Tokyo Itinerary for 5 Days: When to Shop, When to Pick Up, and What to Do on Departure Day

Key points: On a 5-day Tokyo trip, shop on days 2 to 4, collect anything bulky as late as possible, and on day 5 scan your passport at the airport's tax-free terminal before you check in your luggage. For goods bought on or after November 1, 2026, you pay the tax-inclusive price at the shop and can get a refund only after that customs check.

• Keep every item from each purchase with you. If one item from a receipt is missing, nothing on that receipt is refunded.
• Do not eat or use up tax-free food, drinks or cosmetics. Pay for snacks you want to eat during the trip separately.
• The 90 days count from the day after purchase. A 5-day trip is well inside that, but the purchase date decides which rules apply.
• Already in Tokyo and tired of carrying bags? Order on TaxFreeOnline.jp and collect at a hotel near where you're staying on day 4 or at Haneda or Narita on day 5.

Based on official materials from Japan's National Tax Agency, the Japan Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and on TaxFreeOnline.jp's public pages.

Four things that make your refund zero

Each of these cancels the refund for a whole purchase, so plan your five days around avoiding them.

1. One item from a receipt is missing. Customs checks each purchase record, which is generally one transaction with one receipt. If even one item from that record is not with you, none of the items on it can go through the check. Purchases at other shops or on other receipts are judged separately.
2. You ate or used up part of a consumable. Food, drinks, medicine and cosmetics that have been partly consumed in Japan cannot go through the customs check. In that case, do not use the terminal; tell a customs officer at the counter. Items that are not consumables can still be checked even if you used them in Japan, as long as you have them with you.
3. Your luggage is already checked in. The customs check must happen before you check in your luggage. Checked luggage cannot be taken back for the procedure.
4. You ran out of time. If you stop an inspection partway because you are late for your flight, it does not count as a completed customs check. Official materials state that neither the airline nor customs will compensate you.

Also keep items in their boxes and bags, and do not throw away packaging that shows a model number, or customs may not be able to identify them. Mailing tax-free goods abroad yourself ended on March 31, 2025, so you carry them out of Japan.

Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q32, Q37 and Q39; Japan Tourism Agency, tax-free shopping page and FAQ for travelers

The 5-day plan at a glance

Shop in the middle of the trip and collect at the end. The areas below are examples; swap in your own. Pickup has two options: Option A collects at the airport on day 5, Option B collects at a hotel or another pickup point in Tokyo on day 4.

Why collect late? Every day you carry your shopping is a day something can get lost, given away or used up. The refund depends on having everything with you at departure, so fewer days of carrying means less risk.

Which day counts as the purchase date? The new rules apply to goods sold, meaning handed over, on or after November 1, 2026. The purchase date decides, not the departure date. The National Tax Agency says the tax-free procedure takes place when the goods are handed over to the buyer. With TaxFreeOnline.jp that happens at the pickup point, so this article treats your pickup day as the purchase date and counts the 90 days from the day after it.

Source: National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet; Q&A on the Refund Method (overview edition), Q8 and Q19; Q&A (detailed edition), Q19

Shopping in stores on days 2 to 4: three rules

Treat each checkout as one unit, and most mistakes disappear.

• ¥5,000 or more, same shop, same day. Tax-free treatment requires purchases totaling ¥5,000 or more excluding tax by the same traveler at the same shop on the same day. From November 2026, general goods and consumables are no longer counted separately, the purchase cap on consumables is gone, and sealed special packaging is no longer required. You can only buy as much as you can carry out of Japan yourself.
• Split your checkouts. If trip snacks and gifts for home are on one tax-free receipt, eating one snack voids the refund for the whole receipt. Pay for anything you plan to eat or use during the trip separately.
• One bag per receipt. Keep each purchase together with its receipt. Receipts are not required at the airport, because the purchase record is sent electronically, but officers at the customs inspection area may ask to see them.

Source: National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet; Q&A (overview edition), Q4; Q&A (detailed edition), Q22, Q32, Q37 and Q39

Ordering on TaxFreeOnline.jp mid-trip

If your bags are already full by day 3, you can order online and collect later instead of carrying more. Set your pickup point and date first: TaxFreeOnline.jp's top page recommends this because the items available change with the location and date.

1. Check your departure airport and terminal. Whether you fly from Haneda or Narita, and from which terminal, decides whether Option A fits.
2. Set the pickup point and date. The site then shows the items that can reach that point in time, so you do not have to count days yourself.
3. Check the pickup time. If you choose the earliest possible date, pickup may only be possible from 18:00. Available times depend on the shop's shipping preparation and the pickup point's working hours.
4. Order once your plans are fixed. You cannot change the pickup point after the order is complete; you would have to cancel and order again.

As of October 22, 2026, TaxFreeOnline.jp's pickup location page lists pickup points in Tokyo, Chiba, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Okinawa, including Haneda, Narita and Kansai International airports. You can choose a hotel as your pickup point even if you are not staying there. You can also order before you arrive in Japan.

When you pay: for orders from November 1, 2026, you pay when you place the order. Major credit cards and smartphone payments are accepted; cash is not, and the card must be in your own name.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page, FAQ and pickup location page

Option A or Option B: airport on day 5 or hotel on day 4?

Both work. The difference is how much time you have on departure day.

Option B: collect near wherever you're staying

You don't have to collect at your own hotel. Outside the airports, TaxFreeOnline.jp has 35 pickup points in Tokyo, mostly hotels plus a few tourist information centers, and you can use a hotel even if you aren't a guest there. The easiest choice is somewhere near where you're staying or along your day-4 route. The full list is on the pickup location page; here it is by area (as of November 10, 2026).

