Duty-free shops can sell goods free of duty and tax (consumption tax, liquor tax, customs duty tariffs on imported goods) to travelers from overseas and are located in international airports and some shopping areas. Duty-free goods are also sold on international flights and cruise ships, also a type of duty-free service. Duty Free shops may only be used by travelers who have completed passport control procedures because they are then considered to not belong to any particular country (=immune from taxation) and they can buy liquor (liquor tax), tobacco (tobacco tax) and perfume (customs duty) etc duty-free. Hence retailing duty-free and tax-free goods has now become increasingly sophisticated and regarded as an important service.

You will be surprised at the difference in price between duty-free cosmetics, liquor, tobacco and brand items and those of dutiable goods, which you probably often buy. Duty-free shopping is a fun activity when traveling overseas and is found in a special area after outbound passport control.

Technically duty-free denotes an exemption from customs duty while Tax-free means exemption from added-value tax such as consumption tax. The duty-free brand boutique mall "narita nakamise" in Narita Airport includes FaSoLa DUTY FREE Cosmetics & Perfumery, FaSoLa DUTY FREE Liquor & Tobacco and FaSoLa TAX FREE AKIHABARA, a general line duty-free shop dealing in electrical appliances, food and fashion.

Year of 1853 The well-known story of the arrival of the black ships of Commodore Perry occurred before the customs service began. The idea of "duty-free" did not exist then. Some American black ships commanded by Commodore M.C. Perry arrived in Uraga Harbor (part of present-day Yokosuka), something which caused surprise and confusion in Japan at the time. As western ship hulls were painted black with tar at the time they were called Kurofune (black ship). The arrival of the Kurofune (Black ships) is an event where M.C. Perry, an American special envoy and commander in chief of naval forces in the East Indian seas, appeared off Uraga at the mouth of Edo bay, leading 4 ships--the Susquehanna (Perry's flagship), Mississippi, Saratoga and Plymouth and demanded through Uraga magistrate's officials that the top shogunate authorities receive a letter from U.S. president Fillimore.

Under the national isolation policy of the Tokugawa shogunate Nagasaki had the only harbor to which foreign ships were permitted to enter.
Nakajima Saburo, the deputy chief of the Uraga Magistrate and others met with Commodore Perry's aide, Lieutenant Contee, and told him that Perry should quickly set sail for Nagasaki, which the shogunate had designated as being the venue for negotiations with representatives of other countries.
However, Perry and his staff took a firm stance and refused to go to Nagasaki, replying that they had come to Uraga because it was close to Edo, the shogun's capital, to carry out the mission of delivering a letter from President Fillmore. They then threatened the Japanese officials that they would force their way into Edo with their military might.

The arrival of the East Indies squadron into Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) saw the beginning of Bakumatsu (the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate), one of the most turmoil filled and romanticized parts of Japanese history.
Commencing with the Treaty of Peace and Amity made in 1859 Japan opened its ports to foreign countries one after the other.
In 1859, Customhouses (Unjosho) were established in the ports of Nagasaki, Kanagawa and Hakodate to supervise and control the import and exports of goods similar to the current customs operation, Unjyo or customs collection, and to administer international affairs. This is the Customhouse predecessor.
Put simply "Unjosho" was an organization that controlled incoming and outgoing goods. It was a general administrative institution which not only took control of diplomatic affairs and customs but also foreign affairs, administration of the other ports, criminal affairs, and supervised ship building and repairs.

For your information, "Unjo" means tax. Merchants at the end of the Edo period did a variety of business with foreign countries and their goods underwent custom inspections. On November 28th, 1892, "Unjosho" was renamed "Customhouse". The concept of "duty-free" was then born.

There are many duty-free shops selling goods on which duties are not levied. You can buy duty-free goods at any of the shops in the mall after passing through outbound passport control.

"Duty-free goods" can be bought without having any duty levied on them. Most of the goods sold at duty-free shops have not yet been imported into Japan. It is possible to buy them duty-free if you purchase them on your way out of Japan. In short, duty-free goods can be regarded as being duty-free because they will be taken out of Japan.

As duty-free goods are special you may purchase them provided that you go to a duty-free shop in the airport after passing through outbound passport control. Anyone who is going abroad from Narita Airport may purchase duty-free goods.

Duty-free goods are only available at stores in areas you enter after passing through outbound passport control at Narita Airport. As purchased duty-free goods are only considered to be duty-free after they have been taken out of Japan sending them to one's home in Japan by express delivery is not permitted. Thank you for your understanding.

Exchanging goods for personal reasons is basically unacceptable.
Please call 0120-191-624 for any inquiries concerning problems with merchandise.

The range of duty-free varies according to destination country. Please refer to travel agency brochures, your travel itinerary or guidebook, etc for the relevant range. Upon returning to Japan the duty-free range can be checked at Narita Airport Customs.

Please refer to the following list for individual shop business hours.

FaSoLa duty-free shop list