Japan Tax Free

Japan Tax Free (日本免税, Nihon Menzei) is a Tokyo company, founded in October 2023, that runs JapanRefund, a tax refund service for visitors to Japan.

What it is

Japan changed its tax-free shopping rules for purchases from November 1, 2026. Visitors now pay the tax-inclusive price, and the tax is refunded after customs confirms the goods left the country. Refund operators such as Japan Tax Free handle that payout for shops.

Products & Initiatives

In October 2026 the company said visitors using JapanRefund could choose JPYC (/tags/jpyc), a yen stablecoin, as their refund payout from November 1, with transfers on Avalanche's C-Chain. It says the payout follows customs confirmation and its own matching and processing.

Partnerships

Japan Tax Free and JPYC Inc. announced a business alliance on March 3, 2026 to build a stablecoin refund model. UPBOND (/tags/upbond) provides the wallet infrastructure for the service.

Why it matters on Avalanche

This is a traditional consumer service choosing Avalanche for payouts. The company's releases say the choice follows its own model and does not mean any government has adopted or endorsed the service.

Government position

The disclaimer in Japan Tax Free's October 2026 release concerns a policy discussion it cites, including a reported remark at an October 21 House of Representatives committee on stablecoins in tax refunds. The company says that discussion does not mean government adoption or endorsement of this service. It is not a statement about why the company chose Avalanche. Use this wording over the closing sentence of the section above.