More than 40,000 tax-free stores await tourists in Japan

Nikkei -- Aug 24

More than 40,000 tax-free shops are ready to welcome overseas tourists to Japan -- even those who step into more rural regions.

The stores, which exempt visitors from paying consumption tax on certain purchases, numbered 40,532 in Japan as of April 1, an increase of 15.1% on the year. The number in Japan's three major metropolitan areas surrounding Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya climbed 14.9% to 24,931 stores. The number elsewhere increased 15.5% to 15,601 stores.