Currency Exchange in Japan: Where and How to Get the Best Rate
Currency exchange in Japan means turning your home-country cash into Japanese yen at a counter, and where you do it decides how much yen you actually take home.1 The gap between the best and worst counter on the same day can cost thousands of yen on a single exchange, and the worst counter is usually the first one you walk past after landing.23
Fees, rules, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the airport operator and bank pages linked in References.
Overview
This guide covers the cash-exchange hierarchy only: airport counters, bank and post office counters, reputable specialists, and tourist-area kiosks.1 It does not cover ATM network detail in depth; a companion ATM article will own that topic once published, and this guide states only the arrival-plan recommendation that depends on it.
Exchange rates fluctuate daily with financial markets, and which currencies a counter accepts differs by counter, so treat every figure below as a dated snapshot and confirm the posted board rate before committing.1 Japan still runs heavily on cash in daily transactions, which is why arriving with a yen plan matters more here than in card-first economies.1 For the full cash-or-card picture, see Is Japan Still a Cash-Only Country?.
Where the rate hierarchy actually sits
The order is stable even though the numbers move: reputable in-town counters post better value than tourist-area kiosks and hotel desks, and airport arrival-hall counters sit at the bottom for large amounts.23 Only the order is asserted here, because exact spreads differ by source and by day.
| Counter type | Typical position | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank and post office counters, reputable specialists | Better value, spread in the region of a few percent | 2026-063 | Weekday hours only at most branches |
| Tourist-area kiosks, hotel desks | Worse value, margin hidden in the posted spread | 2026-042 | Legal disclosed-rate businesses, not fraud |
| Airport arrival-hall counters | Worst rate on the trip, 2–5 percent worse than city banks | 2026-042 | Use for immediate needs only |
The table above reflects secondary-source texture as of the dates shown; confirm current figures with the counter board before exchanging, since spreads move with market conditions.23
Bank and post office counters and reputable specialists
Major banks (MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC) and Japan Post Bank are the standard in-town counter options, often near major stations, but many bank branches close at 3 p.m. (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with JNTO).1 World Currency Shops, the established specialist network dotted around the country, sit in the same better-value tier.1
Bank-counter spreads on major currencies sit in the region of a few percent (as of 2026-06).3 Only larger post offices handle foreign-currency exchange, and many counters accept only top major currencies, so minor currencies may be refused (as of 2026-09).12 Confirm at the specific branch before making a special trip.
The 外貨両替 (gaika ryōgae, "foreign currency exchange") counter posts a fee-included retail rate, so the board figure is exactly what you receive.3 Compare that board figure against the mid-market benchmark on your phone before handing over cash; the gap is the provider's margin.3
Tourist-area kiosks and hotel desks
Hotel front-desk exchange is a convenience service with typically poor value, and stand-alone tourist booths advertising no commission offset the claim through a wider buy/sell spread.23 Use them for small emergency amounts only, never for the trip budget.
These are legal businesses posting disclosed rates, not scams, so frame the decision as value, not safety.3 The cost sits in the posted margin, which is why the mid-market comparison above matters most exactly here.
Airport arrival-hall counters
All major airports have exchange points in their arrivals halls, so you will not be stranded without yen.1 Narita Airport has eight GPA counters plus automatic machines across Terminals 1, 2, and 3, handling 34 currencies (as of 2026-09).45 Haneda Airport has exchange facilities throughout the terminal, including Travelex and bank counters, with some 24-hour points subject to overnight maintenance closures.6
GPA notes its posted online rate is a reference from the last daily update and the counter rate may move with the market, so confirm at the store (as of 2026-09).4
Before you fly or after you land
Exchanging the whole budget before departure at a home-country bank or bureau typically carries a wide margin, so the better default is a small yen holding plus the bulk on arrival in Japan.23 A small amount of yen in hand on landing buys calm; a full budget exchanged at home buys regret.
How much yen to hold on arrival
Hold roughly ¥10,000–¥30,000 in yen when you land, sized to airport transfer, a first meal, and small purchases before you reach an ATM or in-town counter (as of 2026-04; confirm current figures with current counter boards).2 Late-night arrivals and early-closing branch hours are the reason to hold the upper end of that range.17
Minimum practical counter exchanges sit near ¥10,000 equivalent (as of 2026-04).2 Below that, an ATM withdrawal is more practical than a counter visit.
