Money & phone
Money & ATMs
Cards and phone payments are spreading fast, but cash is still needed — at small restaurants, shrines, rural buses and many taxis. Carry some yen every day.
Photo: Nori Norisa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Keep some cash
Step by step
Carry enough cash for a meal and a taxi.
Use it at shrines and temples (offerings, goshuin, charms), small family restaurants and markets.
Use a coin purse — you'll collect a lot of coins.
Common mistakes
- Trying to pay in foreign currency — shops only take yen.
Getting cash from an ATM
Step by step
Go to a Seven Bank ATM (in most 7-Eleven stores) or a Japan Post Bank ATM.
Insert your card and choose English.
Enter your PIN and the amount. Any fee is shown before you confirm.
Take your card and cash — some machines return the card last.
Common mistakes
- Planning to withdraw cash late at night in the countryside — some ATMs aren't 24-hour.
Changing money
Step by step
Airports have exchange counters that are open when flights arrive.
In cities, use bank and exchange counters, or simply withdraw yen at a Seven Bank or Japan Post Bank ATM.
Compare the rate and any fee shown before you hand over cash.
Common mistakes
- Waiting to change money until you reach a small town — counters are rare outside cities.
Notes and coins
Notes come in 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen (2,000 yen is rare). Coins are 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen. New designs of notes came out in July 2024; the old ones are still valid.
Common mistakes
- Thinking an old-design note is fake — both designs are in use.
Cards, IC cards and QR
Step by step
Look for card logos at the door or register.
IC cards like Suica work at convenience stores and many shops and vending machines.
If you're not sure, ask before ordering using the line below.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a QR payment app from home will work — check the logos at the register.
Find one near you
Opens your map app and searches around where you are. The Japanese is there to show someone if you need directions.
- Seven Bank ATMMostly inside 7-Eleven · overseas cards
セブン銀行 ATMSebun Ginkō ētiiemu
- Japan Post Bank ATMAt post offices · overseas cards
ゆうちょ銀行 ATMYūcho Ginkō ētiiemu
Sources
Sources (checked 2026-11-04). Facts, numbers and prices on this page come from these official pages.
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)Japan Currency Exchange(opens in a new tab)JNTO: money and currency exchange in Japan
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)Japan Travel Planning(opens in a new tab)JNTO: official Japan travel planning pages