Can Tokyo Metropolitan Government Subsidies Be Used for Halal Measures? In Fiscal 2026, Prayer Rooms Are Covered, but Halal Certification Is Not Listed

Fiscal 2026 covers prayer rooms, multilingual information, and training

The “Subsidy for Improving Services for Overseas Visitors,” offered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), covers part of the cost of new initiatives by accommodation providers and restaurants in Tokyo to welcome overseas visitors. The fiscal 2026 application guide, revised on September 1, 2026, lists three areas related to serving Muslim customers.

• Creating prayer rooms (accommodation and restaurants)
• Translating menus and websites into multiple languages (subsidy rate: two-thirds)
• Training staff to welcome overseas visitors

However, the guide does not list the cost of obtaining halal certification as an eligible activity. The fiscal 2025 category “Kitchen renovations catering to Muslims, vegetarians, and others” has also been replaced in fiscal 2026 with renovations for vegetarian or vegan certification.

Some city wards offer their own assistance with certification costs. Taito City’s information, updated on April 1, 2025, says it covers half the cost of new halal certification for businesses in the ward, up to 100,000 yen. Separately from the subsidy, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also offers free visits by advisors who give businesses advice on halal dietary practices and customer service.

Based on TCVB’s application guide and grant rules, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s press releases and FAQ, and Taito City’s information, this article explains what can and cannot be used to serve Muslim customers and how to apply. TCVB’s assessment determines eligibility in the end. We checked all the sources on October 3, 2026.

How the subsidy works and which businesses can apply

Rates, limits, and application period

The subsidy covers up to half of eligible costs. Multilingual services alone qualify for up to two-thirds. The limit is 3 million yen per facility or business location.

For example, menu translation costing 300,000 yen before tax could receive up to 200,000 yen, while prayer room construction costing 2 million yen before tax could receive up to 1 million yen. The business pays the rest.

Applications run from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. Postal applications are valid if postmarked by March 31; electronic applications through jGrants must arrive by 5:00 p.m. that day. Applications close once the total amount requested reaches the budget, with notice on TCVB’s website. As of October 3, 2026, its page had no closure notice, but applications may not remain open until the end of the fiscal year.

Only initial costs for starting the activity are eligible. Operating expenses such as upkeep and maintenance after installation are excluded. Consumption tax is also excluded from eligible costs.

Restaurants must be small or medium-sized enterprises

Eligible restaurants must operate in Tokyo with a restaurant or cafe business license under the Food Sanitation Act. They must also have space where customers can eat and drink.

Restaurants must also be small or medium-sized enterprises. The guide classifies restaurants as retail businesses: they must have either capital of no more than 50 million yen or no more than 50 employees. A large company must not be substantially involved in their management; franchisees are given as an example of such involvement. If you operate as part of a chain, check this point first.

Eligible accommodation providers operate an inn, hotel, or common lodging house with a license under the Hotel Business Act. Private lodging based on a notification under the Private Lodging Business Act is excluded. Accommodation providers do not have to meet the small or medium-sized enterprise requirement.

Categories restaurants can use

The guide’s table lists eight categories restaurants can apply for.

• Multilingual services
• Listings on restaurant websites for overseas visitors
• Staff development for serving overseas visitors
• Installation of public Wi-Fi
• Introduction of cashless payment equipment
• Installation of multifunction toilets for all genders
• Improvements for welcoming overseas visitors with diverse cultures and customs
• Arrangements for overseas visitors during disasters

Of these, three relate to Muslim customers: multilingual services, staff development, and arrangements for diverse cultures and customs. Prayer room improvements fall under “Improvements for welcoming overseas visitors with diverse cultures and customs.” This category is only for accommodation and restaurants; retail shops cannot apply.

You can combine categories, such as prayer room improvements and multilingual menus, in one application. Prepare a separate proposal for each activity. The 3 million yen limit applies per facility or business location.

Requirements for prayer room improvements

The category name changed to “diverse cultures and customs”

In the fiscal 2025 guide, this category was called “Improvements for welcoming Muslims, vegetarians, and others (including prayer rooms).” Its first eligible activity was “Creating prayer rooms that take account of the prayer practices of Muslims and others.”

