Should I use cash or a card in Japan?

Prepare both according to your actual itinerary. JNTO says international cards are generally accepted, but some businesses still require cash. Check the specific transport, accommodation and shops you plan to use. Carry a physical payment backup and plan access to yen rather than assuming one card or phone will cover every payment.

How much cash should I prepare for Japan?

There is no single amount that fits every itinerary. List confirmed cash-only costs before your next checked opportunity to obtain yen, then choose a contingency for payments whose acceptance remains uncertain. Keep already-paid costs separate. An ATM withdrawal ceiling is not a travel budget, and this guide does not prescribe a daily cash amount.

Can I withdraw yen in Japan with a foreign card?

Seven Bank and Japan Post Bank publish services for overseas-issued cards. Check your card’s network against the operator’s current list and ask your issuer about overseas cash withdrawals, the PIN, limits and charges. A matching logo does not guarantee that your individual card will work.

Are ATMs in Japan available 24 hours?

Check both the card’s service hours and access to the specific machine. Seven Bank publishes different service windows by card brand and warns about maintenance. Japan Post Bank says hours vary by machine and installation site, with holiday exceptions. A store or airport name alone is not a 24-hour access confirmation.

How much can I withdraw at a Japanese ATM?

The operator limit and your card issuer’s limit are separate. Seven Bank publishes 100,000 yen per overseas-card withdrawal, or 30,000 yen for magnetic-stripe transactions. Japan Post Bank publishes 50,000 yen per transaction. Your own available funds, issuer restrictions and the actual machine can further limit a withdrawal.

What should I do if an ATM rejects my foreign card?

Read the message before deciding what to change. Seven Bank directs users with a PIN error to the card issuer; it suggests reducing the amount for a withdrawal-limit error. If the reason is unclear, use the issuer’s official support instructions. Do not assume another machine will resolve an issuer restriction.

Do I need to tip at restaurants in Japan?

Tipping is not customary at Japanese restaurants. Check and pay the restaurant’s actual bill rather than automatically adding a percentage. No expected tip does not mean there are no cover or service charges. Ask about the venue’s charges and payment methods before ordering; this restaurant guidance does not define the arrangements for a privately hired guide or interpreter.

Is the small appetizer at an izakaya free?

Do not assume so. GO TOKYO describes otoshi as a small appetizer served automatically before ordering, usually for a cover charge. Ask the particular restaurant what it costs and whether the charge applies to your group. Neither a universal price nor a universal right to decline the dish and charge is established here.

Before departure · Payments and cash access

Cash or card in Japan? Prepare your payments and access to yen

Prepare a physical card and a cash fallback for the places you will actually use. JNTO says international cards are generally accepted, while its cashless-payment guidance notes that some businesses still require cash. A card working at one hotel does not confirm payment at your next restaurant, bus or attraction.

Payment-preparation sources checked October 16, 2026. Confirm acceptance with each business or transport operator; this page cannot verify your card or phone.

Seven Bank and Japan Post Bank offer yen withdrawals with overseas-issued cards. Start with your issuer’s cash-withdrawal conditions, then check the ATM network, the specific location’s access hours and the amount you need. A card logo or an ATM on a map is one check, not confirmation that you can get cash for the next part of your trip.

Operator sources checked October 16, 2026. This guide covers preparation for an existing card, not a recommendation to open an account, choose a credit product or withdraw a particular amount.

Choose a payment method for each part of the first day

Accommodation, shops and meals: Check the particular business’s accepted brands and methods before relying on your card. If acceptance is unclear, ask before ordering or committing to the purchase. Do not treat a card-network sign as confirmation of phone contactless payment.
Transport tickets: Check the actual operator and ticket product. JNTO distinguishes card payment for long-distance JR tickets from some short-distance and subway payments. A bank card, a transport IC card and a purchased train ticket serve different purposes; use the Shinkansen ticket preparation checks for the seller, boarding format and collection.
A transport IC card: Check where your particular product is accepted and how you can add value before using it as a fallback. Participating transport and shops do not mean every journey or merchant. Do not assume your bank card can fund every physical or mobile IC product.
A phone wallet: Confirm the specific wallet, card and merchant combination. JNTO advises keeping cash for electronic-payment or phone problems. Keep a physical payment option accessible and prepare your phone charger and plug; a charged phone alone does not establish payment compatibility.

