I'm told that it's a cash heavy economy. Presuming that I take a credit card to pay for any souvenirs over £50 (Where possible), how much actual cash should I take for everything else?

That's right - Japan has a strong cash culture and it is likely that you'll see people carrying large quantities of cash. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and other major credit cards are widely accepted in towns. ATM’s are available with many branches of the Post Office and 7-eleven stores accepting foreign cards. Otherwise, only international banks accept foreign credit or debit cards, and these are hard to find outside of major cities.

We can't recommend a set amount as it is really down to your personal preference and what you want to do in your spare time. Living costs in Japan and especially in Tokyo are famous to be among the world's highest, please bear this in mind when budgeting and planning your holiday.

Kindest regards,

Monty

Do stores do Cashback\cash advance like they do in Europe?

I've lived in London and Hong Kong before, so I'm used to places with a high cost of living, but I've gotten out of the habit of carrying paper money in recent years.

Hi PerfectBlue97,

That's right - Japan has a strong cash culture and it is likely that you'll see people carrying large quantities of cash. American Express, MasterCard, Visa and other major credit cards are widely accepted in towns. ATM’s are available with many branches of the Post Office and 7-eleven stores accepting foreign cards. Otherwise, only international banks accept foreign credit or debit cards, and these are hard to find outside of major cities.

We can't recommend a set amount as it is really down to your personal preference and what you want to do in your spare time. Living costs in Japan and especially in Tokyo are famous to be among the world's highest, please bear this in mind when budgeting and planning your holiday.

Kindest regards,

Monty

Hi PerfectBlue97,

I am on this trip in May.  Really looking forward to it.

Looking forward to meeting you at the airport.

Regards.

PaulineD

I have found a little snippet from the GOV website which may be of help...

Japanese post offices, 7-Eleven stores and Citi Bank have cash machines, which will accept some foreign cards during business hours. Cash machines at banks and post offices generally close at 9pm or earlier and may not operate at the weekends or on national holidays, however, ATMs in convenience stores and some shopping centres are available 24 hours a day.

I doubt there will be many places that that give cash back, but there will be an opportunity for you to replenish your cash from an ATM or alternative source. If you mention it to your Tour Manager, they will be more then happy to help.

Kindest regards,

Monty