TOKYO — Japan is considering increasing the tax burden on foreign visitors, such as by doing away with duty-free shopping and raising departure levies, as lawmakers scramble for ways to replenish government coffers without angering voters.
The ruling and opposition parties are competing to tout measures reducing the burden on households ahead of an upper house election next month. As all parties hope to avoid proposing new expenses for voters, increasing taxes on foreign visitors has emerged as an option less likely to invite backlash.
