Should I bring cash to Japan?

The likelihood that credit cards are accepted decreases in small cities and towns, and thus it is advisable to keep cash at hand when visiting rural areas. Cash is often the only way to pay for small entrance fees at tourist sights, smaller restaurants and small shops. Many lockers also require coins.



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Luckily, it's a very safe country (one of our favorite things about Japan), and the biggest risk is probably losing or misplacing your cash. Regardless, of course, be smart and take reasonable precautions if carrying large sums of money.

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Overall, a budget traveler can expect to spend around $50 to $100 per day in Japan, while a mid-range traveler can expect to spend around $150 to $250 per day. It's important to plan ahead and research activities and costs to create a budget that works for you.

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Depends on how long, from where, and what comfort level you want to be in when going there. $5000 is more than enough for one person for at comfortable two-week trip after an economy airfare from the USA and economy to mid-range hotel reservations are arranged in advance.

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Though use of credit cards and e-currency has increased in recent years, Japan is still largely a cash-based society. The national currency of Japan is the Japanese Yen (¥). It's best to get some cash converted before you leave home so you have change handy to catch the train to your destination once you arrive.

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For our tours, we usually recommend $60 USD per person per day for spending money in Japan, and that'll cover meals, entertainment, and light souvenir shopping. If you're not on our tour, we recommend a little bit more per day to cover things like entrance fees.

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Bills come in denominations of 10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000 yen, and coins come in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 yen. Even though Japan is considered a very safe place for travelers, it is still a good idea to use a money belt or similar travel pouch.

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That's certainly a comfortable budget as long as you aren't expecting to eat many fancy meals or do a lot of drinking or clubbing. You can probably save some money with strategic use of transit passes (see summaries on Japan Guide or elsewhere). You should look into the Grutto Pass.

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