In fiscal 2026, the category became “Improvements for welcoming overseas visitors with diverse cultures and customs,” with the eligible activity described as “Creating prayer rooms that take account of diverse cultures and customs.” The guide uses the Japanese term kitoushitsu (祈祷室), meaning the prayer rooms discussed in this article.

Publicize in multiple languages that anyone can use the room

The fiscal 2026 guide sets conditions for prayer room improvements.

Prayer rooms must be designed for overseas visitors with diverse cultures and customs who need a quiet environment for prayer or similar purposes. You must also display and communicate in multiple languages that anyone can use them.

Muslim customers can use it for prayer, but the room must be available to anyone who needs a quiet place. You must explain this on signs in foreign languages and through your website or similar channels.

Installation and construction costs qualify; furnishings do not

Eligible costs are installation and construction. The guide limits coverage to what is essential for improvements or renovations, and excludes furnishings and equipment. If you are considering buying items such as prayer mats, check their eligibility with TCVB before applying.

Your application must include photos of the area, plans showing its location, and documents explaining the improvements.

You can accommodate prayer without creating a room

Instead of creating a permanent room, you can offer a corner or an unused private room just during prayer. Without construction, you have no need to use this subsidy. We discuss which option suits your business in How to Offer a Prayer Space at Your Place: What Even a Small Place Can Do, and What You Don’t Need to Force, based on the Japan Tourism Agency’s guide.

What Tokyo explains in its FAQ

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs discusses prayer rooms in this subsidy’s FAQ, updated on May 8, 2026. It asks why prayer rooms are eligible and how this relates to the separation of religion and state. Tokyo’s response is that the scheme supports services for overseas visitors with diverse cultures and customs, including vegetarians and vegans. It does not focus on a particular culture or custom and does not violate laws. The same page says Tokyo has no subsidy to support mosque construction.

Halal certification and kitchen renovations have changed since fiscal 2025

Comparing the fiscal 2025 and 2026 guides

The parts related to serving Muslim customers compare as follows.

Item	Fiscal 2025 guide	Fiscal 2026 guide
Prayer rooms	Creating prayer rooms that take account of the prayer practices of Muslims and others	Creating prayer rooms that take account of diverse cultures and customs; multilingual signs stating that anyone can use them
Kitchen renovations	Kitchen renovations catering to Muslims, vegetarians, and others	Kitchen renovations required for vegetarian or vegan certification (restaurants only)
Certification costs	Not included in this category	Assessment and registration fees for vegetarian or vegan certification (restaurants only)

Fiscal 2025 kitchen renovations were limited to “the requirements set by a third-party halal, vegetarian, or vegan certification body for certification.” Certification had to be obtained by the activity report stage. In fiscal 2026, renovations are limited to those needed for vegetarian or vegan certification. Applicants must submit documents showing the certification body requires the work.

Halal certification is not listed as an eligible activity

In the fiscal 2026 guide, only vegetarian or vegan certification costs are eligible. For this category, the guide says, “Only the activities below are eligible,” and halal certification is not among them. We found neither the word “halal” (ハラール) nor “Muslim” (ムスリム) anywhere in the guide or grant rules.

At the end of its list, the guide also has a category for “Other activities the president deems necessary to improve services for overseas visitors.” However, it does not say whether halal certification or kitchen renovations for halal purposes qualify. If you are considering either, contact TCVB before ordering.

Vegan certification does not replace halal certification

Even if vegan certification costs qualify, vegan dishes are not automatically halal. Vegans avoid animal-derived ingredients, but may use alcohol such as mirin (みりん) or cooking sake (料理酒). We explain the difference in If It’s Vegan, Is It Halal? What Each Avoids, and What to Check in Vegan Dishes.

Check city ward schemes for halal certification costs

Even if the metropolitan subsidy does not list halal certification costs, some city wards offer assistance. According to its information updated on April 1, 2025, Taito City has offered the “Taito City Halal Certification Assistance Scheme” since fiscal 2015. In fiscal 2021, it expanded coverage to vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and other certification.

