Japan uses the yen as its official currency, symbolized by 円 or ¥ and pronounced "èn." Outside of airports and a few tourist-oriented shops, no other currency is accepted.
The exchange rate is roughly 130 yen to 1 euro. To give you an idea, 100 euros is about 13,000 yen, and the 1-euro coin is roughly equivalent to the 100-yen coin.
Japanese Coins and Bills
In Japan, prices are exclusively listed in yen—there’s no concept of cents. Prices may seem higher than in France, but they aren’t, thanks to a favorable exchange rate and a VAT of just 10%.
Japanese Coins
- 1 yen: ~0.7 euro cents
- 5 yen: ~3.8 euro cents
- 10 yen: ~7.6 euro cents
- 50 yen: ~0.40 euros
- 100 yen: ~0.80 euros
- 500 yen: ~3.8 euros
Coins of 1, 5, and 10 yen often clutter your wallet and are commonly used as offerings at temples. The 100-yen coin is the most versatile, useful for lockers, arcade games, and buying drinks.
Japanese Bills
- 1,000 yen: ~8 euros
- 2,000 yen: ~16 euros (rare)
- 5,000 yen: ~40 euros
- 10,000 yen: ~80 euros
During your trip, you’ll likely carry several 10,000 yen bills. Don’t hesitate to break them at convenience stores (konbini), as large bills aren’t an issue in Japan. Unlike in France, if you buy 1,000 yen worth of goods and pay with a 10,000 yen bill, the cashier will make change without a fuss!
Japanese Practices with Cash
Japan is a cash-heavy society, with most people preferring to pay in cash rather than by card. Carrying large sums is not a problem, thanks to the country’s high level of security.
However, younger generations are increasingly using contactless payments via smartphones, especially in major cities. Even so, cash is still the only payment option in many places like taxis, small shops, fast-food restaurants, and temples. If you venture outside major cities, ATMs can be scarce, though you can often find them in convenience stores.
It's advisable to always have at least 5,000 yen (~40 euros) on hand for public transportation or dining. For a night out, a Japanese person might carry at least 15,000 yen (~115 euros) to cover transport, dinner, karaoke, and a possible taxi ride if the night ends after the last train.
Most Japanese people use an IC Card—a reloadable contactless payment card—for small daily purchases and public transport. We recommend getting one for your trip to simplify payments.
How to Get Cash in France and Japan
Given that cash is the primary payment method in Japan, you’ll need to have some on hand. Here’s how you can get it before and during your stay.
Through Your Bank
The safest way is to order yen in advance through your bank. However, there are some constraints:
- You’ll pay a currency exchange commission, typically between 2% and 5% depending on the bank.
- You need to plan ahead, as banks may take several weeks to process the request.
For example, in our bank, the exchange rate includes a 3% fee. With 1,000 euros at an exchange rate of 1 euro = 130 yen, you would receive 130,000 yen and pay about 30 euros in fees.
Each bank has different fees and commissions, so it’s worth checking your bank’s rates or inquiring at a branch. Anything up to 3% is reasonable; beyond that, it might be better to explore other options.
Currency Exchange Offices
These businesses specialize in buying and selling currency and may offer competitive rates. There are three types:
- City-based exchange offices: Similar services to banks, often with quicker turnaround times.
- Airport exchange offices: Fast service, but fees can be high (5% to 10%).
- Online exchange offices: Low exchange commissions but consider delivery fees and the risk of receiving cash by mail.
Currency exchange offices are not our preferred option unless you need cash quickly.
ATM Withdrawals in Japan
The most convenient option is to withdraw cash directly in Japan using your debit or credit card. However, be aware of a few things:
- Make sure foreign withdrawals and payments (outside the EU) are enabled on your card, as they’re usually disabled by default.
- Bank fees can add up, including both your French bank’s fees and the Japanese ATM fees.
European banks typically charge a fixed fee per transaction (3 to 6 euros) plus a variable fee (2% to 3%). Japanese convenience store ATMs add an additional 1% to 2%. To minimize fees, withdraw larger amounts at once.
The Best Solution for Your Japan Trip
For a worry-free trip, here’s our recommendation:
- Book and pay for your hotels in advance through sites like Booking.com. The payment is made in yen.
- Order yen in advance from your bank. Budget around 50 euros per day per person to cover transportation, food, and activities.
- Withdraw cash on-site if necessary, avoiding small amounts to minimize fees.
- Use an IC Card to avoid dealing with lots of coins and bills.
Pour un voyage sans souci, voici notre recommandation :
- Réservez et payez vos hôtels à l'avance via des sites comme Booking. Le paiement se fait en yen.
- Commandez des yens à l'avance dans votre banque. Prévoyez environ 50 euros par jour et par personne pour couvrir les frais de transport, nourriture et activités.
- Retirez de l'argent sur place si nécessaire, en évitant les petits montants pour minimiser les frais.
- Utiliser une IC Card pour ne pas avoir à gérer tout un tas de pièces et de billets
Where to Find ATMs in Japan
ATMs are rare on the streets of Japan. You’ll mainly find them in konbini, which are open 24/7. These machines often have multilingual interfaces, including French. The downside is they charge a fee of 1% to 2% on the amount withdrawn.
You can also find ATMs in post offices and Japanese banks like Mizuho or MUFG. However, their hours are limited (weekday hours typically from 9 AM to 5 PM), and the machines can be challenging to use, as they often have only Japanese-language interfaces.
Be especially careful in rural areas, where ATMs are extremely rare, even in konbini.
