Japan will levy a "sayonara tax" on travelers
departing the country by plane or ship, effective Jan. 7, 2019.
Travelers will be required to pay 1,000 yen (about $10). The tax will be added to the airfare.
Passengers leaving Japan within 24 hours of arrival will be exempt from paying
the tax. Children under age 2 also will be exempt.
The Japan Times reports that proceeds from the tax will be
used to build infrastructure to accommodate an expected increase in visitors
leading up to and beyond the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. One planned project
is the installation of facial-recognition gates.