Can I use my Visa debit card at an ATM machine in Tokyo?
Hello, It is very much a yes and no answer. There will be ATM machines you’ll be about to use – and in Central Tokyo (Shinjuku/Roppongi/Shibuya) there will be more than enough. But you have several issues attached to relying on your VisaCard. First withdrawing can be an expensive option – your bank and the system you will use to withdraw cash will both charge you and this can be a pretty steep charge. Second ATM machines in Japan are not all in use 24 hours a day (there are more than there use to be but you can still get caught out easier than you think). My advice is cash all the way – you can keep it in the hotel safe and just take out enough for a couple of days at a time. certainly take your credit card with you can have it with you for back up and you can use this in some stores (do not assume it can be used everywhere – even after 2 years I got caught out in Tokyu Hands once most embarrassing) I know everyone bangs on about travelers cheques and my friend who visited me bought so
Yes, but only at the ATMs in the post offices. I know some people have said that you should use the ATMs in banks, but they’ve always refused my Visa debit card. The ATMs in post offices are easy to find, and they are open generally from 9 – 5:30 M – F, 9 – 5 on Saturdays, and some branches also open 9 – 5 on Sundays. They also have a touch screen, and you can press the “English” button before inserting your card so that you can hear very LOUD English instructions and have English writing on screen. Just one warning, make sure you know your PIN – because if your card gets swallowed by a Japanese ATM you may as well forget it – cancel it and order a replacement! (They’re not going to attempt returning it to a bank in a foreign country!) Just look out for the post office logo on that you can see at the top left of this page; http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/off…
You should be able to use it at ATM at most banks just make sure you have your PIN number and just double check with your bank and enquire about the charges they will charge you. Its also a good idea to notify them that the card will be used overseas so they don’t suspend your account for suspicous activity. From my experience, when I was in Germany my bank would charge me $5 each time I withdrew money (that is seperate from the interest rate and conversion rate). I found it better to take larger amounts out at one time rather than smaller amounts numerous times.
You will definately have to use postal atms, they are the ones green in colour. These atms usualy close at around 7pm, so make sure you have plenty of cash. I would rely on cash only in stores. Japan is mostly a cash based country. Most hotels will let you use credit. As for the location of these, the obvious one is post offices but some banks have them included as part of their service and some major department stores have them for convenience. They have an english translation button that allows you to switch to english for ease of use. Be careful if you have multiple accounts on one card as you can only select the primary account. I had my credit card connected to my savings account on one card, I wanted to access the credit card for a cash advance but could only access my savings account. I had to go to an internet cafe and transfer the credit to my savings account then withdraw the money, a little costly. I would have at least 30 000 yen in cash on arrival, this would be enough to