Here's how it usually fits into a trip:

• Staying in Ueno or Asakusa? Collect on your way back from Ginza on day 4. There are 15 pickup points around Ueno, Asakusa, Akihabara and Asakusabashi, and if you won't be back until late, Henn na Hotel Tokyo Asakusa-tawaramachi and Henn na Hotel Tokyo Asakusabashi both list hours until 23:59.
• Staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya? Here the pickup points are tourist information centers: the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center, Shinjuku West (08:00–16:00), shibuya-san (10:00–19:30) and the Tokyo Tourist Information Center in Harajuku (10:00–18:00). They close fairly early, so plan to go during the day.
• Staying around Ginza or Nihonbashi? Collect right after your last round of shopping, for example at Henn na Hotel Tokyo Ginza (12:00–23:59) or Japan Premium Lounge (08:00–20:00).
• Catching an early flight from Haneda? Spend your last night near the airport. Collect on day 4 at Henn na Hotel Tokyo Haneda (12:00–23:59) or hotel MONday Haneda Airport (11:00–18:00), and head straight to the tax-free kiosk the next morning.

One catch: if you choose the earliest available date, pickup sometimes starts at 18:00. At places that close at 18:00, push the date back a day or pick somewhere that stays open later. You'll see the exact pickup time once you choose the place and date when you order.

Airport pickup hours for Option A: the pickup location page (checked October 22, 2026) lists Narita at 09:00–19:00, inside Narita Airport Station (Terminal 1), and Haneda at 00:00–23:59, on the 2F of a facility at the Haneda Airport address shown on the page. If your Narita flight leaves before or shortly after 09:00, the listed hours will not give you time, so Option B is the safer plan. If your Narita flight leaves from another terminal, allow time to move between terminals.

For either option, bring your original passport, the QR code from your order confirmation email and a smartphone with an internet connection, and come in person. Family or friends cannot collect for you, even with your passport and account. You complete the tax-free procedure on your own phone at the pickup point, which takes about 10 minutes when you are prepared, depending on your phone and connection.

TaxFreeOnline.jp's FAQ notes that tax exemption cannot be applied if you used automated passport gates and have no entry stamp. If you plan to use the service, check for a stamp when you enter Japan.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ and pickup location page

Day 5: Pick up, then the tax-free kiosk before bag drop

On day 5, collect your order first (Option A only), scan your passport at the tax-free kiosk, and only then check in your bags and go through security. The kiosks (tax-free procedure terminals) are in the international departure lobby, before the baggage drop.

Visit Japan Web: at Haneda, Narita and five other airports, you can do the customs check online on your phone instead of at the terminal. It works only in the international departure lobby, within the area covered by the dedicated Wi-Fi for this procedure, up to the security checkpoint, and you must register on Visit Japan Web before the customs check. Without registration, use the terminal.

Liquids: in cabin baggage on international flights, liquids must be in containers of 100 ml or less inside one resealable transparent bag of up to 1 liter. Larger bottles can go in your suitcase as checked baggage, but scan your passport at the terminal before you check that suitcase in.

Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A (detailed edition), Q32 and Q33; National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods (English); Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Q&A on liquids on international flights

FAQ

Does the 90-day limit matter on a 5-day trip?

Usually not. The period runs to the 90th day counted from the day after purchase; goods bought on November 1 must be checked by January 30 of the following year. What matters on a short trip is the purchase date itself: goods bought, meaning handed over, on or after November 1, 2026 fall under the Refund Method.

Can I pick up at the airport on an early-morning flight?

It depends on your flight time and the pickup point's hours. The pickup location page lists Narita at 09:00–19:00 and Haneda at 00:00–23:59 (checked October 22, 2026). The earliest date you can choose may only allow pickup from 18:00, so for an early flight, Option B (collect in Tokyo on day 4) is the safer plan.

Do online orders still need the customs check at the airport?

Yes. As with in-store purchases, finish the customs check before you check in your luggage; the refund is generally paid after that check. TaxFreeOnline.jp is a tax-free online shopping service, not a duty-free shop.

Can I collect at a hotel I'm not staying at?

Yes. Hotel pickup points aren't limited to guests; Table 3 lists the ones in Tokyo. Bring your original passport, the order QR code and a phone with data, and collect in person.

My plans changed. Can I switch the pickup point?

Not after the order is complete. Cancel and order again. Until the selected pickup date, you can cancel by emailing support without a cancellation fee. If you miss the pickup date without contacting support, the order is canceled the next day and a ¥3,000 cancellation fee applies.

Can someone else collect for me, or can you ship it home?

No to both. Only the person who placed the order can collect, with their original passport, and TaxFreeOnline.jp does not offer international shipping.

Read next

• Shop in Japan Without Carrying It Around: Order Online, Pick Up on Your Trip
• Japan Tax Refund at the Airport: Departure-Day Steps from Nov 2026

Sources

1. National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet (Japanese)
2. National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, overview edition (revised Apr 2026, Japanese): Q4, Q8, Q19
3. National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, detailed edition (Jul 2026, Japanese): Q19, Q22, Q32, Q33, Q37, Q39
4. National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods (from November 2026, English)
5. Japan Tourism Agency, tax-free shopping page (Japanese)
6. Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method (Japanese)
7. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Civil Aviation Bureau), Q&A on liquids on international flights (Japanese)
8. TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page
9. TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ
10. TaxFreeOnline.jp, pickup locations

By TaxFreeOnline.jp | Sources last checked: October 22, 2026