Build a cash fallback from your itinerary, not a universal daily amount

Mark what is already paid: separate prepaid accommodation and tickets from expenses still payable on arrival.
List confirmed cash-only costs: use the current prices and payment instructions of your actual stops before the next opportunity to obtain yen.
Mark unknown acceptance: resolve important unknowns with the business or operator, and choose your own contingency for remaining uncertainty.
Check when cash access is practical: use the issuer, network and exact-location checks below. A machine on a map is not confirmation that you can withdraw at your arrival time.

For the whole trip, use the Japan trip budget calculator to separate your own cost estimates, unpriced items and already-paid amounts. Its remaining budget is not the cash you need to carry; apply the payment-method and cash-access checks here to the actual upcoming expenses.

Write a short first-day note: what is paid → what needs payment → confirmed methods → cash-only costs and uncertainty → checked cash access and backup. The ATM ceilings below are transaction limits, not suggested spending or withdrawal amounts. Revisit the plan when the itinerary changes.

Tipping and restaurant bills in Japan

Tipping is not customary at Japanese restaurants. JNTO’s tipping guidance also distinguishes some privately hired guide or interpreter situations; it does not make a gratuity expected for your restaurant meal. Use the restaurant’s stated prices and conditions to understand the amount payable.

Restaurant-bill sources checked October 17, 2026.

A voluntary tip: Do not automatically add your home-country tipping percentage. If an amount on the bill is unclear, ask what the line represents instead of treating it as an optional tip.
Otoshi, the small dish you did not order: GO TOKYO’s dining guidance describes an appetizer served automatically before ordering, usually for a cover charge at places such as izakaya. Check the actual venue’s amount and how it applies to your group. The dish’s arrival does not tell you its price.
A seat, service or other listed charge: Read the menu or booking conditions and ask for an explanation of any separate charge. Establish its amount or calculation and whether it is already included in the displayed total. Do not substitute another restaurant’s conditions or an internet “typical price.”

Before committing: ask “Are there any charges besides the food and drinks? How are they calculated for our group?” Confirm accepted payment methods at the same time.
If the terms do not fit: clarify the available choices before ordering. Do not assume that declining an appetizer removes its charge or that every venue allows the same changes.
When the bill arrives: compare the ordered items and stated charges with what you understood. Ask staff to explain an unfamiliar line before settling it.
Where to pay: GO TOKYO advises asking whether to settle at the table or register. Follow that restaurant’s instructions; finding a card logo or having enough yen does not resolve an unclear bill.

For your meal plan, record menu prices and charges → accepted method → bill explanation → payment location. This guide cannot confirm a venue’s terms, cancellation or charge-removal policy.

Check the card before checking the nearest machine

Overseas cash access: use your issuer’s official instructions to confirm whether this exact card permits cash withdrawals in Japan. Paying for an online booking is a different use.
PIN and account: know the correct PIN and which account to select. Resolve uncertainty with the issuer before travel; do not guess from a different card.
Limits and charges: check the issuer’s cash limit, available funds and applicable overseas-withdrawal and conversion charges. Distinguish debit-account withdrawals from any credit-card cash-advance conditions.
The cash-dependent stop: confirm the payment methods of the accommodation, transport or activity you intend to use. Build a fallback into the plan rather than relying on an untested card immediately before a deadline.

Keep these checks in your own travel notes. Do not put card numbers, PINs or account details into a travel-planning website.

Choose a network, then check the actual location

Seven Bank

The operator lists ATMs at 7-Eleven stores and other sites, including some airports. Its overseas-card page lists supported networks and service windows. Some cards bearing a listed mark may still be refused. Visa and Mastercard have published 00:00–24:00 windows; other brands have different windows. Maintenance can interrupt service.

Use its ATM locator to check the particular site. Do not infer your terminal, floor or access route from the airport’s name alone.

Japan Post Bank

Its international ATM service lists overseas-card networks including Visa/PLUS, Mastercard/Maestro/Cirrus, JCB, UnionPay and Discover. Card handling and site access can restrict use even within a published service window. Hours vary by machine; holiday and installation-site conditions can change them.

Use the official post-office and ATM search to inspect the location. Finding a post office does not establish that its ATM is accessible at your arrival time.

Record two locations if cash is essential: a planned machine and a practical alternative whose access you have also checked. A locator does not show that either machine will accept your card, have cash available or be free of a queue.

Separate the amount, operator fee and issuer charges

Seven Bank publishes a per-withdrawal ceiling of 100,000 yen for overseas cards, or 30,000 yen for magnetic-stripe transactions. Its operator fees vary by card brand. Japan Post Bank publishes 50,000 yen per transaction; a 220-yen ATM fee may apply to certain overseas cards, and an issuer fee may apply separately. These are operator conditions, not your personal cash limit or a suggested withdrawal budget.

