For me, I'd exchange it for local currency->USD-JPY or local currency->JPY at a forex kiosk (whichever has a better return).

If I was bringing a lot of cash, I'd do 60% JPY, 40% USD. I was thinking for my 2-week trip of bringing ~$1000CDN or ~$1000USD equivalent of JPY (whichever gives a higher return during exchange) then just ride the rest on card.

I don't think there's anything to be gained by converting Canadian Dollars to USD in preparation for travel to Japan. You'll lose quite a bit in the course of two currency conversions. Better to use an ATM card and get your yen from a 7-11 or post office ATM.

Here in Singapore the spreads are very tight for most currencies, with the Yen being at 12.64 (sell) 12.75 (buy). I take it I can forget about such small spreads in Tokyo and would be better off bringing some Yen purchased from here (in addition to cards for ATM access)?

Yes, that's what I would do. When I visited Japan from Hong Kong, I bought yen beforehand and brought them with me. I had my ATM card as a back up in case I need more money. With ATM fee charged by my HK bank account, I got worse exchange rate with ATM card than buying yen at the bank counter in HK.

The funny thing about this is that all the no-foreign-ATM-fee UnionPay cards I have are from HK-based banks. Dah Sing charges me nothing to make foreign withdrawals from my account opened at their Shanghai branch. Same with Wing Hang (except that their Shanghai branch is in a location that's inconvenient at best). BEA gives me two free overseas withdrawals a month (but have more than one branch in Shanghai). And all of them have been within .05yen/RMB of the mid-market rate (cash incurs a 2yen/RMB spread- ouch).

Travelers Checks
 

With all this talk about CC and debit/atm cards and hearing mostly about Visa cards. Are Amex cards accepted in Japan? More importantly, are Amex TC's accepted?

Yes.

Generally, no. You can exchange them for cash at a bank counter, and maybe use them at a large hotel or department store, but that's about it.

So, no prob exchanging them at the airport.

Admittedly anecdote was from a while back, before UnionPay became widespread in Hong Kong and Japan.

I was planning on exchanging dollars for yen for my trip, but when I went to the AAA store, the exchange rate was $1=93 yens plus $10.50 service fee.I decide to hold off for now. I came across this thread and decided I should probably exchange dollars for yen either at the departing airport or at Narita before boarding the Nex Trains. I am worried I won't find an ATM in the airport in time to catch my NEX train to Tokyo Station. I probably should have some cash with me before I leave Narita airport. :p

There are several ATMs in each airport on the first floor (I use Citibank, and they're conveniently near the escalators to the N'EX/K'SEI in T1). The question is whether or not you have a premier banking relationship with any of them (that will help minimize fees for withdrawing).

Thanks. I will double check with my bank before I leave.

- The first ATM(s) you see just after you exit customs often have long lines during afternoon rush hours. Those at the train station level or departure level do not.

- I always cash T/C at the airport for cash

I live in Japan and am trying to bring a large amount of dollars from the US. While in the States last week, I found that my mother's bank offered TC for free, so I bought $9000 worth and brought them back. After exiting customs (KIX) I went to the foreign exchange booth to change into yen. They were nearly 2 yen per dollar more valuable than cash. However, they would only change $3000 per day. Frustrating. Now I have to go to a bank.

This is why I always keep a bit of cash in my Chinese bank accounts if I'm heading to Japan. Thanks to UnionPay, I can skip the lines of people waiting for the 7-Eleven/Post Office/Citi ATMs and head over to the less crowded Mitsubishi-UFJ or Mizuho machines (or Mitsui-Sumitomo, but they charge UnionPay cardholders 75 yen a pop).