This is an English translation of our Japanese article. The Japanese version and official announcements from the Japan Tourism Agency and each prefecture are authoritative. Booking start dates differ by prefecture and by sales channel — check before you book. For individual tax decisions, consult a tax office or a licensed tax accountant.
Last updated: 22 September 2026. This article is based on the 28 August 2026 announcement by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan Tourism Agency, and on each prefecture’s disclosures (as of 22 September, Nagasaki and Kumamoto had suspended their booking-site allocations). Booking dates and conditions may change, so check the latest information from each prefecture and booking site before you book.
In Nagasaki and Kumamoto, the Jalan and Rakuten allocations have hit their budget ceilings and applications are suspended (Nagasaki’s ran out six days after opening on 15 September). Direct bookings with accommodation providers and travel agencies have separate allocations and are going on sale as each becomes ready[Jalan: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari]. Kagoshima (national program) opens in mid-October and covers stays to the end of February 2027 — the only one of the seven that crosses into the new year[Kagoshima Prefecture: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari]. Reservations made before the sales start date are not eligible, so booking a room early costs you the discount.
The short answer. To revive tourism hit by the July 2026 Kumamoto earthquake, Japan began subsidising travel across Kyushu under the Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari (Kyushu recovery travel discount) with stays from 1 October 2026. The discount is 50% across Kyushu's seven prefectures, and 60% in Kumamoto and Kagoshima, capped at ¥20,000 per night for accommodation, ¥30,000 for multi-night packages with transport, and ¥35,000 for multi-prefecture tours. The budget is ¥15.5bn of MLIT reserve funds, and the scheme ends when the money runs out — in 2016, some discounted products sold out on day one.
The scheme on one page
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Recover travel demand after the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (28 July, maximum intensity 7) triggered mass cancellations |
| Area | Stays of one night or more in Kyushu's seven prefectures (Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima) |
| Discount | 50% of travel and accommodation costs; 60% in Kumamoto and Kagoshima, where cancellations were heaviest |
| Caps | Accommodation or one-night package with transport: ¥20,000 per night / packages of two nights or more with transport: ¥30,000 / tours spanning two or more prefectures: ¥35,000 |
| Start | Stays from 1 October 2026. Each prefecture sets its own booking start date; six of the seven had published theirs as of 18 September (see the next section) |
| End | Expected to end when each prefecture's allocation is used up |
| How to use | The state funds each prefecture; the discount is applied at booking through travel agencies, booking sites and hotels — no application forms, no reimbursement paperwork |
After the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, the similar "Kyushu Fukko Wari" (budget about ¥18bn, up to 70% off in Kumamoto and Oita) saw popular discount packages sell out on the first day. Expect the same scramble: decide where to go before bookings open, not after.
Booking start dates by prefecture — Kagoshima runs from mid-October to the end of February 2027
The discount applies to stays from 1 October, but booking start dates differ by prefecture — and within a prefecture they differ by sales channel: online booking sites, direct booking with the hotel, and travel agencies. Combining the Japan Tourism Agency’s page (updated 18 September), each prefecture’s announcements and the booking sites’ status as of 22 September:
| Prefecture | Discount | Bookings open | Eligible stays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kumamoto | 60% | Sales opened 15 September, 10:00 a.m. Booking sites (Jalan, Rakuten): budget ceiling reached, applications suspended (16 September) Hotels and travel agencies: operators sell as they become ready | 1 Oct – 25 Dec |
| Nagasaki | 50% | Booking sites (Jalan, Rakuten) 15 September = budget ceiling reached, applications suspended Hotels: 28 September, 10:00 a.m. Travel agencies and others: 30 September | Hotel bookings cover 1 Oct – 26 Dec check-out December stays on Jalan and Rakuten expected from mid-November |
| Saga | 50% | Booking sites: 24 September, noon Travel agencies: 2 October Hotels: early October | 1 Oct – 25 Dec |
| Fukuoka | 50% | 24 September | 1 Oct – 15 Dec (ten days shorter than the rest) |
| Miyazaki | 50% | Booking sites: 25 September, 10:00 a.m. Hotels and travel agencies: 28 September | 1 Oct – 25 Dec |
| Oita | 50% | Booking sites (four sites): 25 September, noon Travel agencies: 9 October Hotels: 16 October | 1 Oct – 25 Dec |
| Kagoshima | 60% | Mid-October expected (announced 17 September) Three channels: hotels, in-prefecture travel agencies, booking sites | Mid-October – end of February 2027 (excluding 26 Dec – 3 Jan) Discount funding of up to ¥3,023,120,000 |
If you book first, you lose the discount. Kumamoto states explicitly that "travel products already booked are not eligible," and Nagasaki that "only reservations made on or after the sales start date qualify; earlier reservations are not eligible." Reserving a room early to secure it means you cannot switch to the discounted rate later. The right move is to wait for the booking start date and book the discounted product itself. If you have already booked, ask the property or booking site whether you can rebook before cancellation fees apply.
