Can you travel to Japan without cash? The short answer: you can’t rely on cards alone! Having cash gives you peace of mind. While electronic payments and credit cards have improved a lot in Japan in recent years—many convenience stores, department stores, and even ramen shops accept PayPay or credit card payments—you’ll quickly realize on a trip that not everywhere takes cards. Which places still only accept cash? Common examples include long-established food stalls in shopping streets, local eateries, certain shrines and temples, traditional inns, hotel laundry machines, vending machines, and local buses. If you don’t carry cash, you could easily get stuck.

So even if you’re a credit card enthusiast, you should prepare some Japanese yen before traveling. How much cash should you bring? Let’s break it down by scenario.

What do travelers say? How much cash per day?

In travel communities, many travelers share their budgeting methods. Here’s a practical approach:

“If your meal budget is modest, around ¥5,000 per day is enough; if you plan to travel between prefectures, add roughly ¥3,000 for transportation. Altogether, about ¥8,000 per day. Multiply by 12 days, and you get ¥96,000—bringing around ¥100,000 gives extra peace of mind.”

This estimate is relatively conservative and practical. If your travel style mainly involves convenience stores and casual restaurants, you don’t change cities every day, and you’re not a shopaholic, then your daily cash expenditure will likely be around ¥5,000–¥8,000.

Although credit cards and PayPay (even if you don’t have the Japanese version, other services cooperating with PayPay can work via QR code) cover most expenses, there are still places that don’t accept cards or other mobile payments. So carrying some cash is still very helpful.

PayPay Official: https://paypay.ne.jp/

Different travel styles affect how much cash you need

Everyone travels differently, so cash needs vary. Here we break travelers into three common types to help plan your budget more accurately.

Scenario A: City trip, card-oriented

➡ Recommended cash budget: about ¥2,000–¥4,000 per day
➡ For a five-day trip, around ¥20,000 in cash is sufficient

Scenario B: Traveling across regions, local-life style

➡ Recommended cash budget: about ¥5,000–¥8,000 per day
➡ For a ten-day trip, ¥80,000–¥100,000 is safer

Scenario C: Cash-control traveler

➡ Recommended cash budget: about ¥8,000–¥10,000 per day
➡ For twelve days, prepare ¥100,000–¥120,000

Can you withdraw cash in Japan? Things to watch out for

Yes, but keep the following in mind:

• Not all ATMs accept overseas cards!

It’s safer to use 7-Eleven ATMs or Japan Post ATMs, which are more reliable.

• Some ATMs limit the withdrawal amount—typically ¥10,000–¥30,000 per transaction.
• Fees may apply both in your home country and in Japan.
• Even if your card is enabled for overseas withdrawals, some machines may fail to read it—travelers have reported this issue, which can be very stressful.
• If you plan to supplement cash with Japanese ATMs, it’s safer to exchange at least half of the cash before departure and withdraw the rest locally if needed.

Practical advice: how much cash for a 10-day trip?

Here are suggestions based on travel type:

✅ If you:

➡ Recommended cash: ¥50,000 for a 10-day trip

✅ If you:

➡ Recommended cash: ¥80,000–¥100,000 for a 10-day trip

✅ If you want to “bring enough cash all at once” and not worry:

➡ ¥100,000 cash covers about 90% of most trip plans and is the typical amount most travelers choose.

Tips: how to carry cash safely

• Distribute your cash

Do not carry all your cash on you; split it into three parts: your bag, luggage, and hotel safe.

• Don’t just bring large bills

Carry some ¥1,000 and ¥5,000 notes for convenience (especially for tickets and purchases in shopping streets).

• Exchange half the cash before departure

Handle the exchange at banks or currency exchange counters, and withdraw the remaining cash locally if needed.

If you have specific restaurants or markets you want to visit, check in advance whether they accept cards. Some chain ramen shops have ticket machines that only accept cash, so being unprepared could mean missing out on delicious meals!

Recommended reading:

Don’t Want to Use Cash? Mobile Payment/E-Payment That You Can Use in Japan