Money in Japan: cash, cards, ATMs and tipping
What holds for the whole country, in one place: where a card is enough and where it is not, which ATM takes a foreign card and what it charges, whether to tip, and the taxes nobody mentions until the bill.
The currency is the Japanese Yen (JPY). $1 ≈ ¥158 · rate of October 6, 2026
Where a card is enough
Only the places a source speaks about. Where it says nothing, neither do we.
| Where | How you pay |
|---|---|
| Major hotels | Card From the source |
| Department stores and shopping centres | Card From the source |
| Restaurants in cities | Card From the source |
| Convenience stores | Card From the source |
| Trains and subway, short rides | Card or cash, it depends From the source |
| Ticket machines | Cash From the source |
| Rural areas | Cash From the source |
| A phone wallet from home (Apple Pay, Google Pay) | Works in some places, not all From the source |
In 2025, 58% of consumer spending in the country was not paid in cash.
From the source means we read it where it is set: the operator, the bank, the city or the statistics office. Reported means a guide or the press says so and we have not seen the original. Where sources disagree we show both figures and leave the price out of every sum.
ATMs that take foreign cards
| ATM | What the ATM charges | Limit per withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| Seven Bank | ¥110 up to ¥10,000 · ¥220 above that Reported | ¥100,000 ¥30,000 with a magnetic-stripe card |
| Japan Post Bank | ¥220 per withdrawal From the source | ¥50,000 |
This is what the machine charges. What your own bank charges for withdrawing abroad or converting currency comes on top, and this page cannot know it.
At the ATM, choose the local currency
Continue in JPY
Your bank converts, at your card's rate. Almost always the right choice.
Continue in your own currency
The ATM converts, at its own rate with its own margin. It looks convenient because you see a familiar amount.
The same question appears on card terminals in shops. The exception is rare: accepting only pays if your bank charges more for converting than the margin you are shown.
Where to change money
The cheapest route is usually an ATM and a card that does not charge for converting; whether yours does is up to your bank. These are the places that change cash.
- Airports
- Banks
- Exchange counters
- Some hotels
Many bank branches close at 3 p.m.
Tipping
| Restaurants | Not customary |
|---|---|
| Bars and cafés | Not customary |
| Hotels | Not customary |
| Taxis | Not customary |
| Private guides | Optional |
Taxes and charges
- Consumption tax: 10%, and 8% on food and non-alcoholic drink that is not eaten in.
- Departure tax: ¥3,000 per person since July 1, 2026. It is already in the ticket.
- Lodging tax varies from city to city: each city page has its own rule.
Rules that change on a known date
Tax-free shopping becomes a refund
Until the day before, the discount is applied at the till. From November 1, 2026 you pay the full price and the tax is refunded at the airport, before check-in. Keep the receipts.
What each city costs
Per person per day, mid-range, for two travelling together. Without accommodation, flights or the airport transfer, so the cities can be compared.
| City | Per person per day |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | ¥8,500 – ¥12,000 |
| Kyoto | ¥8,400 – ¥11,000 |
| Sapporo | ¥7,300 – ¥10,000 |
| Osaka | ¥8,000 – ¥11,000 |
| Hiroshima | ¥7,400 – ¥11,000 |
| Nara | ¥8,100 – ¥11,000 |
If something goes wrong
The numbers and where to go, as the official source publishes them.
- Police
- 110
- Fire and ambulance
- 119
- Help for travellers
- Japan Visitor Hotline: 050-3816-2787 (from abroad, +81-50-3816-2787) · 24 hours a day · in English, Chinese, and Korean
- Lost property
- At the nearest neighbourhood police box (koban). If you don't know where one is, ask.
What applies to any trip: before you go, and if you lose your card
SourcesWhere every figure comes from
Every fact on this page carries its source. Reviewed: October 2026.
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Cashless Payments in Japan
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Credit Cards in Japan
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) · 2025年のキャッシュレス決済比率を算出しました
- Seven Bank · Overseas Cards Usable at ATMs
- A Social Nomad · Japan ATMs: Fees, Charges and How to Save Money
- Japan Post Bank, International ATM Service
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Japan Currency Exchange
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Tipping in Japan
- National Tax Agency · Consumption Tax
- National Tax Agency · No.7195 国際観光旅客税のあらまし
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Everything You Need to Know: Japan's New Tax-Free Shopping System
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Japan Visitor Hotline
- Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) · Staying Safe in Japan
- European Central Bank, euro foreign exchange reference rates
This page tells you how much to take. The app keeps count of what you spend.
Joru works out the budget of your itinerary day by day and sets it against what you actually spend, by category and with the exchange rate. On your phone, with no account.
Free for one destination of up to three days, on Android and iPhone.