Checked on 20 September 2026 against the statute text in Japan’s official e-Gov law database, the Immigration Services Agency’s guidance page, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Chiba Prefectural Police pages for foreign nationals. Fine amounts are set by law and can be revised, so glance at the e-Gov text if you’re reading this long after the date above.

The rule is easy to satisfy: put your passport in a zipped inside pocket or bag before you leave the hotel each day, and you’ve done everything the law asks. Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act requires foreign nationals in the country to carry their passport at all times, and that includes tourists on a short stay. This guide covers what Article 23 says, who’s exempt, what happens if you don’t have it on you, and a few ways to carry it without worrying about losing it.

The law says “at all times” and it covers tourists

Article 23, paragraph 1 says foreign nationals staying in Japan must carry their passport at all times. The Immigration Services Agency’s guidance page explains the reasoning: a visitor’s passport carries the landing permission and its conditions, so an officer can check on the spot that someone’s stay is lawful. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police gives the same answer to the question “Do I always have to carry my passport or residence card?” in one word: yes, whenever you go out. The Chiba Prefectural Police puts it more bluntly, saying the obligation applies “even if you’re a tourist.”

There are three groups the rule doesn’t apply to in the ordinary way. Residents on medium- to long-term stays carry their residence card instead of a passport. Special permanent residents don’t have to carry a passport, according to the Immigration Services Agency. And under paragraph 5, children under 16 don’t have to carry either document.

Officers can ask to see it, and they must show their own ID first if you ask

Paragraph 3 requires you to show your passport when immigration inspectors, immigration guards, police officers, coast guard officers or certain other officials ask for it while carrying out their duties. Paragraph 4 puts an obligation on them too: an official who asks must carry an identity certificate and show it if you request it. So if an officer asks for your passport, handing it over calmly satisfies the law, and asking to see their ID in return is your right, not rudeness.

Not carrying it, or refusing to show it, carries a fine of up to ¥100,000

Article 76 sets the penalty: a fine of up to ¥100,000 for violating paragraph 1 (not carrying the passport) or for refusing to show it when asked under paragraph 3. The Chiba police page states the same maximum. The ISA page notes that violations are criminal offenses, not just administrative ones. That’s a good reason not to treat the rule as optional.

The fix costs nothing: carry it. The statute names the passport itself (or, for a few special categories of stay, a specific permit). Neither the Immigration Services Agency nor the police pages describe a photocopy or a phone photo as an accepted substitute, so plan on carrying the real booklet.

Carrying it safely is easier than it sounds

The worry most visitors have is losing the passport, and it’s reasonable. A few habits handle it:

• Use a zipped inside pocket, a neck pouch or a money belt rather than a back pocket or the outer pocket of a backpack.
• Keep the passport separate from your cash and cards, so one lost bag doesn’t take everything.
• Put a photo of the photo page and your entry stamp on your phone as a backup. It won’t replace the passport for a police check, but it makes replacement paperwork far quicker if the passport goes missing.
• If it does go missing, file a police report first and then contact your embassy or consulate to apply for a replacement or an emergency travel document.

The rule exists so that officers can confirm a visitor’s status on the spot, and if the passport is in your pocket, a check takes only a minute.

How Travel AI Rescue helps

Travel AI Rescue keeps Japan’s police (110), ambulance (119) and embassy numbers one tap away with the country code already attached, so you don’t have to hunt for them if a passport goes missing. It can show a Japanese-language card saying “I’ve lost my passport” or “I need an interpreter,” so station staff or a police officer understand you immediately. Most of all, the AI drafts a summary of what happened on the spot for your embassy or insurer, and if you save your passport number on the device, you can pull it up even with no signal. It also runs an offline diagnosis if your SIM won’t connect. It works differently from a staffed help desk, but it’s on 24 hours a day and answers right away, and it helps you reach the right people quickly. (Police checks and passport rules are set and applied by Japanese authorities.)

Sources

• e-Gov Law Search, “出入国管理及び難民認定法” (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act), Article 23 (carrying and presentation of passports) and Article 76 (penalties). https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 (accessed 20 September 2026; text retrieved through the e-Gov law API, revision in force from 14 June 2026).
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “旅券等の携帯（入管法第23条）”. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/ryoken_00001.html (accessed 20 September 2026).
• Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, “Do I always have to carry my passport or residence card with me?” (Living Guide Q&A, updated 1 April 2022). https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/finding_services/living_guide/living_guide_e_4.html (accessed 20 September 2026).
• Chiba Prefectural Police, “To Foreign Nationals: Obligation to carry proof of identification”. https://www.police.pref.chiba.jp/english/to_foreigners03.html (accessed 20 September 2026).