dinanm3atl

ATL-JFK-PVG-NRT in November.

Should I do it locally? In the Atlanta airport? JFK? Or once I touched down in Japan? Read a few places online and get a few different answers.

evergrn

Do it after you touch down at NRT, using your ATM card to draw yen from an airport ATM such as the 7-11 ATM's in the arrival concourse area. You should probably have at least $100 cash on hand, just in case the ATM doesn't work for whatever reason and you have some emergency cash to exchange to yen.

It looks like ATM's in Jpn that take foreign cards do take pins that are more than 4 digits. But I wouldn't know personally. If you don't want to take any chances, change your pin to 4 digits.

Call your bank and make sure you're aware of any fees associated with using a foreign ATM machine. But assuming you have credit card with no foreign transaction fees, you can plan to use credit card for most of your spending. Places where you can't use credit card would include buying train tickets via machine, loading Suica/Pasmo card, some restaurants, some attractions, some independent stores.

jamar

Any ATM in Japan that accepts UnionPay cards will accept up to 6 digits on a PIN because that's the standard in mainland China, where most of those cards come from. I've tried Yucho, Prestia, and E-Net (but E-Net charges).

abmj-jr

ATM will get the best exchange rate. If, for whatever reason, you choose not to go that way, then I'd suggest waiting until you arrive in Japan to do your money exchange at the booths in the airport arrivals area. Just be prepared for a line.

dinanm3atl

Thanks for the quick replies.

If there is a 'fee' for using the booths in the NRT airport is it worse if you want to exchange say 1000US? I'll be there for 7 days.

Or is it better to exchange less at a time? I ask because I'd prefer to not be finding or hitting an ATM once a day to get 100US in Yen.

evergrn

Rates at one of the exchange booths (Mitsubishi UFJ Bank) are here.
http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/exchange_e/index.html

As long as the bank that issued your ATM card does not charge you (or charge only a small set fee like $5 per transaction), you're best off using the ATM.

With the advent of 7-Eleven ATM's, it's no longer a struggle to find ATM's in most cities in Jpn. Chances are there's a 7-Eleven near every major train station (and many along highways), and most of them have ATM's.

What you should do is the following. Roughly estimate how much cash you're going to need for the first half of your trip (ie, 3~4 days). Then take out that amount at an ATM in NRT. You will see over the first few days of your stay how much cash you're spending, get a more accurate idea, and then can adjust accordingly in terms of how much more yen to take out for the last half of your stay. This way, you're not having to use ATM excessive number of times (and be charged any potential fees each time) yet help ensure that you won't be left with a whole lot of yen at the end of the trip (for which you will get dinged if you decide to convert to $ at a booth on your way out of Jpn).

In addition to any foreign ATM charges, make sure you know what your daily withdrawal limits are and then have them increase it if warranted.

dinanm3atl

Thanks!

RichardInSF

There are no fees from any Japanese ATM machine that will accept your card, including at the airport. They all give the exact same exchange rate within Y10 as well, based on my limited experimentation on different machines at NRT at (roughly) the same time.

jamar

Not at NRT, but out and about, the majority of FamilyMart ATMs (the E-Net ones) will charge 108yen per withdrawal.

1k-all-the-way

Related question about KIX...leaving Osaka today with a few thousand dollars worth of yen that a client gave me to reimburse travel expense...leave the exchange burden to me!

Not used to changing cash, assuming its best to convert the yen to USD in Japan? I only have time to do so at KIX today...are the banks vs Travelex etc there all about the same? Any recommendations appreciated.

Steve M

I don't think I've ever seen a Travelex booth in Japan. Those are the guys to go to if you want to pay the MOST for foreign exchange. The Travelex booths I've seen in both the US and UK, whether at airports or in shopping malls, all seem to charge about the same: you lose about 14% of the value using their "no commission" exchange rate.

All of the airport forex booths I've seen in Japan charge about the same: converting from USD to yen, it's 0.5% for travelers cheques, or 2.5% for cash. From Yen into USD, 2.5% is charged. I've never seen it vary much from booth to booth, or over time. Put another way, Japan is the only place I've been where you can just exchange currency at the airport in either direction, and not have to be on guard for a ripoff.

abmj-jr

The bank booths at the airport will only exchange bills. Anything left over after the exchange or any coins you have left, you will keep. I try to use them all up buying meals, snacks, drinks, etc. before boarding. Small coins go in the donation box on the counter of any convenience store, like the ones at NRT or HND.

evergrn

Yes, forget Travelex.

1k-all-the-way

Domo!

mkjr

Or left over coins can be donated in envelopes some airlines have on flights home for charity