🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Chiba, Japan
Chiba's planned ¥150 nightly accommodation tax is part of a sweeping national shift that's putting short-term rental hosts on notice.
Japan's Lodging Tax Wave Hits Chiba, Private Rentals on the List
Photo by Vanja Milicic
Japan's lodging tax movement is picking up serious momentum, and Chiba Prefecture is the latest region to get on board. On February 17, 2026, Governor Toshihito Kumagai announced a plan to introduce a ¥150 (about $1) per person, per night accommodation tax across the prefecture; and before you ask, short-term rentals and private lodgings are very much included.
Japan's Chiba Pref. eyes lodging tax of $1 per person per night https://t.co/hk0tF5nm59
— The Mainichi (Japan Daily News) (@themainichi) February 18, 2026
The ordinance proposal is headed to the prefectural assembly in the next fiscal year. From there, it still needs the green light from Japan's Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. Factor in the time needed for system updates and a mandatory public notification period, and officials are estimating "about two years" before the tax actually kicks in. So realistically, we're looking at some time around 2028.
A couple of exemptions are worth knowing: guests staying longer than a month are off the hook, as are students on school trips that follow official curriculum guidelines. School club training camps and organized tours, though, don't get a pass; those will be taxed.
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One thing that stands out about Chiba's plan is the possibility of stacked taxes. Municipalities like Kamogawa and Tateyama are exploring their own additional ¥150 per night levy, which would push the combined total to ¥300 (around $2) per guest per night in those areas. It's a setup that already exists in Fukuoka, which became Japan's first region to run both prefectural and city accommodation taxes at the same time.
As for where the money goes, one-third of prefectural tax revenue will be handed back to municipalities as grants. Originally earmarked for tourism promotion only, the scope has since been widened after local governments flagged the real strain growing tourist numbers put on things like waste management.
Chiba's Accommodation Tax Survey Form
Chiba is far from alone in this direction. Hokkaido launched its accommodation tax in April 2026, Okinawa is introducing its own later in the year, and Kyoto significantly raised its lodging tax rates from March 2026. Across Japan, accommodation taxes on private rentals are quickly becoming something STR operators can no longer afford to overlook.
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