💱Currency Exchange

Comparing rates, commissions, physical kiosks, and digital exchange methods.

Before Departure

Do Not Exchange at Home

Avoid exchanging cash at your home airport; rates for Japanese Yen outside of Japan are notoriously poor due to high administrative markups.

Best Options in Japan

Use Travelex or automatic smart-exchange kiosks inside major train stations for competitive conversion rates and fast transactions.

Worst Options in Japan

Avoid hotel front desks (massive markups) and traditional bank exchange counters (heavy paperwork and 30+ minute wait times).

🚀 Recommended Digital Alternative

Load funds onto a digital Suica card using a Mastercard/Amex via Apple Wallet. This gives you near-perfect interbank exchange rates, bypassing physical exchange offices completely.