With its incredible blend of towering modern skyscrapers,ancient temples, wondrous natural sights and unique culture, Japan is amust-visit destination. From its coast to its interior, its cities to itscountryside, the Japanese islands offer a wealth of attractions whatever yourinterests. But how much money should you take to Japan? Here’s our guide toeverything you need to know when it comes to budgeting for a trip to the landof the rising sun.
How much money should you take to Japan – the basics
The Japanese currency is the yen, and all your spending inJapan will be in yen – unlike other countries that have secondary currenciessuch as the US dollar. It is divided into 100 sen, although the yen’s rateagainst the US dollar means the sen is really only of historic interest, andyou’re unlikely to encounter any on the street when you’re making purchases.
As one of the most frequently traded currencies in the world,the yen is probably easily available in your home country, meaning you can pickup some yen before arriving at one of Japan’s ports of entry. Its symbol is a Ywith two lines horizontally across its centre: ¥, and ¥100 is roughlyequivalent to US$1.
Deciding how much money you should take to Japan
Needless to say, calculating how much money you should taketo Japan will depend in some part on what sort of traveller you are – thosehappy with budget accommodation and cheaper food options won’t need quite somuch as someone looking for a little more luxury.
Don’t forget to take any tour costs into consideration too –you certainly don’t want to travel all the way to Japan and find you haven’tbrought enough money to go on the trip you’ve been dreaming about. Whenconsidering how much to bring, first note whether your big trip costs, such ashotel accommodation, has already been paid for, or whether you need to coverthis too. Your daily costs will also depend on whether you are in a major citysuch as Tokyo, or in the countryside, where costs are slightly reduced bycomparison.
Assuming flights and accommodation are already paid for,budget travellers should get by on around ¥8,000 (around US$75) per day, whichwill be enough to cover simpler meals and visits to the main attractions. Upthis to ¥10,000 ($95) a day and you’ll be able to splash out on a few higher-endmeals and visit all the attractions without worry, while ¥20,000 per day willensure luxury all the way, eating in top restaurants, and even riding firstclass on Japan’s extensive rail network.
How much yen to bring to Japan?
If you can, its always worth arriving into Japan with someyen already in your pocket. We’d suggest having enough yen before arrival tocover the first few days of your trip, so you don’t have to be worrying aboutcurrency conversion when you should be enjoying your first taste of thisamazing country. If this isn’t possible, the next best thing to do is bring USdollars or another major currency (Euros, British Pound Sterling, or Australiandollars), and make use of the currency counters at the airport after customs.
The other good news when it comes to considering how muchmoney you should take to Japan is that the country is now very well served byATMs. They can be found at post offices (look for the ‘T’ sign andorange-coloured stores), and 7-Eleven stores among other locations. Withdrawingcash in this way will result in some banking fees – usually a withdrawal feeand further currency conversion fee – however it does minimise the quantity ofcash you have to bring with you. Credit and debit cards are accepted at majorhotels and the larger shopping malls, although the use of cards in Japan isgenerally more limited than in western countries.
The cost of transport in Japan: how to get about
Since transport is likely to be one of your largestadditional expenses while in Japan, it is important to consider how muchtraveling you plan to do when calculating how much money you should bring toJapan. Here’s some information that should help.
While Japan’s buses can be difficult to use withoutknowledge of the language, many of the country’s largest cities (Tokyo,Hiroshima, Nagoya, and Sapporo among them) have comprehensive metro light railsystems that are relatively easy to use as a visitor, and are the cheapest wayto get around. That said, they are best avoided during morning and evening peakrush hours, when they get extremely crowded with commuters heading to and fromwork. Ticket prices start at less than ¥200 for a single journey, with a daypass costing ¥600.
A more relaxed way to cross a city would be with a private taxi,with prices starting at ¥500, and then costing ¥400 per kilometre, meaning wecan’t recommend using a taxi for longer journeys unless there is noalternative.
The best way of completing a longer journey in Japan isalmost certainly through the country’s comprehensive and highly efficient railnetwork, incorporating regular trains, express services, and Japan’s famed shinkansen bullet train high-speed lines.
Japan Rail offers a number of different passes providingdiscounted travel to visitors, which can be purchased even before reachingJapan, helping further when deciding how much money you should bring to Japan. Thesepasses offer unlimited travel on local, express, and shinkansen services, aswell as some buses. There are regional and national passes available, lastingfrom two (for regional passes) to 21 days in length, with the option of economyor premium (first-class) passes, for adults and children. As a guide, a seven-dayadult national pass in economy costs just over ¥29,000.
The cost of food: cheap eats versus Michelin dining
Food is likely to be another of your big expenses andshouldn’t be forgotten when considering how much money you should bring toJapan. However, even in Tokyo and other major cities, good quality food can befound without breaking the bank. Many restaurants offer good-value set lunchmenus, which are well worth looking out for, particularly if you’re on atighter budget. A plate at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant (called a Kaiten-zushi in Japanese, and also sometimes called a sushi-trainrestaurant) can be as low as ¥100.
At the other end of the spectrum, Japan has thesecond-highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, only bestedby France. Almost 300 restaurants have been awarded one star, with a further100 gaining two-star status, and 25 the much-lauded top grade of three Michelinstars, which will cost you the yen equivalent of several hundred US dollars fora meal. There are also an incredible number of mid-range restaurants to choosebetween across the country, with costs from around ¥4,000.
Budgeting for sightseeing in Japan
How much money should you take to Japan for sightseeing canbe a tricky question to answer. On the one hand, many of the country’s mainattractions, including most of its major museums and important temple sites arefree to enter. On the other hand, there are attractions you will have to payfor. A visit to an iconic sumo wrestling match will cost in the region of¥26,000, while a tour of the famed Studio Ghibli animation studio (behind filmsincluding the Oscar-winning Spirited Away) costs ¥4,000.
Budgeting correctly for a trip is the best way to ensure astress-free vacation while missing out on nothing you want to see or do, andthis is no different when visiting Japan. Hopefully we’ve shown you exactly howmuch money you should take to Japan to ensure this doesn’t happen to you!
