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Cash/Credit Cards/ATMs in Japan?

post #1 of 26
6/23/10 at 11:13pm
Thread Starter 
I read somewhere that there are almost no ATMs (for foreigners) in Japan and almost no one accepts credit cards. Is this true? I took out a good amount of travelers checks just in case, but I want to know if I should bring some extra cash, just in case. I usually just hit up the ATMs when I'm abroad. It's easier and the rates are usually fine. If I bring money to change, I almost never change my currency in the airport, unless I'm in a country where the rates can be very good. Any recommendations about where to change the money? I'll be in Sapporo with a stopover to change planes in Tokyo for a month long trip.
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post #2 of 26
6/23/10 at 11:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by musicguy View Post
I read somewhere that there are almost no ATMs (for foreigners) in Japan and almost no one accepts credit cards. Is this true? I took out a good amount of travelers checks just in case, but I want to know if I should bring some extra cash, just in case. I usually just hit up the ATMs when I'm abroad. It's easier and the rates are usually fine. If I bring money to change, I almost never change my currency in the airport, unless I'm in a country where the rates can be very good. Any recommendations about where to change the money? I'll be in Sapporo with a stopover to change planes in Tokyo for a month long trip.

We actually didnt have too much trouble with this. At the major department stores (Isetan Men's in Tokyo and Hankyu Men's in Osaka), I was able to use my credit cards for major purchases. Remember to notify your bank before you leave, or your card will be stopped for fraud until you clear it up. As far as getting yen, of course you can get it at the airport. We also had luck getting some at a bank and I believe at a post office as well. Unfortunately I can't recall which ones they were specifically. There definitely didnt seem to be ATMs on the corner. But if you know anyone there, they should be able to point you to a bank that will have an ATM that will let you pull out Japanese currency. It might make sense to pull out as much as you think you might need for a few days, to save you from making return trips. Have fun!
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post #3 of 26
6/23/10 at 11:57pm
It's not a huge deal in Tokyo. Outside of major cities it can be nearly impossible to use credit cards/ATM's in Japan.

In Tokyo, not really that hard. ATM in most post offices. ATM's in 7-11. Citibank in most shopping areas, they take a lot of ATM cards, depending on the network. Etc.

Now, you may need help FINDING these places, but there are quite a few of them. Go up to the mountains on a day trip, or surfing down the coast or whatever, take cash and plenty of it.
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post #4 of 26
6/24/10 at 4:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim View Post
It's not a huge deal in Tokyo. Outside of major cities it can be nearly impossible to use credit cards/ATM's in Japan.

+1

No idea about outside Tokyo but I had no problems using my AMEX and Visa at all the stores (quite a few menswear stores too!) that I went to.
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post #5 of 26
6/24/10 at 9:15am
You shouldn't have any problem using your credit cards in Japan - however, if you want to withdraw money with your ATM card, check to see whether you have one of the major networks/affiliates like Cirrus etc. If so, you can use any CITIBANK ATM http://www.citibank.co.jp/en/banking...atm/index.html or any JapanPost ATM (which are everywhere including the deep dark countryside ) http://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/en/i...ias_index.html (the only challenge will be navigating the confusing Japanese-English instructions ... you need to select "Others", then "Cooperation" and then "Withdrawal"... look for the signs: Also, you can use the ATMs in most 7-11's:
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post #6 of 26
6/24/10 at 12:10pm
I had a bank account when I lived there, but my American friends visiting never had a problem getting cash advances. Frankly, if you are not a Japanese speaker, you might rather do that in a small town than try to get a traveller's check cashed. Some of the ATMs will be Japanese only (even in a larger town like Hamamatsu), but not many.

I always used cash or an American-issued charge card---mostly cash because it was safe to carry large amounts and generally easier. I do recall that either Visa or MC was significantly preferred to the other, but I can't remember which right now. I think it was MC.
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post #7 of 26
6/24/10 at 1:36pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for all the great information everyone!
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post #8 of 26
6/24/10 at 8:38pm
Goddammit Japan is so annoying with this shit. Like someone said, look for the Post Office ATM. It doesn't help that as soon as you run out of money, every vendor only accepts cash, and there is no international ATM literally for a mile.
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post #9 of 26
6/24/10 at 9:06pm
I don't understand why some insist on using charge cards in a culture that uses cash even for very large transactions.
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post #10 of 26
6/25/10 at 5:00am
^^^^Culture Clash.
In the US everyone looks at me like I am the asshole for using cash everywhere and its much much less convenient these days.

As for the ATMs, at the Post when you insert your foreign card it should pop up with only one option (foreign withdrawal) , so even if its in only Japanese you will probably be fine.
Also do note that ATMs are all closed at night, so before you go out on a night on the town, be sure to have plenty of cash on hand. Also watch your ass if you go to Roppongi, lots of tourists (and the occasional dumb English teacher/student) get roofied and have their bank accounts drained/ credit cards maxed by "nice Eastern European Women"
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post #11 of 26
6/26/10 at 2:44am
Never trust white people in Japan.
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post #12 of 26
6/26/10 at 7:45am
This used to be a big problem - whilst you could use foreign credit cards (at least Visa and Mastercard) without any problems in Japan, there were literally about two ATMs in Tokyo that would accept overseas ATM cards back in the mid-1990s. If you wanted to withdraw cash, you had to go to a large branch of one of the larger banks, go to the international transactions desk (which was usually upstairs), present your passport and card, fill out a form in triplicate, and then wait for about 15 minutes whilst your documents were spirited away to a backroom. If you had traveller's cheques, you had to take them to a bank or to a large post office to cash them, so they were pretty pointless. Now, as has been noted above, most 7-11s have ATMs that accept foreign cards and so it is much, much easier to withdraw money when out and about. EFTPOS (paying by card but using savings or cheque account rather than credit) is still uncommon, though, and the vast majority of purchases (barring large ones) are still made in cash. It's not at all unusual for people to walk around with a few hundred dollars in cash all the time, as although mobile phones and other cashless payment techniques are gaining ground, cash is still king in Japan.
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post #13 of 26
6/26/10 at 11:49am
Are people in Japan not afraid of getting robbed?
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post #14 of 26
6/26/10 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSuturesALot View Post
Are people in Japan not afraid of getting robbed?

No.
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post #15 of 26
6/26/10 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSuturesALot View Post
Are people in Japan not afraid of getting robbed?

Japan is the safest, most honest society I have ever experienced.
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