Okinawa Prefecture to introduce an accommodation tax from 2026, with a 2000 yen cap per night. (29no24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Indian Blanket, beachside Mihama, 23no24m


At his 28 November press conference, Okinawa Prefecture Governor Denny Tamaki confirmed the introduction of an accommodation tax, to be levied on guests at hotels, ryokans, and other such businesses within the prefecture.

　

The Prefecture will adopt a fixed rate system to collect a 2% tax on accommodation fees, up to a cap of 2,000 yen per person per night. The proposal, targeted to begin in 2026, will be presented to the Prefectural Assembly’s regular session in February of next year.


According to the Prefecture, a fixed rate accommodation tax is being introduced in Hokkaido’s Kutchan District. However, Okinawa’s accommodation tax will be the first among  prefectural level entities in the Nation. Governor Tamaki stated, “We will proceed courteously with discussions among tourism related groups and communities.” He noted that the tax will not be collected from school trip groups and their leaders.


Okinawa Prefecture expects to collect about 7.8 billion yen yearly from the tax. Arguments on how the Prefecture could secure stable resources for its tourism related measures had been ongoing since last August.


Original Japanese article: Kyodo Communications, published Thursday 28 November 2024 at 16:34

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/1dfe35afe0357740489e35413d1d9d744042301b


Denny in the News:

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 


This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 


Any suggestion on improving my translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.


Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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