The Lemon Fool

I am due to go to Japan in the autumn with 2 other family members. I will be funding the trip. As Japan is a cash society rather that card, I was wondering whether it would be better (in terms of the rate offered) to change my UK Pounds to the Japanese Yen in London or in Kyoto.

I know for certain that I got a better exchange rate when I changed my UK Pounds to the Malaysian Ringgit when in Malaysia.

Thank you,
busybee

busybee wrote:I am due to go to Japan in the autumn with 2 other family members. I will be funding the trip. As Japan is a cash society rather that card, I was wondering whether it would be better (in terms of the rate offered) to change my UK Pounds to the Japanese Yen in London or in Kyoto.

I know for certain that I got a better exchange rate when I changed my UK Pounds to the Malaysian Ringgit when in Malaysia.

Thank you,
busybee

Highly recommend you get a Halifax Clarity card and draw the cash when you are there. It is the cheapest way to get your cash. Many places take credit card (shops, restaurants, hotels) so using the Clarity card works for those too, but you will need to pay off the cash advances regularly to avoid the interest charges.


GS

IME most Japanese cashpoints tend to be INSIDE banks. And therefore only available office hours. Which is ok for tourists unless you arrive at the weekend.

Gryff

Thomas Exchange in London usually has pretty good rates........

Clarity is good, but as per several posts previously, I prefer Revolut (www.revolut.com)and have been using it since 2016.

Personally, I avoid cash machines in banks, convenience stores etc, and use the ones located in the lobby of most local post office (yuubin kyoku) branches. Last time I was there you were permitted three free withdrawals per month, and then further withdrawals were at a very reasonable rate.

https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/en/ias ... index.html

The post offices are everywhere and most people know where to find one. If you make your first couple of withdrawals big ones you probably can access all the cash you will need for free.

Cautions:
-Max single withdrawal amount Y50,000.
-Post Office ATMs have limited operating hours (check on the ATM finder at above link)
-Make payments from your Clarity card in local currency to benefit from the card's commercial exchange rate.


GS

P.S. Revolut appears to have a £200 per month free ATM withdrawal limit. Clarity is unlimited. £200 cash will barely last a weekend in Japan. Revolut is also a tiny company and not a bank -- good luck if you have serious issues while away. I had a problem with my Clarity card in Egypt and Halifax refunded me more than £100 for my trouble and expenses, no questions asked.

GoSeigen wrote:
P.S. Revolut appears to have a £200 per month free ATM withdrawal limit. Clarity is unlimited. £200 cash will barely last a weekend in Japan. Revolut is also a tiny company and not a bank -- good luck if you have serious issues while away. I had a problem with my Clarity card in Egypt and Halifax refunded me more than £100 for my trouble and expenses, no questions asked.

Revolut's £200 per month is the limit for commission and fee free withdrawals, after which a small fee is applied to cover the levy the ATM providers place on Revolut. You don't notice it tbh. The comment about them being a small company is true, but the card is a Mastercard, and I've used mine since 2016 in lots of countries for many many transactions, as have a number of friends and colleagues. Perhaps it's not for everyone, and I know Clarity is good, but I like my Revolut card and App.

I worked for a Japanese company in the 1990s and made frequent trips to the Tokyo area and once to Fukuoka. Even then Credit cards were widely accepted and I carried a few thousand yen for small purchases which I had got in the UK. I was not too fussed about rates as it was paid for by my employer.

I am writing to inform you that there was a departure tax at Tokyo (Narita) Airport of 2000 yen (about six pounds) which had to be paid in cash so check whether this is still the case. My last trip was in 2000.

EC

Flying direct, or via elsewhere en route such as Singapore/KL? If Singapore [I lived there 3 times] I can suggest world-beating places, well known locally, to do any walk-up travel FX you might wish to do, on what ever scale.
I used to work in Tokyo in the 90s [plus Singapore], and visited twice since on holiday, last c2016/17, both times from Singapore. We took a 'cash buffer' of Yen with us, converted from downtown Singapore, and the rest went on UK bankcards. That was the most economical plan for us at that time.
Tokyo can appear a dazzlingly confusing place if not used to it.... I'm happy to chip in with any tips I can that might help you...

ps. @ FB - finally scrapped the silly tickets for departure tax stapled to your boarding cards have they? .... they were 'so 3rd world'...