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ATM Hours and the 7-Eleven (Seven Bank) Default

ATM hours in Japan surprise new residents because bank-owned machines still keep branch-style hours. The practical fix is the convenience-store ATM network, led by Seven Bank at 7-Eleven, with Japan Post Bank, Lawson Bank, and AEON Bank as backups.12

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at Seven Bank, Japan Post Bank, Lawson Bank, or AEON Bank official sites.

Overview​

Bank-owned ATMs commonly keep limited hours tied to branch business hours, while convenience-store and supermarket ATMs run extended or 24/7 hours.134 Seven Bank ATMs at 7-Eleven are the practical default for after-hours and foreign-card withdrawals because of nationwide placement and multilingual support.25

The pattern below is the one to internalize: branch machines for daytime paperwork, store machines for everything after hours.

Why Bank ATMs Close Early​

Domestic banks set ATM availability per institution rather than on one national schedule. Seven Bank frames partner-bank availability exactly this way, with hours, charges, and services confirmed per financial institution.1

Branch ATMs and limited hours​

Branch machines track branch business hours, so evening and weekend access is limited or unavailable. Exact closing times vary by bank and by machine location, so no single nationwide closing time applies.16

Even where an ATM window is nominally available, a machine inside a store that is not open 24 hours cannot be used after that store closes.6 At night, the host store closing time matters more than the bank brand on the machine.

After-hours and weekend fees on domestic cards​

Domestic cash-card use at a Seven Bank ATM can incur a per-transaction fee set by the card-issuing bank and the time band, shown on the ATM screen (as of 2026-09-06; confirm current figures with Seven Bank and your card-issuing bank).6 Seven Bank charges that fee per transaction where a service charge applies.6

AEON Bank is the stated exception for its own cards. Withdrawals, deposits, and in-bank transfers with an AEON Bank cash card at AEON ATMs are free with no after-hours surcharge (as of 2026-09-06).4

Use caseFee ruleAs ofNotes
Domestic partner-bank card at Seven Bank ATMVaries by issuing bank and time band, shown on screen2026-09-066Per-transaction charge
AEON Bank own card at AEON ATM¥0, no after-hours surcharge2026-09-064Withdrawal, deposit, in-bank transfer
Check the on-screen fee before confirming a domestic withdrawal

The surcharge depends on your issuing bank and the time band, not on Seven Bank alone. The confirmation screen shows the exact fee for that transaction.6

The Seven Bank Default at 7-Eleven​

セブン銀行 (Sebun Ginko, "Seven Bank") operates the ATMs inside 7-Eleven stores. For a resident who needs cash after branch hours or with a foreign-issued card, this is the first machine to look for.2

Network scale and hours​

Seven Bank describes its ATMs as usable 365 days a year.2 The network sits inside 7-Eleven stores nationwide at a scale on the order of tens of thousands of machines (as of 2026-09-06; confirm current figures with Seven Bank).17

A machine inside a store that is not open 24 hours is unavailable after that store closes, even within the nominal service window.6 Prefer a verifiably 24-hour 7-Eleven at night.

Foreign cards and English interface​

Seven Bank ATMs accept cards bearing Visa, PLUS, Mastercard, Maestro, Cirrus, UnionPay, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club marks.2 Some cards with these marks may still be rejected, so a backup card on a different network is worth carrying (as of 2026-09-06).2

Service hours differ slightly by brand. Visa and Mastercard family cards run 00:00 to 24:00 (as of 2026-09-06).2 UnionPay runs 00:10 to 23:50, American Express 00:05 to 23:50, JCB and Discover 00:10 to 23:50, and Diners Club 00:05 to 23:55 (as of 2026-09-06).2

The ATM offers English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese, French, German, and Portuguese selection after card insertion.5 Screens and receipts follow the selected language.5

Seven Bank also offers Dynamic Currency Conversion, a home-currency versus yen billing choice, on Visa and Mastercard family cards.5 JCB, Discover, UnionPay, American Express, and Diners Club are excluded from that service.5

Fees and withdrawal limits​

For overseas-issued cards, the per-withdrawal limit is ¥100,000, with magnetic-stripe transactions capped at ¥30,000 (as of 2026-09-06).25 Fees for overseas-issued cards vary by card brand, plus possible card-issuer charges (as of 2026-09-06).2

ItemRuleAs ofNotes
Overseas-card withdrawal limit¥100,000 per withdrawal, magnetic stripe ¥30,0002026-09-062Reduce amount and retry if over limit
Overseas-card feeVaries by brand plus issuer charges2026-09-062Shown on screen before confirmation
Do not rely on one foreign card alone

Seven Bank warns that some cards bearing an accepted mark may still be rejected. Carry a second card on a different network for late-night withdrawals.2

Japan Post Yucho as the Second Network​

ゆうちょ銀行 (Yucho Ginko, "Japan Post Bank") is the nationwide backup where no 7-Eleven is nearby. Its strength is the post-office footprint, not late-night hours.8

Network scale and where it sits​

The combined service network totaled 23,494 points nationwide: 12 head and branch offices, 223 sub-offices, 19,802 post offices acting as banking agent, and 3,457 simple post offices (as of 2025-03-31; confirm current figures with Japan Post Bank).8

Japan Post Bank operated 31,172 ATMs within that network (as of 2025-03-31).8 Only 235 locations are directly operated sales offices; the rest of the footprint is post offices acting as its banking agent.8