Helplines differ by prefecture: Fukuoka 050-1732-4650, Saga 050-1732-4649, Nagasaki 050-1732-4652 (customer call centre), Kumamoto 0800-111-9449 (Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari office), Oita 050-1732-4651, Miyazaki 050-3515-5832, and Kagoshima via the prefectural switchboard on 099-286-2111. None of them takes accommodation bookings.
How long will the ¥15.5bn budget last?
The ¥15.5bn is distributed by the national government to the seven prefectures, and each prefecture's allocation funds its discounts. There is no fixed end date — the remaining budget is the real deadline. At an average discount of ¥5,000 per person-night it covers about 3.1 million person-nights; at ¥10,000, about 1.55 million; if everyone maxes out the ¥20,000 cap, about 770,000. Oita's own numbers (about ¥1.08bn for 54,000+ person-nights) imply roughly ¥20,000 per person-night — prefectures expect bookings near the cap. In 2016 a larger budget (about ¥18bn) was used up in six months, so if you plan to travel this year, plan to book on day one.
The room rates that use the discount fully
"60% off" stops being 60% once you hit the cap. Working backwards:
| Product type | Cap | Full benefit at 60% (Kumamoto/Kagoshima) | Full benefit at 50% (other five) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation / 1-night package | ¥20,000 per night | Rooms up to about ¥33,000/night | Up to ¥40,000/night |
| 2+ nights with transport | ¥30,000 | Packages up to ¥50,000 | Up to ¥60,000 |
| Multi-prefecture tour | ¥35,000 | Up to about ¥58,000 | Up to ¥70,000 |
A ¥33,000 room in Kumamoto gets ¥19,800 off — nearly the full cap. A ¥60,000 luxury ryokan still gets only ¥20,000 off, an effective 33%. Rooms in the ¥30,000–40,000 range are the sweet spot. Cheaper rooms lose nothing either: a ¥10,000 night costs you ¥4,000 in Kumamoto or Kagoshima.
Accommodation tax and hot-spring tax will likely be excluded, as they were under Go To Travel and the nationwide travel support scheme. Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City and Nagasaki City levy accommodation taxes, and Kumamoto City plans to introduce one — a few hundred yen per night billed on top of the discounted price. See our nationwide accommodation tax list.
The tax angle: the discount is "occasional income"
Japan's National Tax Agency classified Go To Travel subsidies as occasional income (ichiji shotoku) for the traveller, and the same treatment is expected here. Before you worry: occasional income carries a ¥500,000 annual special deduction, so nothing is taxed unless your combined occasional income for the year exceeds that.
Example: a family of four, two nights in Kumamoto (package with transport)
¥50,000 package per person × 60% = ¥30,000 discount (exactly the cap)
Four people = ¥120,000 in subsidies
→ Well within the ¥500,000 deduction if there is no other occasional income. No filing, no tax.