• Eligible applicants are food businesses operating in Taito City with a license under the Food Sanitation Act. Examples include restaurants, cafes, bento shops, Japanese confectionery shops, and Western-style confectionery shops
• Half the cost of new certification, up to 100,000 yen. Purchases of furnishings and equipment, facility improvements, and consumption tax are excluded
• Costs of maintaining existing certification are excluded
• One application per business per fiscal year
• Only activities started after the grant decision qualify, so consult the city’s tourism section before starting
• Applications close when the budget runs out

The information also invites businesses to consult the city, which can provide information on certification bodies as well as procedures. Ask your local city or municipality’s tourism or industry office whether a similar scheme is available where your business is located.

If you are unsure whether to obtain certification at all, we cover cost breakdowns and ways to serve customers without it in How Much Does Halal Certification Cost? A Breakdown, and Ways to Serve Muslim Customers Without It. We checked which bodies’ certifications are recognized in Malaysia and Indonesia in Is Japanese Halal Certification Recognized in Malaysia and Indonesia? Checking Those Countries’ Official Lists.

Multilingual menus and staff training

Multilingual services must involve translation costs

Eligible multilingual costs are purchases of devices dedicated to translation and translation fees. The latter can include website coding and printed-menu layout, but costs must be itemized separately. The guide gives multilingual menus, websites, and brochures as examples.

The conditions are as follows.

• Prevent mistranslations and ensure the content is clearly conveyed, through checks by native speakers or similar measures
• English must be included
• Work without translation costs is excluded
• Work involving an extremely small amount of text is excluded
• If you already provide multilingual information, only newly added languages qualify
• Digital signage, monitors, tablets, and similar devices for displaying translated text are excluded

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s EAT TOKYO multilingual menu creation website says in its FAQ that it is free to use. If you use only free tools like this, no translation cost arises, so the work does not qualify. Paying a translation company or similar provider for translation with a native-speaker check may qualify for the two-thirds subsidy rate.

Your application must include the Japanese source text, such as a copy of the current menu, a draft design, and measures to prevent mistranslation. The guide’s examples include native-speaker checks and combining romanized names with translations of their meanings, as in “YAKISOBA -Fried noodles-.” Estimates must show translation fees by per-character rate and character count for each language.

Dish name translations alone do not tell Muslim customers whether pork or alcohol is used. What to add when translating is covered in How to Make a Multilingual Menu: Add Pork and Alcohol Information to Translated Dish Names. For writing ingredients in the Japanese source, see How to List Ingredients on Your Menu: Clear Information for Muslim Customers, Even Without Halal Certification. Preparing the source before commissioning translation also makes it easier to estimate the character count.

Training must include diverse cultures and customs

Eligible staff development costs include instructor fees, venue hire, and production of teaching materials and manuals. The guide gives training on multilingual services, hospitality, and diversity, as well as creating manuals, as examples.

Training must include ways to accommodate diverse cultures and customs. Activities aimed only at an individual’s qualification or passing a test, and fees for attending classes, are excluded. Online training must be livestreamed; correspondence courses using recordings and e-learning are excluded. If actual attendance is extremely low compared with the plan, the subsidy may not be paid. Applications must include a draft curriculum or teaching materials, instructor profiles, a participant list, and documents showing dates, times, and venues.

Training on Muslim customer service could help all staff give consistent answers to questions about pork, alcohol, and utensils. We give examples of answers in How to Answer Questions from Muslim Customers: What to Tell Them About Pork, Alcohol, and Cooking Utensils.

Free advice from Tokyo, separate from the subsidy

Separately from this subsidy, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government sends experts to visit businesses and give advice. Its September 1, 2026, press release says this service is free.

• Advice topics include “Basic knowledge of halal dietary practices and restrictions, and customer service,” “Creating multilingual menus that take account of overseas visitors’ practices and restrictions,” and “Developing vegetarian, vegan, and similar menus, and sourcing ingredients”
• Open to tourism-related businesses in Tokyo, including accommodation, restaurants, and retail shops; first 120 applicants
• Applications run from September 1, 2026, through March 12, 2027
• Available at businesses and facilities, designated venues, or online

After applying, businesses have a preliminary discussion and agree on the advice to be given. An advisor then visits, followed by feedback at the end.

