Japan / Money rules

Japan money rules

Eight things worth remembering while you are there, each linking to the fuller explanation.

Open it, then press and hold to keep it in your photos. Works with no signal.

1. 1Most bank machines here will refuse your cardThe ordinary high street banks simply hand a foreign card back, which is a bad thing to discover at nine at night. The ones that reliably work are the convenience store machines and Japan Post. Plan your cash around them.Getting yen that actually works
2. 2Cashless in the cities, cash at the old placesTapping covers Tokyo and Osaka more than its reputation suggests. What still wants coins and notes are the shrines, the small family places, the markets and the vending machines, which is a lot of what you came for.Where cards work in Japan
3. 3An IC card is the best thing you set up all tripSuica, Pasmo or ICOCA gets you through every gate without buying a ticket, and then pays for the convenience store and the vending machine too. Load it on arrival and stop thinking about small change.Setting up an IC card
4. 4Do not tip. Say something insteadGood service is the professional standard here, not something you buy on top, and money left on a table can read as an insult. Gochisousama deshita on your way out does the job a tip is meant to do.Why nobody tips in Japan
5. 5Say yen every time a screen offers you dollarsTerminals and cash machines both ask, and saying yes is dynamic currency conversion, a poor rate dressed up as a courtesy. Choose yen and your own bank does the maths for far less.Declining the dollar conversion
6. 6Visa-free for 90 days, but carry the proofNothing to apply for and nothing to pay. There is still a conversation: immigration can ask for your onward ticket, your first night address and evidence you can fund the trip. People have been refused for having none.Entering Japan as a US citizen
7. 7GO is the taxi app, and Uber sends a real taxiInstall GO first, it has the widest coverage. Uber works but dispatches a licensed cab rather than a private car, so the cheap ride you know from home does not exist here. Do not touch the rear door, the driver opens it.Taxis and apps in Japan
8. 8From the airport, the train wins on every countA cab from Narita into central Tokyo costs many times the train and is not much faster. The Narita Express and the Keisei Skyliner both reach the city in under an hour. Take a taxi only for heavy bags or a group.Getting in from the airport

These are the rules that do not really change, which is why they are worth carrying. Exact fees, rates and prices do move, so check the Japan guide for anything current before you rely on a number.

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