I’m an experienced international traveller but never been to Japan. I hope I gave my friend’s sister the correct advice to use her ATM card at an ATM to get Yen in Japan to get the best currency conversion. That seems to be the best way in every developed country. The bank has been notified about being out of the country.
Is Japan a country where you can use a credit card for most charges or is cash still commonly used?
Thanks for your help, I wish it was me going rather than her.
Your advice was sound. Her debit card will work just fine at any ATM ... preferably a bank ATM for the same reasons always touted on this forum for European destinations.
Japan has become a largely cashless society, so the need for hard cash will be minimal.
The best (i.e. most dependable) place to get cash from an ATM in Japan is at a 7-11 convenience store which are open 24/7. No fees charged by these ATMs. Also, many friends have had good success with Post Office ATMs as well but these are limited to the business hours of the post office as they are inside the lobby. Both use the Interbank exchange rate in effect at that point in time so will always be the best you can get.
I know, that is in direct opposite logic to everything normally posted here, but Japanese banking laws are weird and most bank ATMs only allow customers of that bank to get money. The 7-11 and Post Office ATMs do belong to banks.
In addition to 7-11 another good convenience store in Japan with ATMs that we used is Lawson’s.
We are in Japan right now and, aside from a little rice ball kiosk we ate at yesterday, we have been able to use a credit card everywhere.
