the country’s Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry going forward.
Niseko could potentially raise over 300 million yen in tax revenue that will in turn be used to improve tourism services and offerings due to a fast growing tourism influx. In 2017 over 218 000 foreign guests stayed in hotel style rooms or lodgings in the region.