The same program also holds seminars and a business matching event. The last of eight seminars, on January 12, 2027, is titled “A Practical Overview of Accommodating Overseas Visitors’ Diverse Food Cultures and Practices (Vegan, Halal, Gluten-Free, and Others).” At the October 28, 2026, matching event, businesses handling foods and ingredients suitable for vegetarian, vegan, or halal needs will display their products. Applications close on October 25.

Advisor visits offer advice suited to each business or facility’s situation and challenges. They can be a place to discuss where to start before organizing staff training.

From application to payment

Do not order before the grant decision

The order of procedures matters. The guide says no subsidy will be paid if the activity starts before the grant decision date. TCVB’s website also says purchases and installations made in advance are excluded. Wait until you receive the decision notice before signing construction contracts or ordering translations.

Assessment is based on documents, with possible site visits. It normally takes about one month once documents are complete and ready for assessment. If aiming for an opening or busy period, allow that month when applying.

The business pays costs first

The subsidy is paid after the activity is finished. The steps are as follows.

1. Submit a grant application
2. Undergo assessment and receive the grant decision notice
3. Place orders and carry out the activity
4. Submit an activity report
5. Undergo a completion inspection. TCVB visits the business for visual checks and photographs
6. The subsidy amount is finalized; submit a payment request
7. Payment is transferred to the designated account

The grant decision amount is a maximum; the final amount after inspection may be lower. You must finish the activity, including submitting the report, within one year of the decision date. Obtain approval before changing the content or cost allocation along the way. Even after receiving payment, you must report on your reception of overseas visitors one year after the activity report.

Documents and estimates

Required documents include the grant application, activity plan and proposal, and a written pledge. Companies also need a certificate of all registered historical matters, financial statements for the last two accounting periods, tax payment certificates, business licenses, and similar documents. A business management plan is also required after two consecutive periods of net losses or for a newly established business.

Estimates and comparison estimates are required regardless of the amount. Ask for quantities, unit prices, model numbers, and manufacturers instead of a single lump-sum entry. Transactions with parent companies, subsidiaries, or companies run by relatives within the representative’s third degree of kinship are excluded in principle.

Consulting costs associated with construction, translation, or similar activities can be included only when applied for together with that activity, up to 10% of eligible costs. Applications for consulting alone, management consulting, and fees for someone to apply for the subsidy on your behalf are excluded.

In principle, applicants are asked not to pay by credit card or points. Amounts paid with points or earned as points are deducted from eligible costs. Costs covered by other subsidies from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government or its policy partnership organizations do not qualify for this subsidy.

To apply electronically through jGrants, you need a gBizID Prime account. It normally takes two to three weeks to issue, so apply by post if it will not be ready in time.

For assets bought or improved through construction with the subsidy, items with a unit value of at least 500,000 yen require TCVB’s approval for disposal before the end of their useful life. Keep accounting documents for five years from the fiscal year after the activity’s completion year.

What to check before applying

Beware of offers to apply on your behalf

TCVB’s website says it does not accept applications by agents. It also warns that fraudsters have offered to apply on businesses’ behalf and taken fees, while the application itself never carries a fee. If the supplier you plan to use is found to have prepared application documents or obtained comparison estimates for you, the activity is ineligible. Prepare your own application and obtain your own estimates.

Ask before ordering if anything is unclear

For questions about applying, contact TCVB’s Kanko Sangyo Shinkobu Kanko Infura Seibika (tourism infrastructure development section, tourism industry promotion department). The phone number is 03-5579-8463, open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding weekends, public holidays, and the year-end and New Year period. The information asks suppliers, consultants, and anyone other than the applicant business to refrain from making inquiries.

Before ordering, ask this office whether things not listed in the guide, such as halal certification or prayer furnishings, qualify.

Start with what you want to do at your business

First decide what you want to do for Muslim customers. A permanent place to pray calls for prayer room improvements; communicating dish ingredients in foreign languages calls for multilingual menus; helping all staff answer questions calls for training or advisor visits. If seeking halal certification, look into schemes offered by your business’s local city or municipality rather than this metropolitan subsidy.

None of these needs to begin immediately. However, the metropolitan subsidy closes when requests reach the budget, so once you decide to use it, start preparing early.

