Back in October, Japan introduced a nationwide travel subsidy programme for residents, with big discounts on transport and accommodation. The current edition of the National Travel Discount Programme is available across almost all prefectures until December 28 2022, with discounts of up to 40 percent on transport and accommodation.
Now, the Japan Tourism Agency has announced that the programme will be extended from January 10 2023, but with reduced discounts. The revised programme offers discounts of up to 20 percent (a maximum of ¥5,000 per person per night) on transport and accommodation.
What are the new deals?
As of January 10, the programme will offer discounts on public transport and accommodation packages up to ¥5,000 per person per night. If you’re opting for a day trip, you can save up to ¥3,000 per person on transportation. The deal also comes with discount coupons worth up to ¥2,000 on weekdays and ¥1,000 on weekends and holidays, which you can redeem at local restaurants and other attractions. The current paper vouchers will be changed to digital coupons.
How to be eligible for the discount
Note that only those with residency status in Japan are eligible for the travel subsidy. Details regarding Covid-19 prevention measures, such as vaccination certificates and negative PCR test results, have yet to be announced for the revised programme.
The new campaign with reduced discounts starts from January 10. The discount deals are limited, so the campaign in each prefecture will end when the capacity has been reached. For details and additional requirements, make sure to check each prefecture’s campaign website here. Note that most of the websites will only be updated in the next few days, so don’t worry if you see campaign-end dates stating December 28.
The easiest and fastest way to book your vacation is via travel booking sites Jalan and JTB. Their official campaign booking sites will be updated in the near future after details have been confirmed by each prefecture.
This article will be updated as soon as new information becomes available.
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