Originally Posted by
joejones
Japan Post (JP) Bank also has ATMs in the arrival halls, so there are three options for using a foreign card.
Just don't count on getting access to the JP ATM's if you're there at a weird hour. Last time I was there wound up waiting 45 mins for someone to arrive. Also the 'English' button on the bottom of the screen can be difficult to spot amongst all the Kanji which looks like Japanese mission control.
Originally Posted by
gnaget
If Joe Schmoe shows up with his Amex TCs then the rate is anyone's guess, but the rate is guaranteed to be awful. In the old days (like the 1970s) my old man would have Amex TCs, seek out the local Amex office and get cash at a favorable forex rate without any fees. But this is the 2010s now....
I still carry a lot in TCs when visiting Japan, yes it was better as late as the early 2000s but I still haven't been to any exchange establishment where TCs weren't better than cash. HSBC Premier was outstanding with virtually no forex fees but they closed the Akasaka office last December, rats. Only downside with TCs is how many times they're counted, inspected, put on a tray for some other clerk to do it again, manager's approval, daimyo approval, initials by Tenno Heika, etc.