Cash vs card in Japan: what families need to know

Japan is more card-friendly than it used to be, but it’s still a place where cash matters. For families, the easy answer is: use cards and IC cards where you can, and always carry some cash for the places that don’t take them.

Where cards work well

Hotels, department stores, chain restaurants, larger shops, theme parks and most convenience stores accept cards, and contactless is increasingly common. A travel card with low foreign-transaction fees is worth setting up before you go.

Where cash still rules

• Small family restaurants, market stalls and street food.
• Shrines and temples (offerings, charms and entry).
• Some smaller attractions, local buses and older shops.
• Rural areas generally, where card acceptance thins out.

IC cards for the small stuff

Prepaid IC cards (Suica, ICOCA and similar) tap for trains, buses, convenience stores and many vending machines — brilliant for kids’ snacks and fares without fumbling for coins. Top them up with cash at station machines. You can also add a Suica or PASMO to an iPhone or Android phone (Apple Wallet / Google Wallet) and top it up with an overseas card — handy for parents, while kids carry a physical card. Tourists can also buy a “Welcome Suica” that needs no deposit.

Getting cash out

Not every ATM takes foreign cards, but two reliably do: the ATMs inside 7-Eleven stores (7-Bank) and at Japan Post banks/post offices, both with English menus and long hours. Withdraw a day or two’s worth at a time. Tell your bank you’re travelling so your card isn’t blocked.

How much cash to carry

Carry enough for a day or two of small purchases, meals and entry fees, and top up as you go. Keep a stock of coins for shrines, lockers and vending machines. When paying by card, terminals sometimes ask how many instalments — just say “one” (ikkatsu) for a normal single payment.