Let me get a show of hands, who likes paying taxes? ... Nobody? I'll give bonus points to those non-Japanese taxpayers who live in Japan but have no say whatsoever in how the money collected will be spent. ... I think I see a lady at the back raising her hand. ... No? Oh dear, madame, that's an unnecessary gesture.
People generally don't like to pay tax. Nevertheless, we begrudgingly accept that a central authority gathers money to pay for such socially beneficial things as fire engines, ambulances and an immigration bureau in the only spot in Tokyo that's not near a train station.
Starting on Oct. 1, Japan's consumption tax was raised from 8 percent to 10 percent (in some cases) except for food and drink (the definition of food and drink does not include alcoholic beverages) but including prepared food in a restaurant (but not including prepared food bought in a restaurant, but eaten elsewhere) with the proviso that goods paid for through non-cash payments will actually see an effective reduction in the tax rate from 8 percent to 5 percent, due to a rebate for such transactions (sometimes) in some places (time-limited) subject to variability. Clear enough?