The USA print weekend edition of USA Today (January 11, 2019) has a short article on their travel page in the Life section saying that Japan is imposing a 1,000 yen (currently about US$9) sayonara tax on visitors departing by plane or cruise ship, with some exceptions identified (infants, crew, transit under 24 hours, flight diversions, military, diplomats). The tax is to be paid prior to boarding starting "this week."

Does anyone know details? When does this start? Is it to be included in ticket prices and if so, are previously issued tickets exempt? The article refuser to tourists, which suggests that business travelers might be exempt, but how does one prove that then purpose of the trip is business, assuming that a business visa isn't required?

This is reminding me of the situation at Japanese airports in the 1990s when there was a small amount to be paid before proceeding to passport control. It caused huge lines and was a big problem for people who didn't expect the tax (required to be paid in cash in yen and IIRC there were machines that issued a little paper receipt that was collected at passport control) and didn't have Japanese currency in the correct denomination. At that time, going to a landside airport lounge required payment of the tax/fee too, even in the period when the departure fee started to be included in ticket prices.

HMMMM....I don't see the tax on my ticket receipt, but there is a $9.30 "Afghanistan security fee" listed on my receipt and I'm not going anywhere near Afghanistan. Maybe this reflects DL's IT limits.