The catch is that the ¥500,000 threshold applies to occasional income in total. Watch out if in the same year you also received: furusato nozei return gifts (also occasional income, roughly 30% of the donation — see the furusato nozei guide), maturity or surrender proceeds from life insurance, prize winnings, or other travel campaign discounts. Even then, only half of the excess over ¥500,000 is added to your taxable income.
How it compares with 2016
The 2016 “Kyushu Fukko Wari” had a budget of about ¥18bn and discounts of up to 70% in Kumamoto and Oita, and popular products sold out on the first day. This time the budget is smaller at ¥15.5bn and the discount rates are high, so the money may run out sooner than it did in 2016.
Support for earthquake victims themselves — housing, livelihood, tax relief — runs on separate schemes; see our Kumamoto earthquake support guide and donations and deductions.
What to do before bookings open
In Kumamoto and Nagasaki, the booking-site allocations ran out right after sales opened. Being ready to act the moment bookings open is the best strategy.
- Check the start date for the booking site you will use. As the table above shows, dates within one prefecture can differ by up to three weeks depending on the channel. Note down the start date for the channel you will book through, not the prefecture’s.
- Decide on your destination and candidate hotels in advance. There is no time to deliberate once sales open. Pick two or three options in the price range that uses the discount most efficiently, using the table above.
- Register with the booking site and save your payment details. The discount is applied through travel agencies and booking sites, so any fumbling on the day can cost you.
- Do not book yet. Both Kumamoto and Nagasaki state that reservations made before the sales start date are not eligible. A room reserved early will not be switched to the discounted rate.
- Check the cancellation policy before you book. The discount allocation is used up when you book, and penalties for late cancellation and whether the discount is restored vary by product.
Summary
- Travel and lodging in Kyushu's 7 prefectures get a 50% discount (60% for Kumamoto and Kagoshima). Caps are ¥20,000 for one night, ¥30,000 for two or more nights with transportation, and ¥35,000 for round-trip tour packages.
- Eligibility starts with stays from October 1, 2026. Only Kagoshima Prefecture's national-funded portion runs from mid-October through the end of February 2027.
- Booking start dates differ by prefecture and booking channel. Reservation slots on the Nagasaki and Kumamoto booking sites have already stopped accepting bookings.
- Bookings made before the sales start date are not eligible. Securing a room early cannot later be switched to the discount.
- The discount is most efficient for lodging priced at ¥30,000-¥40,000 a night. The discount amount counts as occasional income, but no tax filing is needed if it stays within ¥500,000 a year.
Sources
- Japan Tourism Agency: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari official page (booking dates and eligible stays by prefecture, updated regularly; this article reflects the 18 September update)
- Fukuoka Prefecture Tourism Association: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari Fukuoka campaign (bookings from 24 September, stays 1 October to 15 December, 50% off capped at 20,000 yen)
- Kumamoto Prefecture: "Kumamoto Fukko Ouenwari" (10:00 a.m. start on 15 September, existing bookings excluded, helpline)
- Nagasaki Prefecture: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari (Jalan and Rakuten Travel advance sale from 10:00 a.m. on 15 September; direct bookings 28 September; other channels 30 September; call centre)
- Oita Prefecture: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari (about ¥1.08bn; bookings by late September)
- Kumamoto tourism site: accommodation subsidies by area (municipal top-ups; some have already closed)
- Kagoshima Prefecture: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari project (updated 17 September; reported by Travel Watch)
- Jalan: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari (status by prefecture; Kumamoto and Nagasaki are suspended)
- Rakuten Travel: Kyushu Fukko Ouenwari (first-come coupon allocations and start times)
- Japan Meteorological Agency, 2026 Kumamoto earthquake portal
- National Tax Agency, Tax Answer No. 1490: Occasional income
- Nikkei, 28 August 2026
This article is general information based on the announcement as of 28 August 2026. Booking dates and product details are set by each prefecture — always check official announcements before booking. Consult a tax office or licensed tax accountant for individual tax decisions.
