Money in Japan

selement

Sorry if this is in the wrong place I wasn't sure if it should be in currency sub forum...

I am planning a month long trip to Japan and am looking for advice on how to carry money. I am aware of Martin Lewis' advice that Halifax credit card is the best for foreign currency exchange, however Japan is a very cash based society.

The yen has risen dramatically against the pound since I began planning the trip so it is getting more expensive, if we leave the eu I am concerned this will have a huge impact on how much yen I can get. Part of me wants to exchange money now before it gets worse but obviously I don't want to carry all of the entire trips money around with me as it'll be about £5000 (this is including various hotels as they aren't booked yet, I am organising trip myself so no travel agent to pay up front and I expect it'll be pay as we stay l. I do expect I'd be able to use credit card at hotels though!).

Any advice?

novelty-socks

If it were me, I'd just get the Clarity card and use it to withdraw cash as I went. Japan is incredibly cash-based, but I never found myself too far from an ATM that would accept my card. Post Offices were always a safe bet for an ATM that would work.

If you're concerned about the exchange rate, you can probably buy yen now in the form of a pre-paid card in that currency. I've never done this but I'm sure the providers of pre-paid cards give you the option to buy either in your own currency (so you get the exchange rate at the time of use), or in the desired currency (so you lock in the exchange rate now).

For what it's worth, I last visited Japan in 2011, when the yen was rock-bottom (maybe 120 to £1). Although some stuff seemed more expensive than at home, we ate remarkably well very cheaply. We just had to look in the right places!

agrinnall

Unless you're planning several years ahead it's unlikely that we'll have left the EU before you go even if the vote does go that way.

I'd do some research into whether some or all ATMs in Japan are fee free, and simply use a fee free card to make withdrawals as you go - you may need to make extra payments to your credit card account so that you minimise the number of days interest that you are charged.

Chlorine7

I've been to Japan twice and I could my card in a great deal of places. Take the Halifax card and withdraw money as necessary. There are ATMs everywhere.