Use of debit cards in Japan
 

I have read in travel guides that very few automatic telling machines will accept foreign debit cards? Is this the case?

yes. They exist but they are few and far between and with limited hours.

Your best bet is to use the ATM locator at the website of your debit card provider (like www.mastercard.com) They give specific addresses for locations where your debt card will work.

It is also the custom in Japan, apparently without worry, to carry and use large amounts of cash.

Enjoy planning your trip.

Recently most post office atm's have been upgraded to accept Plus system cards. I haven't tried any of them, but I've seen the machines with the Plus sign all over the place...the postal banking system is huge with a vast network of atms, some even inside convenience stores.

That said, IF they work (like I said, I haven't tried a non-Japanese card in them), although they are not hard to find, they do keep business hours. Only a few are open outside of the 9 - 5 hours, and none at all are open 24 hours. In my neighborhood, they are closed on Sundays, but I can drive to the main post office and use the machine there.

In some cases, the machines have an English menu choice, but when you choose English it does not accept your card. This happened to me last week...the machine worked only in Japanese even though it had an English menu option. Odd I thought.

People do carry quite a bit of cash on them compared to Americans, but I'm still not comfortable with thousands of dollars in cash in my purse. I do use a credit card for most purchases, including gas and the supermarket.
I find it easier and I feel better not having piles of cash.

For a holder of a foreign ATM/debit card in Japan, an ATM that takes a foreign card is like an oasis in desert; you do not walk past it without asking yourself when you might see the next one.

What you find at a typical ATM is a vast array of symbols indicating the type of cards accepted; but Lo, cirrus, plus, Visa and Mastercard symbols are nowhere in sight!

We used the airport and post office ATMs.

Just imagine, in core Ginza area, frequented by many foreign visitors, the only ATM that accepts foreign ATM cards seems to be at the City Bank.

People seemed to carry A LOT of cash with them. I saw people whipping out one 10,000 bill after another in department stores, similar to how one might use $10 bills in the US.

Here's a link to the postal savings page that describes the international services. These machines really are all over the place, in post offices, of course, and in department stores, supermarkerts, some convenience stores (Daily Yamazaki is the only one so far as I know). Remember the green post office cash service mark and you'll suddenly realize these places are all over the place. It IS a pretty new service, in the past year or so, and if you don't know what you are looking for you won't find it. But, really, they are everywhere, and I don't even live in a big city.

KimJapan: If youo see this, do you happen to have that link to the post office page? I think you meant to post it but it didn't get on your post...thanks very much.

Ver, very few ATM machines and with limited hours. Bring traveler checks

The below listed website gives some information. I was able to use my US ATM card in post offices in Tokyo. Didn't try anywhere else. Supposedly Citibank takes US cards also.

http://www.yu-cho.japanpost.jp
/e_a0000000/aa200000.htm

You'll be able to use your PLUS or CIRRUS atm at just about any post office atm machine. You'll have much more flexibility in terms of where and when you can get money with atm in post offices than if you have traveler's checks you need to exchange, Bank hours are 9 - 3, Monday through Friday. ATM's in the smallest post offices are open until 5:00. Many are open on Saturday and Sunday, and the main post office's machines and those in convenience stores are open for withdrawals until 11 pm and on holidays and Sundays too.

It USED TO be true that finding an atm machine that would take foreign cards was nearly impossible. The Japan Post has taken care of that problem completely.

Here's the link that I meant to post...http://www.yu-cho.japanpost.jp/e_a0000000/aa200000.htm Familiarize yourself with the mark, and you'll be finding post offices and atm machines all over the place...there's at least 10 within a 10 minute walk from my house, and we live in Kanazawa, not a big city by any means.

Citibank does take foreign cards too...but there are only machines in the citibank office in Tokyo and Kansai and Narita airports as far as I know.

I am hoping to use a regular Visa card at the post office machines, as opposed to an debit card. The JNTO website says you can use foreign debit, credit (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), and cash cards (Cirrus, Plus Maestro, and Visa Electron) at the Japanese post offices that have the symbol. www.jnto.go.jp/eng/GJ/index_money.html

Check with your visa card issuer...you can use it here for sure but you need to be sure you have a cash advance limit high enough for your trip. You also need to have a high enough withdrawal limit for your needs. I know one of my US cards has a $100/day limit for cash advance/atm withdrawal - but you can change that...I guess that's their default setting. From the post office machines here, you can get 300,000 (like 3000 dollars) yen a transaction I think...if you need more you just make another transaction.

It's also a good idea to let your issuing company know that you will be using the card in Japan. More than once, I've had US cards declined for use in Hong Kong and Bangkok because it was outside of my usual spending pattern...had to contact the issuer and confirm I was me and that yes I was in Hong Kong/Bangkok and yes the card was in my possession and yes I was trying to use it...good for card security but not good in terms of convenience. Now I let the company know ahead of time and have no trouble.