Trip prep
Everything worth knowing before you go to Japan. Rules and perks can change, so double-check official sources before you leave.
Money
Cards are widely accepted in Japan, but quite a few places still take cash only.
How much cash vs. card?
Mostly cities
Lots of countryside or festivals
- Japan's cashless payment ratio was about 58% in 2025 (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry). Convenience stores, department stores and chains in cities almost all take cards.
- Where you'll need cash: small restaurants and ramen ticket machines, shrine and temple fees and charms, festival stalls, rural buses, and some ryokan and traditional shops.
- Carry around 10,000–20,000 yen in cash a day and top up at a convenience-store ATM when you run low.
- You'll collect lots of coins, so a coin purse helps. Use them to top up your IC card or at vending machines.
Exchange and ATMs
- Change money to yen before you leave or load it onto a travel card. Exchange counters at Japanese airports and in town usually give worse rates.
- Seven Bank ATMs inside 7-Eleven accept foreign cards and have a Korean-language screen. AEON Bank ATMs are also widely used.
- When paying, choose yen (JPY), not your home currency. Paying in your own currency adds about 3–8% in fees.
- Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere, and Japan's own JCB is especially well accepted.
Mobile pay and transit
- Japanese QR payments like PayPay are common, and shops showing the Alipay+ logo accept many overseas wallet apps.
- Some subways and buses let you tap a contactless card at the gate, but many lines don't yet, so an IC transit card is handier.
As of October 2026