The Ministry of Environment has decided to stop free distribution of plastic shopping bags from 2020. Appropriate replacement of bags from renewable resources such as recycled materials, paper and biomass plastics will be supported. By 2030 it is aimed to have introduced biomass plastic at a level of about 2 million tons.
Nikkei Biotech news release, October 23, 2018
Japan will introduce charges for the use of plastic shopping bags from 2020