On Halal Gohan’s business listing application, you can select and publish details about pork handling, cooking sake (料理酒) and mirin (みりん), separate utensils, prayer spaces, and other items. Listings are free.

Quotes from Japanese sources in this article are our own translations.

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Sources

Primary sources

• Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), “Subsidy for Improving Services for Overseas Visitors” (インバウンド対応力強化支援事業補助金) (in Japanese) (application period; closing when requests reach the budget; no closure notice at the time checked; activities must start after the grant decision; warnings about agent applications and fraud; contact details), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/project/infra/welcome-foreigner/
• Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), “Fiscal 2026 Subsidy for Improving Services for Overseas Visitors: Application Guide” (【令和８年度】インバウンド対応力強化支援事業補助金 申請の手引き) (in Japanese), September 1, 2026 (PDF on the page above; p. 1: eligible activities; p. 2: accommodation and restaurant requirements; p. 5: small and medium-sized enterprise requirements; p. 7: subsidy rates, limits, and tables of eligible applicants and activities; pp. 7–8: multilingual services; pp. 8–9: staff development; p. 11: improvements for welcoming overseas visitors with diverse cultures and customs; p. 12: other activities the president deems necessary; p. 13: notes for all eligible activities; p. 16: ineligible costs and credit card use; pp. 17–18: procedure; p. 19: application methods; pp. 21–22: subsidy claims and payment, asset management and disposal, and accounting document retention; pp. 23–25: documents required with the application), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/project/infra/welcome-foreigner/
• Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), “Subsidy for Improving Services for Overseas Visitors: Grant Rules” (インバウンド対応力強化支援事業補助金交付要綱) (in Japanese), adopted on March 27, 2025, partly amended on March 24, 2026 (PDF on the page above; subsidy rates and limits), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/project/infra/welcome-foreigner/
• Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), “Fiscal 2025 Subsidy for Improving Services for Overseas Visitors: Application Guide” (【令和７年度】インバウンド対応力強化支援事業補助金 申請の手引き) (in Japanese), April 1, 2025 (p. 1: eligible activities; p. 10: improvements for welcoming Muslims, vegetarians, and others), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.tcvb.or.jp/jp/project/R7_fore_tebiki_5.pdf
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs and Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB), “Fiscal 2026 Subsidy Programs for Tourism-Related Businesses” (令和8年度 観光関連事業者向け各種補助事業について) (in Japanese), March 27, 2026 (Appendix 6: support for improving services for overseas visitors), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2026/03/2026032729
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, “Support for Improving Services for Overseas Visitors: Frequently Asked Questions” (インバウンド対応力強化支援事業 よくあるご質問) (in Japanese), updated on May 8, 2026, checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tourism/kakusyu/welcome-foreigner/qa
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, “Free Advisor Support for Accommodation, Restaurants, Retail Shops, and Other Tourism-Related Businesses Welcoming Overseas Visitors with Diverse Cultures and Customs” (無料 宿泊施設・飲食店・小売店等の観光関連事業者向け 多様な文化や習慣を持つ外国人旅行者の受入れをアドバイザーが支援します) (in Japanese), September 1, 2026, checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2026/09/2026090105
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs, “Improving the Environment for Welcoming Overseas Visitors with Diverse Cultures and Customs” (多様な文化・習慣を持つ外国人旅行者受入れに関する環境整備事業) (in Japanese), updated on September 15, 2026 (advisor visits, seminars, and business matching event), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/tourism/inbound/advice
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government, “EAT TOKYO” (multilingual menu creation website), “Frequently Asked Questions” (よくある質問) (in Japanese) (usage fees), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.menu-tokyo.jp/menu/about/
• Taito City, “Information on the Taito City Assistance Scheme for Obtaining Food Diversity Certification” (「台東区食の多様性に関する認証取得助成制度」のご案内) (in Japanese), updated on April 1, 2025, and “Taito City Assistance for Obtaining Food Diversity Certification: Information” (台東区食の多様性に関する認証取得助成事業 ご案内) (PDF) (in Japanese), checked on October 3, 2026
  https://www.city.taito.lg.jp/bunka_kanko/anzentaisaku/yukyaku/tourist/20210401.html