Network componentCountOperated by
Head and branch offices12Japan Post Bank directly8
Sub-offices223Japan Post Bank directly8
Post offices19,802Japan Post Co., as banking agent8
Simple post offices3,457Japan Post Co., as banking agent8
Total service points23,494Combined network8

Hours and foreign-card support​

Seven Bank lists Yucho Bank as a supported partner for withdrawals, deposits, and balance inquiry at Seven Bank ATMs.6 Passbook use, cash transfers, coin handling, and currency exchange are not available through that path.6

Yucho ATM hours and foreign-card handling vary by location and are confirmed on the ATM screen. Japan Post Bank direct ATM-hours pages were unreachable during research, so this article does not assert a single Yucho closing time.6

Lawson Bank and AEON Bank Backups​

ローソン銀行 (Roson Ginko, "Lawson Bank") and イオン銀行 (Ion Ginko, "AEON Bank") cover the gaps where neither 7-Eleven nor a post office is convenient. Both run extended-hour networks with multilingual support.39

Lawson Bank ATMs​

Lawson Bank ATMs sit in Lawson stores nationwide plus select commercial and transport facilities.3 They operate 0:00 to 24:00, with about 15 minutes of maintenance downtime between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. (as of 2026-03; confirm current figures with Lawson Bank).3

Accepted overseas brands are Visa, PLUS, JCB, UnionPay, Mastercard, Maestro, and Cirrus.3 Some cards with these marks may still be rejected, and some machines do not handle overseas cards.3 Screens support Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean.3

The per-withdrawal limit is ¥50,000 in ¥10,000 increments (as of 2026-09-06).3 Fees vary by card and issuing bank, plus possible issuer charges (as of 2026-09-06).3

AEON Bank ATMs​

AEON Bank operates more than 6,500 ATMs nationwide in AEON malls, AEON stores, Ministop, and group supermarkets; many locations run 24 hours, 365 days (as of 2026-09-06).4

Machines are unavailable about 30 minutes between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., plus monthly system maintenance on the second Monday from 1:30 to 4:30 and 5:15 to 5:25 a.m. (as of 2026-09-06).4

Accepted overseas brands are UnionPay, Mastercard, Maestro, Cirrus, Visa, PLUS, JCB, and Discover; service details differ from domestic cards and some same-mark cards may not work.9 Overseas-card service is listed as 24 hours across brands.9 The per-withdrawal limit is ¥50,000 and withdrawal fees vary by card issuer (as of 2026-09-06).9

NetworkOverseas limitHours noteAs of
Lawson Bank¥50,000 per withdrawal, ¥10,000 units0:00 to 24:00, ~15 min maintenance 3:00-4:002026-09-063
AEON Bank¥50,000 per withdrawal24 hours listed; ~30 min maintenance 3:00-4:002026-09-069

Good to know​

Do not assume your home-bank card works everywhere​

A card mark alone does not guarantee acceptance. Seven Bank, Lawson, and AEON each warn that some cards bearing an accepted mark may still be rejected, and some machines do not handle overseas cards at all.239 Carry two cards on different networks, and confirm the mark list on the machine before queuing.

After-hours fees apply to domestic cards too​

Evening and weekend use can add a per-transaction surcharge on a domestic card. Seven Bank charges per transaction where a service charge applies, with the amount set by the issuing bank and time band and shown on screen.6 AEON is the stated exception for its own cards, with no after-hours surcharge.4

Late-night and early-morning cash planning​

The 0:00 to 4:00 window is the maintenance trap across networks. Seven Bank brand windows narrow or close around midnight to early morning depending on brand, for example UnionPay from 00:10.2 Lawson notes about 15 minutes down between 3:00 and 4:00.3 AEON notes about 30 minutes down between 3:00 and 4:00 plus second-Monday maintenance.4 Withdraw before midnight if you need cash for the early morning.

Machine location matters more than bank brand at night​

A 24/7 network label does not override the host store closing time. Seven Bank states a machine in a non-24-hour store is unusable after closing even within the nominal window.6 At night, prefer a verifiably 24-hour store or a station or airport machine over a nominally 24/7 bank brand.

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. Seven Bank, Ltd. "Use ATM: ATM Fee and Branch Hours." https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/english/personal/atm/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. Seven Bank, Ltd. "Overseas Cards Usable at ATMs." https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/card2.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15

  3. Lawson Bank, Inc. "International ATMs." https://www.lawsonbank.jp/international/en/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  4. AEON Bank, Ltd. "ATM Service." https://www.aeonbank.co.jp/atm/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  5. Seven Bank, Ltd. "How to use ATM: Cash cards and credit cards issued overseas." https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/service2.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  6. Seven Bank, Ltd. "ATM fees and hours by bank: MUFG page / Yucho page (image tables, machine-readable text limited)." https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/personal/atm/banks/PLOGO0008.html and https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/personal/atm/banks/PLOGO9900.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  7. Seven Bank, Ltd. "Company outline (as of 2026-03-31)." https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/corp/company/outline.html ↩

  8. Japan Post Bank Co. "Integrated Report / Disclosure 2025 (data volume)." https://www.jp-bank.japanpost.jp/ir/financial/pdf/2025_document.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  9. AEON Bank, Ltd. "Cash cards and credit cards issued overseas." https://www.aeonbank.co.jp/atm/en/page02.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6