Banks and Exchange Services

Outside major cities there are no foreign exchange services. Local banks in Hokkaido towns are not user-friendly for foreign visitors. Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa, and Kushiro have banks with exchange counters and automatic teller machines. Banks in Sapporo are concentrated on Eki-mae Dori, the wide main street linking Sapporo Station and the Odori shopping area. Banking hours are weekdays 10 am-3 pm.

Many establishments will not take credit cards, apart from large hotels, some restaurants, and gas stations. We recommend you get yen cash (as Japan is largely a cash-based society) from post office (yubinkyoku) ATMs, found in every settlement. Post offices are open until 6 pm every day.