Currency and Budgeting

The Japanese currency is the yen. Coins are denominated in 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 yen coins. Bills are denominated in 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10,000 yen values.

Japan is still very much a cash-based society, though credit cards may be accepted at larger department stores, western hotels, and larger stores, restaurants and by some taxis. However, credit card use is not pervasive and many smaller establishments still accept cash only. It is not uncommon to carry large amounts of cash in Japan but it is recommended that you exercise caution and attention to your valuables.

Not all ATMs will accept foreign bank cards. Be sure to notify your bank card and credit card providers that you will be travelling abroad to avoid an inconvenient freeze on your card. Those with the best coverage are those operated by JP Bank – the Japan Post Office bank – as well as Seven Bank machines, which are found in 7/11 convenience stores. More convenience store chains are implementing services so that foreign cards can be used in their ATMs. When travelling outside of the cities and in rural areas, do make sure you are travelling with a good supply of cash as such ATMs are not as prevalent in the countryside.

If you are concerned about travelling with cash, you can travel with travellers cheques, but we recommend you exchange these at the airport for the fastest service. Be sure to use a bank branch outpost. Rates are posted at exchange points so you can compare suppliers. If you have to change travellers cheques in a bank in a city it can be a long and laborious process, taking upwards of 30 minutes.