Banks & Money in Japan
Banks
Opening hours: Mon - Fri 9am-3pm.
ATMs
 Most
ATMs are NOT 24 hours in Japan usually closing around 7pm
Citibank has 24 hour ATMs in Tokyo, Osaka,
Kyoto, Kobe, Saitama,
Nagoya and Yokohama and
other large cities and you can use a Citibank card issued in your country
to access your money. Many convenience stores now have ATMs for Japan-issued credit cards.
Citibank Tel. 0120 504189 (24-hr).
Detailed information on Japanese banking services
Japan is still largely a cash-based society and it may be convenient
to carry more cash than you would normally at home. Travellers’ cheques
can be exchanged at most major banks with the ‘Authorized Foreign
Exchange Bank’ sign but are not usually accepted in restaurants or
shops.
Bureau de Change
Airports have several Bureaux de Change staffed by English speakers.
Narita Airport, Tokyo, has several counters run by various banks throughout
both Terminals 1 and 2 open daily between 6.30am (or a little later) and
11pm (or a little earlier).
Remember when exchanging currency that rates differ from bank to bank.
Ask first.
Tax
Consumption or Value Added Tax (shohizei) is presently 5% in Japan.
This can be reclaimed on departure from Japan when purchasing items from
special duty-free shops. You will need your passport for this. Please
keep receipts from your purchases and take your passport with you if shopping
for duty-free items in areas such as the electronics centers of Akihabara
in Tokyo and Den-Den Town in
Osaka.
Tipping
Tipping is not usual in Japan. It is NOT customary to leave a tip in restaurants,
bars, cafes, hotels or when traveling by taxi.
Insisting on leaving a tip usually only results in confusion.
Bank cards or credit cards
Department stores, large shops, hotels and restaurants usually accept
credit cards.
Post-offices
 Following
the G8 summit in Okinawa, Japan, Citibank teamed up with the Post Office
to operate ATMs accepting foreign-issued credit and debit cards (Visa,
PLUS, Mastercard, Cirrus, American Express and Diners Club) in 25,000
post-offices across Japan. Look out for the ‘International ATM Service’
sign and opt for the English "Visitor's Withdrawal" menu and instructions. You need your PIN and can withdraw
between 1000 – 990,000 yen depending on your credit limit. This service is an excellent way to top up with cash on your travels in Japan.
Most post offices are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Central post-offices open
longer and at weekends (Mon-Fri 9am-7pm; Sat 9am-5pm Sun 9am-12.30pm).
Tokyo International Post Office adjacent to Tokyo Station is open 24 hours
daily.
The ATMs are often accessible after the counters have closed.
Convenience Stores
Many Japanese convenience stores have cash machines which accept Japanese credit cards and sometimes overseas issued Citibank cards.
MasterCard (Access) You can withdraw cash with MasterCard
and passport at branches of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank and Citibank. In Japan,
MasterCard is affiliated with DC Card. Offices near Tokyo station (Tel:
03-3211-8541) and Shibuya station (Tel: 03-5489-6021) Open 9.00-5.00pm
MasterCard international assistance number: 00531-11-3886 (toll free).
Visa
You can withdraw cash with your Visa card and passport at branches of
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC).
To withdraw cash from an ATM using your PIN, phone the Visa International
Global Assistance Center 0120-133-173 (toll-free) for the location of
the nearest ATM.
'Cirrus' or 'Plus'
Theoretically with a 'Plus' symbol card you can withdraw cash at Mitsubishi Tokyo UFJ
branches and some convenience stores (both 24 hours)
'Cirrus' or 'Plus' symbol cards can also be used at Citibank.
American Express
Office
at Shin-Okubo, JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo. Tel. 03-3220-6100. |