Why the bulk waits until Japan
The bulk waits because in-country ATM network rates plus small operator fees beat airport and hotel counter margins for most travelers.3 The exception is the traveler's own card: home-bank foreign-transaction and ATM fees, often 1–3 percent, are usually the larger cost component (as of 2026-06).3 Check your issuer fee structure before the trip, since that single fee decides whether the ATM route actually wins for you; Planning Your Cash Strategy Before You Fly walks through that home-bank prep alongside arrival-day yen sizing.
What to bring and show at the counter
Counter exchanges require the passport in person for larger amounts; a home-country driver licence or national ID is not a substitute at bank or post office counters.48 Carry the passport on any day you plan a counter exchange, not just on arrival day.
Passport presentation for larger exchanges
At GPA Narita counters, exchanges over ¥100,000 up to ¥1,000,000 require your name plus phone or flight number on the voucher (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with GPA).4 Exchanges over ¥1,000,000 require full name, address, birth date, purpose, and occupation, with the passport plus an address-confirming document shown and copies retained (as of 2026-09).4 The maximum per day per holder at one GPA store is ¥5,000,000 (as of 2026-09).4
At World Currency Shop counters, an official document confirming your name is required regardless of transaction amount, a rule in force from February 1, 2024 (as of 2026-09).8 Exchanges of ¥2,000,000 or more need advance application from the shop website and may still be declined (as of 2026-09).8
Bills, currencies, and the customs declaration threshold
Bring clean, undamaged larger-denomination notes, since small bills and coins are commonly refused or uneconomic at counters.2 Accepted currencies differ by counter: GPA handles 34 currencies at Narita while many bank branches handle only top major currencies (as of 2026-09).41
Entering or leaving Japan with more than ¥1,000,000 in cash, checks, traveler checks, or securities requires a customs declaration.1 Refer to the Japan Customs site for the procedure; the declaration is separate from the exchange itself.
The practical arrival plan
The recommended sequence is a modest airport exchange for immediate needs, then bulk yen via ATM withdrawal after clearing the terminal, with in-town counters as the weekday-hours fallback for travelers already holding foreign cash.23 The decision looks like this:
Exchange only a modest amount at the airport
Size the airport exchange to transit plus first-day needs, in the region of ¥10,000–¥30,000, not the whole trip budget (as of 2026-04; confirm current figures with the counter board).2 This covers the train or bus into the city and the first purchases while you look for an ATM.1
Handle the bulk after you clear the terminal
Seven Bank ATMs at 7-Eleven stores (over 28,000 machines, day or night) accept foreign-issued cards with multilingual screens; the per-withdrawal limit for overseas cards is ¥100,000, or ¥30,000 for magnetic-stripe transactions, plus a per-transaction service charge where applicable (as of 2026-09; confirm current figures with Seven Bank).910 Japan Post Bank ATMs accept Visa, Plus, Mastercard, Maestro, Cirrus, JCB, UnionPay, and Discover cards issued abroad, with a ¥220 (tax included) usage fee per use in many cases plus any issuer fee, and a single-transaction limit of ¥50,000 (as of 2026-09).7
Japan Post Bank ATM hours at post offices are typically Monday to Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Sundays and holidays 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., varying by machine, while compact ATMs in FamilyMart stores run near 24 hours (as of 2026-09).7
Good to know
Compare the posted rate against the mid-market benchmark first
The board shows the fee-included retail rate, not the Google-visible mid-market midpoint, and the gap between them is the provider's margin.3 A one-minute phone check before handing over cash matters most at airport and tourist counters, where the gap runs widest.2
Branch hours can strand a counter-only plan
Many bank branches close at 3 p.m. and post office counter and ATM hours vary by branch and machine, so an evening or weekend arrival cannot rely on in-town counters.17 That is exactly the case the modest airport exchange plus ATM fallback above is built for.
Carry clean larger-denomination notes for counter exchanges
Counters handle clean larger-denomination notes economically and commonly refuse small bills and coins.2 If all you hold is small change in a foreign currency, an ATM withdrawal in yen is the practical route instead.
Spend yen down instead of re-exchanging at departure
Buy/sell spreads apply in both directions, and departure-counter rates are set for convenience, so changing leftover yen back costs a second wide spread.23 The modest-arrival sizing in this guide is the hedge: exchange less up front and you have less to convert back.
See also
- ATMs That Accept Foreign Cards in Japan
- Currency Exchange Places to Avoid
- Is Japan Still a Cash-Only Country?
- Planning Your Cash Strategy Before You Fly
- Japan Trip Checklist: What to Sort Out Before You Fly