Credit Cards or Cash in Japan
Aug 21, 2013, 6:56 am
#63
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
Another Canadian responds!
We've spent October 2008 and 2010 in Japan travelling independently.
Firstly, DO NOT take Canadian cash to exchange in Japan; you'll lose big time! Change all cash into Yen before leaving home - and do familiarise yourself with the money as this is your first trip.
In essence Japan is primarily a cash society, and cash is / can be used for everything, even hotel bills. Canadian visa cards (pin and chip) worked fine in Japan in 2010.
We've spent October 2008 and 2010 in Japan travelling independently.
Firstly, DO NOT take Canadian cash to exchange in Japan; you'll lose big time! Change all cash into Yen before leaving home - and do familiarise yourself with the money as this is your first trip.
In essence Japan is primarily a cash society, and cash is / can be used for everything, even hotel bills. Canadian visa cards (pin and chip) worked fine in Japan in 2010.
Aug 21, 2013, 9:38 am
#64
Join Date: Aug 2008
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Aug 21, 2013, 11:26 am
#65
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: YYC/MNL
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy SE
Posts: 520
I found eating around Japan was roughly the same as eating here in Calgary. Same as transportation (which shows how overpriced Calgary Transit is).
If you look around, you can eat well for cheap. You can be ...... as well.
I was pretty happy with a rice ball and Lawson's Red chicken nuggets as a meal.
If you look around, you can eat well for cheap. You can be ...... as well.
I was pretty happy with a rice ball and Lawson's Red chicken nuggets as a meal.
Aug 21, 2013, 4:08 pm
#66
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Near Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,987
i don't quite agree with you on the restaurant point. i think it depends on what you call luxury?
costs of 3* places in NYC and Tokyo are generally in the same ballpark...
its pretty easy to compare them by just going ot the michelin guide which sets in all out....check out per se and le bernadin and compare them to a few in Tokyo...[what you might find is they are lower...]
that said, L'Arpège and say The Fat Duck are a wee bit higher than what you get in Japan but the comperables in japan can run you 60000 per person for some of the 3* places...
honestly, it depends but depending on what you define as luxury, i would disagree that they are cheaper. at best, the same.
costs of 3* places in NYC and Tokyo are generally in the same ballpark...
its pretty easy to compare them by just going ot the michelin guide which sets in all out....check out per se and le bernadin and compare them to a few in Tokyo...[what you might find is they are lower...]
that said, L'Arpège and say The Fat Duck are a wee bit higher than what you get in Japan but the comperables in japan can run you 60000 per person for some of the 3* places...
honestly, it depends but depending on what you define as luxury, i would disagree that they are cheaper. at best, the same.
. Which restaurants in Japan can run to 60000 per person (without something like an expensive bottle of wine)? Perhaps steak restaurants (I'm not a big steak fan)? Perhaps a place like Kitcho in Kyoto?And I guess my message was kind of sloppy - at least in terms of comparison with a place like New York. Where I think a place like Le Bernardin - which I liked a lot - is actually a bargain (even though prices don't include service). Dinner for $130 (4 courses). Per Se at $295 (with service) - well I didn't much like Per Se - even at $175.
OTOH - I have found parts of Europe quite overpriced in the last decade or so. Like L'Ambroisie at $500 per person (including modest wine). Frantzen/Lindeberg at about $350 per person (including modest wine). Or perhaps it is not that the restaurants have been overpriced - but that I've been underwhelmed by the dining experiences in light of what they cost.
I think our favorite meals in the last 10 or so years in Europe were the 100 euro lunch at Guy Savoy. Great food. Amazing value (even though it wound up costing about 200 euros per person - with not so modest wine
). Also lunch at Gordon Ramsay RHR (priced similar to Guy Savoy). And I guess the longest running and perhaps best lunch special ever is at Jean Georges in New York (currently $38 for 2 courses - and $16 for each additional course).Perhaps there's a theme here. That lunch is a better value than dinner at many high end restaurants - no matter where you are. We'll be doing our big deal meals in Tokyo at lunch. Because of jet lag. But it doesn't hurt that lunch in Tokyo - as in other parts of the world - is often a better value than dinner. Robyn
Aug 21, 2013, 4:11 pm
#67
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Near Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,987
I found eating around Japan was roughly the same as eating here in Calgary. Same as transportation (which shows how overpriced Calgary Transit is).
If you look around, you can eat well for cheap. You can be ...... as well.
I was pretty happy with a rice ball and Lawson's Red chicken nuggets as a meal.
If you look around, you can eat well for cheap. You can be ...... as well.
I was pretty happy with a rice ball and Lawson's Red chicken nuggets as a meal.
. Robyn
Aug 21, 2013, 11:23 pm
#68
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
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Posts: 5,174
Just an update on the CC notion - when landing at Narita T2 just head right after clearing customs and you'll find a Citibank ATM. Absolutely no problem getting cash there... nice, quick and easy. Don't think I've ever seen an ATM dish out cash so quickly to be honest... 
For rail passes or the NEX & Suica combo you can also use your CC, no problems here either (just remember that topping-up the Suica needs to be done in cash).
So far I've had a handful of transactions by plastic and only one place declined my card, so not too bad. But in general cash is king here.
For rail passes or the NEX & Suica combo you can also use your CC, no problems here either (just remember that topping-up the Suica needs to be done in cash).
So far I've had a handful of transactions by plastic and only one place declined my card, so not too bad. But in general cash is king here.
Sep 9, 2014, 6:24 am
#71
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Between AMS and BRU
Posts: 8,852
Depends on the machine/bank you use and the card you have... no generic answers here.
Generic ATM limits can be something like JPY 200,000-500,000 per transaction (some accecpt more than one a day), but can differ depending on the card used. And who knows what limit your card has for cash withdrawals.
Generic ATM limits can be something like JPY 200,000-500,000 per transaction (some accecpt more than one a day), but can differ depending on the card used. And who knows what limit your card has for cash withdrawals.
Last edited by RTW1; Sep 9, 2014 at 6:52 am
Sep 9, 2014, 6:43 am
#72
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SUV
Programs: UA *G MM
Posts: 7,018
Citibank was 300,000 yen, which had been reduced from 500,000 yen. IIRC.
p.s. That's the default for Citibank's own customers. They show examples on their website of changing it to 2 million yen or ~$20,000. So it's possible that Citibank does not impose any limit as the ATM operator and it's entirely what your bank sets it at.
Last edited by gnaget; Sep 9, 2014 at 6:55 am
Sep 16, 2014, 6:12 pm
#74
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
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Posts: 2,361
Sep 17, 2014, 9:01 am
#75
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SUV
Programs: UA *G MM
Posts: 7,018
Note that Seven Bank has reduced the limit to 100,000 yen for international cards as a result of the global ATM caper in 2012 or 13. Although the Chinese can take out 200,000 on Union Pay.
So if you need a lot of cash (and your Western bank allows it) then try Citi or the Post Office.