Check the machine’s displayed terms and your issuer’s charges before confirming. Neither a familiar network logo nor a higher withdrawal ceiling establishes the lowest total cost for your card.

Seven Bank’s usage and currency-conversion guide describes a currency choice for eligible Visa and Mastercard transactions: selecting the home currency fixes that billing amount at the ATM; selecting Japanese yen leaves the home-currency amount to be fixed at later billing. Compare the actual offered terms with your issuer’s conditions. This guide does not promise a particular exchange rate or saving.

Use the error message to choose the next step

PIN error: Stop guessing. Seven Bank’s published instruction is to contact the card issuer.
Withdrawal amount exceeds a limit: Seven Bank suggests reducing the requested amount. That does not remove an issuer limit or establish that a second attempt will succeed.
Out of service or site inaccessible: Check another location’s current access and service information. Allow the extra journey before committing to a cash-dependent stop.
Card refused with no clear explanation: Review the operator’s network list and your issuer’s instructions. A supported mark is not a diagnosis. Do not conclude that the card is broken or that every Japanese ATM will reject it.

Seven Bank’s illustrated Visa example goes through language, withdrawal, account, PIN, yen amount and a currency choice. Follow the actual machine’s instructions; it is not a universal screen sequence for every operator or card. At completion, collect the card, cash and receipt.

Fit cash preparation into the complete arrival journey

Identify the first expense that actually requires cash, then check where you could withdraw it during opening hours. Keep time for finding the machine, a possible failure and the journey onward; this guide cannot set a safe connection buffer from a flight landing time.

Prepare arrival documents and the correct traveler’s QR code separately. For a rail commitment, check the seller, ticket format and pickup requirements; cash access does not make an unresolved train ticket ready to board. Keep the phone you need usable with the Japan charger and plug checklist.

For your own checklist, write: issuer conditions → network → exact location and access → amount and charges → fallback → next commitment. Resolve unknowns before treating a cash-dependent booking as a workable arrival plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use cash or a card in Japan?: Prepare both according to your actual itinerary. JNTO says international cards are generally accepted, but some businesses still require cash. Check the specific transport, accommodation and shops you plan to use. Carry a physical payment backup and plan access to yen rather than assuming one card or phone will cover every payment.
How much cash should I prepare for Japan?: There is no single amount that fits every itinerary. List confirmed cash-only costs before your next checked opportunity to obtain yen, then choose a contingency for payments whose acceptance remains uncertain. Keep already-paid costs separate. An ATM withdrawal ceiling is not a travel budget, and this guide does not prescribe a daily cash amount.
Can I withdraw yen in Japan with a foreign card?: Seven Bank and Japan Post Bank publish services for overseas-issued cards. Check your card’s network against the operator’s current list and ask your issuer about overseas cash withdrawals, the PIN, limits and charges. A matching logo does not guarantee that your individual card will work.
Are ATMs in Japan available 24 hours?: Check both the card’s service hours and access to the specific machine. Seven Bank publishes different service windows by card brand and warns about maintenance. Japan Post Bank says hours vary by machine and installation site, with holiday exceptions. A store or airport name alone is not a 24-hour access confirmation.
How much can I withdraw at a Japanese ATM?: The operator limit and your card issuer’s limit are separate. Seven Bank publishes 100,000 yen per overseas-card withdrawal, or 30,000 yen for magnetic-stripe transactions. Japan Post Bank publishes 50,000 yen per transaction. Your own available funds, issuer restrictions and the actual machine can further limit a withdrawal.
What should I do if an ATM rejects my foreign card?: Read the message before deciding what to change. Seven Bank directs users with a PIN error to the card issuer; it suggests reducing the amount for a withdrawal-limit error. If the reason is unclear, use the issuer’s official support instructions. Do not assume another machine will resolve an issuer restriction.
Do I need to tip at restaurants in Japan?: Tipping is not customary at Japanese restaurants. Check and pay the restaurant’s actual bill rather than automatically adding a percentage. No expected tip does not mean there are no cover or service charges. Ask about the venue’s charges and payment methods before ordering; this restaurant guidance does not define the arrangements for a privately hired guide or interpreter.
Is the small appetizer at an izakaya free?: Do not assume so. GO TOKYO describes otoshi as a small appetizer served automatically before ordering, usually for a cover charge. Ask the particular restaurant what it costs and whether the charge applies to your group. Neither a universal price nor a universal right to decline the dish and charge is established here.