Two contradictory myths about money in Japan are still floating around the travel-blog ecosystem in 2026. One says "Japan is cash-only, bring a brick of yen." The other says "Apple Pay everywhere, no cash needed." Neither is right anymore. The actual answer is duller and more useful: a small wad of cash, two cards (preferably one Visa/MC and one JCB), and a topped-up Suica. That stack handles 99% of trips without thinking.
Cards have eaten most of Japan since 2024, but cash still wins in three places: small temples and shrines (the saisen-bako offering box), neighbourhood izakayas with handwritten menus, and rural buses. ¥30,000–50,000 in mixed ¥1,000 and ¥5,000 notes covers a two-week trip's edge cases without you ever needing an ATM after the first one.
Sweet spot: ¥30k in 1,000-yen notes plus a small Suica balance handles 95% of friction.
Tip: Withdraw at a 7-Eleven Seven Bank ATM in the airport arrivals hall. Foreign Visa/Mastercard/Maestro work reliably; the language picker has English on the first screen. Skip the airport currency exchange — the spread is awful.
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Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere now
Big chains, hotels, restaurants in tourist districts, supermarkets, konbinis: tap or insert. Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka all accept contactless across most spend. The exceptions are getting smaller every year — but they exist, and they're weirdly distributed.
JCB matters at temples, taxis, and old-school spots
JCB is the Japanese domestic card network. A non-trivial number of temples, traditional taxis (the older Toyota Comfort fleet), and family-run ryokans accept JCB but not Visa/MC. If your bank issues a JCB-co-branded card (some Revolut tiers, Wise in some markets), bring it as a second card. Otherwise: cash for those moments.
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IC card is your cash substitute under ¥10,000
Once Suica is loaded, you stop opening your wallet for konbinis, vending machines, locker rentals, and most coffee shops. Top up at any station. Above ¥10,000 saldo some merchants get fussy, so refill in modest increments rather than maxing out at ¥20,000.
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Welcome / ようこそ
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Seven Bank · 24h cards accepted
7-Eleven Seven Bank ATM language selection screen with English highlighted
Tip: IC also works on every train, bus, and tram in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo and Fukuoka — without a separate fare-zone ticket.
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Skip airport exchange. Use 7-Bank ATM.
Currency exchange counters at Narita, Haneda and Kansai charge a 4–6% spread. The Seven Bank ATM in any 7-Eleven (including the airport ones) gives you the interbank rate plus your own bank's fee — usually 1–2% total. ¥50,000 from the ATM costs about €310; the same yen at a kiosk is €325.
The saisen-bako. ¥5 coins (go-en) are traditional — keep a small handful for shrines and the New Year throw.
A few things worth knowing
No tipping. Anywhere. Not at restaurants, taxis, hotels, or guides. Some places literally refuse the cash if you push. The service is included in pricing — and a tip can come across as patronising.
Foreign-transaction fees add up. If your card charges 1.5–3% per swipe, ¥30k of card spend per day is €10–15 in fees alone. Consider a no-FX card (Revolut, Wise, N26) for the trip.
Coin tray etiquette. Cashiers slide a small tray for cash. Don't hand notes directly — place them on the tray. Change comes back the same way. It's ritualised, and trying to hand cash hand-to-hand is mildly awkward.
¥1 and ¥5 coins matter. Some vending machines, locker rentals and shrine donations want exact change in ¥1 or ¥5 (¥5 = "go-en", a homophone for "good fortune"). Keep a handful for the trip.
Tax-free shopping. Spend over ¥5,000 at most chains and big stores and you can claim 8–10% tax back at the register on presentation of your passport. The shop fills out the form; you carry the (sealed) goods out unopened.
The boring stack wins
Two cards, a Suica, and ¥30k cash. That's the entire recommendation. The whole "Japan is impossible to pay in" reputation comes from people who packed €1,000 in cash and were horrified when nobody at Lawson cared. The country has been quietly modernising while the travel guides repeat 2014 advice. Bring less cash than you think and you'll be fine.
