This is an English translation of our Japanese article. The Japanese version and official announcements from the Japan Tourism Agency and each prefecture are authoritative. Booking start dates will be announced prefecture by prefecture — check before you book. For individual tax decisions, consult a tax office or a licensed tax accountant.
Last updated: 28 August 2026. Based on the announcement by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on 28 August 2026 and press reporting. Details may change as each prefecture publishes its own rules.
The short answer. To revive tourism hit by the July 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, Japan will subsidise travel across Kyushu under the Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari (Kyushu recovery travel discount) from stays on 1 October 2026 onward. The discount is 50% across Kyushu's seven prefectures, and 60% in Kumamoto and Kagoshima, capped at ¥20,000 per night for accommodation, ¥30,000 for multi-night packages with transport, and ¥35,000 for multi-prefecture tours. The budget is ¥15.5bn of MLIT reserve funds, and the scheme ends when the money runs out — in 2016, some discounted products sold out on day one. This article works out the room rates that use the discount fully, and covers a point most travel sites skip: the discount counts as taxable occasional income.
The scheme on one page
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Recover travel demand after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (28 July, maximum intensity 7) triggered mass cancellations |
| Area | Stays of one night or more in Kyushu's seven prefectures (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima) |
| Discount | 50% of travel and accommodation costs; 60% in Kumamoto and Kagoshima, where cancellations were heaviest |
| Caps | Accommodation or one-night package with transport: ¥20,000 per night / packages of two nights or more with transport: ¥30,000 / tours spanning two or more prefectures: ¥35,000 |
| Start | Stays from 1 October 2026. Each prefecture sets its own booking start date, announced in turn |
| End | Expected to end when each prefecture's allocation is used up |
| How to use | The state funds each prefecture; the discount is applied at booking through travel agencies, booking sites and hotels — no application forms, no reimbursement paperwork |
After the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, the similar "Kyushu Fukko Wari" (budget about ¥18bn, up to 70% off in Kumamoto and Oita) saw popular discount packages sell out on the first day. Expect the same scramble: decide where to go before bookings open, not after.
The room rates that use the discount fully
"60% off" stops being 60% once you hit the cap. Working backwards:
| Product type | Cap | Full benefit at 60% (Kumamoto/Kagoshima) | Full benefit at 50% (other five) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation / 1-night package | ¥20,000 per night | Rooms up to about ¥33,000/night | Up to ¥40,000/night |
| 2+ nights with transport | ¥30,000 | Packages up to ¥50,000 | Up to ¥60,000 |
| Multi-prefecture tour | ¥35,000 | Up to about ¥58,000 | Up to ¥70,000 |
A ¥33,000 room in Kumamoto gets ¥19,800 off — nearly the full cap. A ¥60,000 luxury ryokan still gets only ¥20,000 off, an effective 33%. Rooms in the ¥30,000–40,000 range are the sweet spot. Cheaper rooms lose nothing either: a ¥10,000 night costs you ¥4,000 in Kumamoto or Kagoshima.
Accommodation tax and hot-spring tax will likely be excluded, as they were under Go To Travel and the nationwide travel support scheme. Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City and Nagasaki City levy accommodation taxes, and Kumamoto City plans to introduce one — a few hundred yen per night billed on top of the discounted price. See our nationwide accommodation tax list.
The tax angle: the discount is "occasional income"
Japan's National Tax Agency classified Go To Travel subsidies as occasional income (ichiji shotoku) for the traveller, and the same treatment is expected here. Before you worry: occasional income carries a ¥500,000 annual special deduction, so nothing is taxed unless your combined occasional income for the year exceeds that.
Example: a family of four, two nights in Kumamoto (package with transport)
¥50,000 package per person × 60% = ¥30,000 discount (exactly the cap)
Four people = ¥120,000 in subsidies
→ Well within the ¥500,000 deduction if there is no other occasional income. No filing, no tax.
The catch is that the ¥500,000 threshold applies to occasional income in total. Watch out if in the same year you also received: furusato nozei return gifts (also occasional income, roughly 30% of the donation — see the furusato nozei guide), maturity or surrender proceeds from life insurance, prize winnings, or other travel campaign discounts. Even then, only half of the excess over ¥500,000 is added to your taxable income.
How it compares with 2016
| Item | 2016 Kyushu Fukko Wari | 2026 Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (April) | 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (28 July, intensity 7) |
| Budget | About ¥18bn | ¥15.5bn (MLIT reserve funds) |
| Top rate | Up to 70% (Kumamoto, Oita); 50% elsewhere | 60% (Kumamoto, Kagoshima); 50% elsewhere |
| Period | July–December 2016 | Stays from 1 October 2026; ends when funds run out |
The top rate is lower but Kagoshima joined the top tier, reflecting heavy cancellations around Sakurajima and Kirishima. With a smaller budget and high rates, the money may run out faster than in 2016.
Support for earthquake victims themselves — housing, livelihood, tax relief — runs on separate schemes; see our Kumamoto earthquake support guide and donations and deductions.
Frequently asked questions
When does the discount start?
It applies to stays from 1 October 2026. Booking start dates are set individually by each prefecture and will be announced in turn. Bookings are expected to surge the moment they open, so follow the announcements of the prefecture you plan to visit and have your booking-site account ready.
How large is the discount?
50% of travel and accommodation costs, or 60% in Kumamoto and Kagoshima, capped at ¥20,000 per night for accommodation or one-night packages, ¥30,000 for multi-night packages with transport, and ¥35,000 for tours spanning two or more prefectures. The 60% rate applies in full up to a room rate of about ¥33,000 per night.
Is the discount taxable?
The National Tax Agency treated Go To Travel subsidies as occasional income, and the same is expected here. Occasional income has a ¥500,000 annual special deduction, so no tax arises unless your total occasional income for the year — including furusato nozei return gifts and life insurance maturity proceeds — exceeds that amount. Even then only half of the excess is taxed.
How long will it run?
No end date has been announced. The budget is ¥15.5bn of MLIT reserve funds distributed to the prefectures, and the scheme is expected to end as each allocation runs out. In 2016 some popular products sold out on the first day, so book early once reservations open.
Sources
- Japan Tourism Agency
- Japan Meteorological Agency, 2026 Kumamoto earthquake portal
- National Tax Agency, Tax Answer No. 1490: Occasional income
- Nikkei, 28 August 2026
This article is general information based on the announcement as of 28 August 2026. Booking dates and product details are set by each prefecture — always check official announcements before booking. Consult a tax office or licensed tax accountant for individual tax decisions.