babern38

I'm going to tokyo and japan for that matter for the first time in February.
I was speaking to an american who lived there for a few months who said that credit cards don't work there and that its primarily a cash based society?

Is this really true? Should I plan on cash for cabs, restaurants, etc.?

I feel like I've seen articles where most of the vending machines in japan can use NFC to pay with phones.

Eskimoboy

Not sure on cabs as I haven't taken one but last time I was in Japan (May) I paid for virtually everything on credit card.

YuropFlyer

My experience is that it's less extreme then some time before, and especially Tokyo is getting better with credit card acceptance, but it's still quite some cash country..

Expect to be able to pay with credit cards at quite some places, but far from everywhere. Plan to always have enough cash with you. Getting cash from ATMs is also fairly tricky. Japanese post ATMs usually work, but better use the one's at the airport first to get some cash (if you plan on getting cash at ATMs) as they're the only ones that work reliable.

Japan in some areas is very advanced, in some others very, very backwards.

AlwaysAisle

Do wonder when this “American” person lived in Japan and where in Japan?

It used to be true that Japan was not that much of a credit card society compares with the U.S. or Western Europe, but that was like 10 – 20 years ago.

Today in a major city like Tokyo credit cards are widely accepted. Common exceptions are small mom and pop type places and train/subway tickets for local commuter trains. For long distance trains credit cards can be used to purchase tickets at a ticket office. But for local commuter trains and subways for traveling within a city, those ticket machines still do not accept credit cards.

If you go outside of the big city in Japan, then become more common to find business which does not accept credit cards but still those businesses tend to be independent private business. Even in rural area convenient stores, gas stations, hotels, chain restaurants, etc. do take credit cards.

msb0b

Chain restaurants can usually process credit cards. It's the sole proprietors and meal ticket-based places that are typically cash only.

What's the aversion to carrying some cash on you? Saw a survey somewhere that most Japanese people carry 20k~30k yen in cash on them.

Yes, but they are designed to accept payment from e-wallet cards like Suica, PASMO, Edy, etc. or the felica-based osaifu keitei. I don't know if Android Pay or Apple Pay works with those vending machines.

nishimark

Most cabs will take credit cards, though whenever I give the driver mine it seems like he's never operated the machine before. You'll see credit card logos on the back window of those that take cards.

abmj-jr

I don't really understand the aversion to cash that many seem to have. When I visit Japan, I used credit cards for major things like hotels, long distance travel and such but carry cash for everything else. It is perfectly safe and cash works everywhere for anything. Even small places like convenience stores or taxi cabs handle 10k yen bills ($100.00 eq.) without blinking.

For me, cash is just simpler and easier than messing around with cards and receipts all the time. YMMV.

babern38

this lady said she lived in roppongi district for a few months and was just there last year.

I figured credit cards were more accepted than she made it sound.

I don't have a problem carrying cash, but you don't get credit card points with cash :-)

This lady mentioned how cash and cards aren't really passed from hand to hand and there is usually a "tray" or something in the middle. My impression is that sanitation and hygiene is prominent in japan so I'd think credit cards would be preferable compared to cash that seems a lot less clean.

mapleg

7-11 ATM's work reliably with foreign debit cards and are probably used more than any other choice including the post office since there are so many 7-11 stores (and they also provide airport ATM's as well)

evergrn

Credit cards are widely accepted in Jpn, but still not as widely as in US. Hence, you should definitely carry some cash on you. To me, the biggest hurdle is not being able to use cc at the train ticket vending machines. There're even chain places where I'm surprised credit cards are not yet accepted, such as a few of the konbini chains (eg, Three-F) and chain restaurants (eg, Gogo Curry). As msb0b mentioned, you can be almost certain that meal ticket machine restaurants will not take cc.

It's been a long while since I've taken a cab within a big city like Tokyo, but I've had similar experiences elsewhere. Out in the suburbs, there're still some taxi companies that don't take cc. And then I swear there're taxi drivers who pretend like they don't take cc even though I find out later his company accepts it. I think it's always best to ask the driver first before you get on whether/not he'll take cc... just flash the card and ask him "credit okay?"

mjm

I am always amused by Americans acting as if the US is in any way advanced in the use of credit cards.

Tokyo specifically is far more credit card friendly than any major city in the US. Taxis, convenience stores etc. No signatures required for up to 10,000yen on most purchases in chains such as Starbucks.

PIN rather than signing in many places as in Europe, no silly plastic pens attached to a cable where one signs a screen as in American supermarkets and drugstores.

You maybe find a few cash only places but you do in the Us also. Pizza by the slice places in NY and SF specifically come to mind.

People here would not know why anyone were using an outdated system such as writing a check either.

Or the very silly requirement to show ID to use a credit card as is now so common in the US.

This person as per the OP who spent time in Roppongi recently and found it difficult to use a card was some combination of inept and incorrect.

Carry some cash but proffer your card and 99% of the time you will be happily earning points.

evergrn

I have to disagree. It's true that cc is widely accepted in Jpn, esp places like Tokyo. However, it's not quite at the same level as US. My US home and Jpn jikka are both in suburbs. In the US, I carry maybe $10-20 in my wallet and it could be weeks before I ever have to use it. In my hometown in Jpn, it'd be extremely difficult to go out without cash. So many places there don't take cc. Part of it is that there's a lot more mom and pop shops there than here. But even a lot of the chain places in my Jpn hometown don't take cc... MisterDonut, Yoshinoya, Hidakaya, to name a few.

s0ssos

There is definitely a perception in Japan that they are cash only. My cousin lives there and told me the place does not take credit card, so she paid in cash. When checking out I saw they actually do take card. She never thought to ask.
7-11 definitely does take card and chains in general do. But in Japan everybody just uses cash everywhere (even buying a shinkansen ticket I saw the lady just break out a few 10,000 yen bills) so I do the same.

shuigao

I think that the big cities are definitely more card-friendly than many visitors think. But in the smaller towns, onsens and villages, the 'predominantly cash society' description probably does hold quite true.

In February this year I visited Nozawa Onsen for some ski'ing and booked myself into an inn that didn't accept cards - cash only.

mjm

I am afraid I am not an expert on flyover country in either Japan or the US but without a doubt Tokyo beats NYC (i.e. The closest comparable to Tokyo in the US) hands down for CC and NFC functionality. PASMO in the US? Yeah ok :-) Maybe when Cleveland wins a Superbowl. ;-)