How Much Cash Should You Bring to Japan?

Japan has become far more card-friendly in recent years, but cash still matters more here than in many countries — at small restaurants, temples, rural shops, some ryokan and festival stalls. Here's a practical approach.

Short answer

Many visitors find ¥5,000–¥10,000 per person per day in cash enough alongside a card for hotels, trains and bigger purchases. If you'll spend time in the countryside, small shrines or markets, carry more. Withdraw as you go rather than bringing all your cash from home.

Where you'll need cash

• Small family-run restaurants and ramen shops (especially ticket machines)
• Temple and shrine entry fees, goshuin, offerings
• Food stalls at markets and festivals
• Coin lockers, some buses and rural trains
• Some ryokan, minshuku and small guesthouses

Where cards usually work

Hotels, department stores, chain restaurants, convenience stores, electronics stores, drugstores, Shinkansen tickets and most taxis in big cities. IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA) pay for trains, buses, vending machines and convenience stores — see our IC card guide.

Getting yen

• 7-Eleven (Seven Bank) and Japan Post ATMs are the most reliable for foreign cards; many are open long hours. Lawson and FamilyMart ATMs also accept many foreign cards.
• Avoid exchanging large amounts at your home airport — rates are often poor.
• When an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, choose yen to avoid dynamic currency conversion markups.

Full details are in our money, cash and ATMs guide. Use our yen converter to get a feel for prices.

Coins

You'll accumulate lots of ¥1–¥500 coins. A coin purse helps; use them on vending machines, IC card top-ups and lockers.

Safety

Carrying cash in Japan is generally safe, but keep it secure and don't carry everything at once. If you lose a wallet, report it at a police box (kōban) — lost property is often returned.