Guide to money in Japan

One of the biggest things involved with visiting Japan is getting access to money in the country.  Japan does not generally accept foreign cards at ATMs.  Even when paying it is not assured that any place even in Tokyo accepts debit or credit cards and it is always best to ask in advance to make sure to avoid some very difficult and uncomfortable situations when the bill comes.  While language can be an issue when trying to find this out what worked for me was to hold my credit card and ask in English at the start if they accept it, eventually the idea got through.  Also the word card-o (yes I know how bad that sounds but seeing as a Japanese person said it to me first I assume this is the word) seemed to help get the point across.  Now if you want to get cash to walk around with in Japan it isn't too difficult (so don't feel like you have to constantly carry massive amounts of cash all the time) you just have to know where to look.

Pay close attention to the above picture.  The symbol on the top that looks like a giant weird letter "T" is the symbol for the Japanese Post Office, which if you have a foreign credit card is the only place you will be able to find an ATM that will work for you.  The lower one with the JP network is also found on banks, useful for currency exchange but may or may not accept foreign cards.  There are times when you will find one but not the other so it is good to know what they both look like.  Here is what the entrance to Japanese post offices and banks look like.  Notice the front has the signage of the bank but if you look to the sign on the right you see the giant T that is the symbol for the post office.

Once inside you will find an ATM that has an English menu (picture below) to get your money or you can go to a teller to change foreign currency into Yen (if it is a bank)