{"id":307,"date":"2026-05-16T06:33:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T06:33:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:33:58","slug":"duty-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When importing goods from overseas, the existence of customs duties is often a source of a headache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you not think it is terrible to be charged customs duties domestically in Japan, in addition to the already expensive international shipping fees and the local consumption tax paid when purchasing the product?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Actually, there is a way to avoid these customs duties for products that are relatively inexpensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the small-amount duty-free rule, which exempts customs duties when the total dutiable value is 10,000 yen or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practice, for personal imports, the tax rate is usually calculated at 60% of the normal value. Therefore, the rule is that purchases up to approximately 16,666 yen in Japanese yen are eligible for exemption (16,666 x 0.6 = approximately 10,000 yen).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As this rule is a little complicated, I would like to explain it as simply as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Effectively Use the Small-Amount Duty-Free Rule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-5.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15143\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you make a mistake in the shipping method, you may end up paying unexpectedly high taxes, so please pay attention to the following points!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By simply following these guidelines, you can save a considerable amount of tax compared to standard shipping methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aim for a total cost of within 16,000 yen (including shipping fees).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the total exceeds 16,000 yen, split the shipments (however, do not ship them on the same day).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearly state that the items are for personal use (if they appear to be for commercial or resale purposes, they will be excluded from the tax exemption).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Utilize the Gift classification (there is a rule that exempts taxes up to 20,000 yen for shipments between individuals).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, despite these measures, there are unfortunately exceptions where taxes will still be applied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Three Product Categories That Are Not Exempt from Taxes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking closely at the details on the Japan Customs website, Article 16-3 of the Order for Enforcement of the Customs Tariff Act comprehensively lists the exceptions to the 10,000 yen duty-free rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Article 16-3: The articles prescribed by Cabinet Order as provided in Article 14, item (xviii) (Unconditional Exemption from Customs Duty) of the Act shall be the following articles (in the case of the articles set forth in item (i), excluding those of the tax-exempt articles which are recognized to be for the personal use of the person importing the articles; and in the case of the articles set forth in items (ii) through (xvi), excluding those of the articles donated to a person resident in Japan which are recognized to be for the personal use of that person).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1. Articles set forth in heading 10.06 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2. Articles set forth in heading 17.01 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3. Articles set forth in subheading 1702.30-2-(1), 1702.40-2, 1702.60-2, or 1702.90-1, -2, or -5-(2)-A of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">4. Articles set forth in subheading 2106.90-2-(2)-A or E-(a)-C-(b) of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">5. Articles set forth in subheading 4202.11 or 4202.21 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">6. Articles set forth in subheading 4203.21 or 4203.29 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">7. Articles set forth in headings 61.01 to 61.10 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">8. Pantyhose, tights, and clothing among the articles set forth in heading 61.11 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">9. Articles set forth in headings 61.12 to 61.14 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">10. Articles set forth in subheading 6115.10-1, 6115.21, 6115.22, or 6115.29 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">11. Articles set forth in subheading 6401.10-1 or 6401.92-1 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">12. Articles set forth in subheading 6402.12-1 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">13. Articles set forth in heading 64.03 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">14. Articles set forth in subheading 6404.19-1 or 6404.20-1 or -2 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">15. Articles set forth in subheading 6405.10-1 of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">16. Articles set forth in subheading 6405.90-1-(1) or -(2)-A of the Appended Table of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">17. Articles imported by a person entering Japan as accompanied baggage or unaccompanied baggage upon entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">18. Articles purchased by a passenger specified in Article 14, paragraph 1 of the Act on Temporary Measures concerning Customs (Act No. 36 of 1960) (Exemption from Customs Duty on Baggage of Passengers Departing from Okinawa Prefecture) from a retailer specified in the same paragraph at a passenger terminal facility, etc. specified in the same paragraph, or articles purchased from the retailer at a specific sales facility specified in the same paragraph and delivered at the passenger terminal facility, etc., which are imported at the passenger terminal facility, etc.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the way, there is absolutely no need to understand this text. Haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To put it simply, the following three product categories are the cases that will actually be excluded from the tax exemption when you import goods into Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Products Made with Leather Materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-2.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15140\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First of all, leather products are excluded from the small-amount duty-free rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I believe leather is used in various products such as shoes, bags, and wallets, but the common rule is that if leather is used, it will almost certainly not be exempt from taxation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leather shoes, in particular, are famous for being subject to exceptionally high customs duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if it were a pair of used leather shoes costing 500 yen, the rule for customs duty is &#8220;4,300 yen or 30%, whichever is higher,&#8221; so it will cost at least 4,300 yen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although not as strict as leather shoes, you need to be very careful if even a part of the product is made of leather, such as bags, wallets, suitcases, or gloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, since the duty-free rule applies to synthetic leather, many people actually declare items as synthetic leather when they are genuinely made of real leather. Haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Knit Products That Are Woven<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-3.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15141\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When people hear knit products, I think many imagine, &#8220;Ah, you mean sweaters.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This nuance is actually quite different from the general idea, and the key criterion for judgment is whether it is a knitted fabric or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With that in mind, almost all clothing falls under knitted fabrics, meaning that T-shirts, hoodies, suits, and underwear are all excluded from the tax exemption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, it is safer to assume that clothing is generally subject to customs duties (although, in practice, it is often exempted).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The customs duty rate is around 10%, which is not that high, so you might not need to worry about it too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Products Protected by Japanese Industries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-4.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/duty-free-4.