Where and how to withdraw and exchange money in Tokyo

Before we get into the details of Japan’s ATM situation, know this: unless your bank charges an obscene premium on overseas withdrawals, using a Tokyo cash machine to fill your wallet with yen is usually quite a bit cheaper than relying on a currency exchange service. Exchange companies and machines generally levy hefty commissions on already subpar rates, so we recommend sticking to ATMs whenever possible.

Japan Post’s very own bank and its ATMs, usually found inside post offices, have accepted foreign credit and debit cards for years. The over 27,000 Yucho machines nationwide take all major credit cards and most debit cards, as do Yucho-affiliated ATMs at around 500 Family Mart stores in Tokyo and Osaka. The only snag is that post offices have relatively brief opening hours (usually 9am-5pm), while the Family Mart machines can be used from 12.05am to 11.55pm daily (from 7am on the third Monday of every month). The one-time withdrawal limit at Yucho ATMs is ¥50,000.

Many a tourist’s first option for cash withdrawals, 7-Eleven ATMs (found in virtually all of the chain’s konbinis across Japan) are wonderfully traveller-friendly. In service around the clock, 365 days a year, they take all major credit and debit cards (and quite a few minor ones, too). The one-time withdrawal limit is ¥100,000 – unless you’re using Amex or a card without an IC chip, in which case it’s ¥30,000.

Japan’s ‘megabanks’ have been extremely late to the international ATM game, only installing their first foreign card-capable ones over the past couple of years. Mizuho and SMBC ‘foreign card ATMs’ (note that these are different from the banks’ regular ATMs) take Visa, MasterCard and their subsidiary cards (Cirrus, Plus etc), while Mitsubishi’s versions may or may not accept even the most standard of cards (see the stickers on the ATM in question to make sure). Anyway, we wouldn’t recommend trying your luck with these if there’s a 7-Eleven or post office nearby – the commissions are higher anyway.