Cash or Card in Japan? What You Actually Need to Carry

Quick answer: Cards and QR payments now work in most cities, but Japan still isn't fully cashless. Carry ¥10,000–¥15,000 in cash per week as a buffer, and lean on cards for everything else.

Japan's cashless rate, in one number

Source: Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), 2025 data

Japan's cashless payment ratio hit 58.0% in 2025 under the new domestic measure (or 46.3% under the older international-comparison measure). That's a real jump from a decade ago, but it also means over 40% of spending still happens in cash — higher than most Western countries.

Where cards & QR payments work fine

• Department stores, chain restaurants, hotels
• Convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart)
• Train stations, most taxis in major cities
• Large tourist attractions and museums

Where you'll still want cash

• Small local restaurants and izakaya, especially family-run ones
• Shrines and temples — offerings, omikuji (fortune slips), amulets
• Local markets and street food stalls
• Small towns and rural areas, where card readers are less common
• Some coin lockers and older vending machines

A simple rule: the smaller or more traditional the place, the more likely it's cash-only.

Payment method comparison

Method	Best For	Notes
Credit/debit card	Hotels, stores, restaurants	Visa/Mastercard widely accepted; Amex less so
IC card (Suica/Pasmo)	Trains, buses, konbini, vending machines	See our Welcome Suica guide
QR payment (PayPay etc.)	Small shops, some restaurants	Mostly requires a Japanese bank account to set up — not practical for short trips
Cash	Everywhere, especially small/local spots	Always the fallback

ATMs: where to actually withdraw

Not all ATMs in Japan accept foreign cards. The two most reliable:

• 7-Eleven ATMs (Seven Bank) — inside almost every 7-Eleven, accepts most foreign cards, English menu available
• Japan Post Bank ATMs — inside post offices, also widely compatible

Bank-branch ATMs (MUFG, SMBC, etc.) often don't accept foreign cards, so don't count on them as a backup.

A few things worth knowing

• Tax-free shopping requires your passport at checkout — bring the physical passport, not a photo of it.
• Tipping isn't expected anywhere in Japan, including restaurants and taxis — leaving cash on the table can actually cause confusion.
• Exchange counters at the airport have worse rates than 7-Eleven ATMs — withdrawing yen directly is usually cheaper than exchanging cash.
• Notify your card issuer before you travel — some flag Japan transactions as unusual activity and freeze the card.

The practical takeaway

Bring one or two cards for the big spending (hotels, shopping, transport), and keep a rotating cash buffer of ¥10,000–¥15,000 for the small stuff — temples, local food stalls, rural towns. Running out of cash in a small town on a Sunday, when the one ATM that takes foreign cards is closed, is the actual failure mode worth planning around.