A post on China's SNS, Xiaohongshu (RED), stating 'I was made to pay a fine upon entering Japan,' has garnered a significant reaction.

According to the poster, after arriving at Kansai International Airport, they purchased 2 cartons of cigarettes at a duty-free shop (located after immigration control) and 'properly declared' them, but were stopped at customs. They were informed by an official that currently only 1 carton per person can be brought into Japan, and consequently, they were taxed 3,000 yen.

The poster wrote, 'Honestly, until now, I understood that I could bring in up to 2 cartons when entering the country, and I had actually been bringing in 2 cartons all along. Many people queuing to buy cigarettes at the airport's duty-free shop were also purchasing 2 cartons or more.'

They added, 'This time, declaring honestly ended up costing me money, which feels a bit unfair. It seems that Japan's tobacco import regulations are stricter than before, so in the future, I'll have to check the latest rules in advance, or I'll easily get caught.' They also uploaded photos of the cigarettes they purchased and a copy of the tax payment receipt.

It should be noted that the duty-free allowance for cigarettes when entering Japan has been limited to 1 carton per person since October 1, 2021.

Chinese netizens commented with remarks such as: 'This duty-free shop is a complete "trap," isn't it? Many people are getting caught in the same way.' 'I bring in 2 cartons every time. When did the rules change?' 'My husband too. He thought he could bring in 2 cartons, but his luggage was opened at customs and he got fined.' 'My boyfriend is Japanese, but he buys 4 cartons every time and brings them into Japan. He's never been caught and doesn't declare them.' 'If there's someone in your travel party who hasn't bought any, you can just say "I'm with that person" and it'll be fine.'

Additionally, comments such as these were received: 'Rather than a "fine," it's probably just the tax that should be paid.' 'It's been quite some time since the limit for bringing cigarettes into Japan became 1 carton per person. Just because many people bring them in silently doesn't mean that's the rule.' 'You can only bring in up to 1 carton per person when entering Japan. I think there's a notice when you buy at duty-free. You're free to buy as many cartons as you want, but only one carton is duty-free.' (Translation/Editing by Kitada)