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15142\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are also cases where this tax exemption does not apply in order to protect Japanese industries, such as rice, sugar, wheat, and milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I doubt there are many people who import these items personally, but it is reassuring to be aware of this as a rule!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A notable characteristic is that many of the products excluded from the duty-free rule are actually subject to high customs duties even under the general tax rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Customs duties are set up to protect domestic industries in Japan, so it is quite interesting that you can see the policies of the Japanese government when you look at the customs duty rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"toc-3\">Our Services Related to This Article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/import-export-support\/\">Import and Export Support \u2013 Research, Arrangement, and Procedure Agency Services for Shipping between Japan and Hawaii (USA)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn Japan&#8217;s customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":306,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"emanon_ad_label_edit":"initial","emanon_featured_entry":"","emanon_hide_featured_image":"","emanon_disabled_overlay":"","emanon_hide_title":"","emanon_hide_sidebar":"","emanon_hide_breadcrumb":"","emanon_hide_toc":"","emanon_hide_sns":"","emanon_hide_follow":"","emanon_hide_author_card":"","emanon_hide_entry_tag":"","emanon_hide_pre_nex":"","emanon_hide_related_post":"","emanon_hide_ad":"","emanon_disabled_background_color":"","emanon_hide_floating_hamburger_menu":"","emanon_hide_footer_section":"","emanon_hide_fixed_footer_menu":"","get_emanon_reviewer_name":[],"emanon_cta_id":"","emanon_cta_floating_id":"","emanon_cta_newsletter_id":"","emanon_noindex":"","emanon_nofollow":"","emanon_meta_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-import-export-support"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan - HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn Japan&#039;s customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan - HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn Japan&#039;s customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alohacast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-15T21:33:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/duty-free-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"618\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@alohacast\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@alohacast\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ryu\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/76d45227a6cfb796181467832d609b7b\"},\"headline\":\"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-15T21:33:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1202,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/duty-free-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Import &amp; Export Support\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/\",\"name\":\"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan - HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/duty-free-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-15T21:33:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn Japan's customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/duty-free-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/duty-free-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":618,\"caption\":\"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/duty-free\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\u30db\u30fc\u30e0\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Cross-Border EC & Trade Support\",\"description\":\"Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Cross-Border EC & Trade Support\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/hi-japan-pc.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/hi-japan-pc.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":145,\"caption\":\"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Cross-Border EC & Trade Support\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/alohacast\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/alohacast\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/alohacast\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/alohacast\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/76d45227a6cfb796181467832d609b7b\",\"name\":\"Ryu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/about-2.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/about-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/about-2.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Ryu\"},\"description\":\"A specialist in Japan-U.S. trade with over 10 years of experience supporting a wide range of trade operations. We provide simple, clear explanations for complex topics such as overseas expansion support, customs clearance, and logistics arrangements!\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hi-japan.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/ryuji-sugimoto\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan - HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support","description":"Learn Japan's customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan - HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support","og_description":"Learn Japan's customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.","og_url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/","og_site_name":"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alohacast\/","article_published_time":"2026-05-15T21:33:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":618,"url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/duty-free-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ryu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@alohacast","twitter_site":"@alohacast","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ryu","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/"},"author":{"name":"Ryu","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/76d45227a6cfb796181467832d609b7b"},"headline":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan","datePublished":"2026-05-15T21:33:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/"},"wordCount":1202,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/duty-free-1.jpg","articleSection":["Import &amp; Export Support"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/","name":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan - HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/duty-free-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-15T21:33:58+00:00","description":"Learn Japan's customs exemption rules. We explain items excluded from the 10,000 yen duty-free rule to help you avoid unexpected taxes upon import.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/duty-free-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/duty-free-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":618,"caption":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/duty-free\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u30db\u30fc\u30e0","item":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Customs Duty-Free Rules and Excluded Items \u2013 Know-How for Importing Goods Cost-Effectively to Japan"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/","name":"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Cross-Border EC & Trade Support","description":"Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Global eCommerce &amp; Trade Support","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#organization","name":"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Cross-Border EC & Trade Support","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/hi-japan-pc.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/hi-japan-pc.png","width":500,"height":145,"caption":"HiJapan | Japan-Hawaii Business Expansion, Cross-Border EC & Trade Support"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alohacast\/","https:\/\/x.com\/alohacast","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alohacast\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/alohacast"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/76d45227a6cfb796181467832d609b7b","name":"Ryu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/about-2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/about-2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/about-2.jpg","caption":"Ryu"},"description":"A specialist in Japan-U.S. trade with over 10 years of experience supporting a wide range of trade operations. We provide simple, clear explanations for complex topics such as overseas expansion support, customs clearance, and logistics arrangements!","url":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/author\/ryuji-sugimoto\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hi-japan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}