How much Yen Do I need per day in Japan? - 2023 (2023)

FAQs

How much money do you need for a 7 day trip to Japan? ›

The average price of a 7-day trip to Japan is $1,659 for a solo traveler, $2,690 for a couple, and $1,913 for a family of 4. Japan hotels range from $62 to $304 per night with an average of $105, while most vacation rentals will cost $140 to $520 per night for the entire home.

A vacation to Japan for one week usually costs around ¥106,216 for one person. So, a trip to Japan for two people costs around ¥212,432 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs ¥424,864 in Japan.

Total Spending Money in Japan

So, for an 8-day trip, we recommend $640 dollars of spending money, which breaks down to about $80 dollars per person per day. Keep in mind that this does not include your airfare, hotels, land transportation, travel insurance, luggage transfers, or pocket Wi-Fi.

5,000 yen – Comparable to an American $50 bill, this may be the one you use to pay for dinner and drinks at a well-known restaurant or izakaya. 10,000 yen – Essentially a $100 bill. Present this bill when paying for the whole family to eat.

100 yen shops in Japan offer almost everything you can think of: tableware, kitchen goods, stationery, character goods, stationery, and much more!

Cash is still a favored method, although the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the use of digital and contactless payments. Most major credit cards are accepted for purchases in larger stores and restaurants. However, be aware that shrines and other locations in rural areas might only take cash.

Credit, debit and prepaid cards of international brands are generally accepted throughout the country. There will be instances where stores may not display the symbols of the cards they accept, so ask the salesperson if you can use your card.

Is Japan Expensive? Yes, but the cost of travelling within Japan is relative. Before getting there, there is a lot to decide about where you will go, whether to purchase the rail pass and what kinds of accommodation you want to try out, from standard budget hostels to traditional Japanese experiences.

Foreign currency such as the U.S. dollar, the Euro, Chinese Yuan Renminbi, and so on, can be exchanged in various locations in Japan. Since many smaller shops or restaurants don't accept credit cards, it is wise to have a certain amount of cash on hand when exploring the country.

Japan is an amazing country where ancient traditions and modern customs go hand in hand. If you think 3 weeks is too long for Japan, think again. It's easy to travel for 3 weeks in Japan without getting bored. You need three weeks in Japan just to visit the highlights.

Is 2000 dollars enough for Japan? ›

Re: Living in Japan with 2000 dollars per month

You can live anywhere in Japan on 2000 yen per month, but indeed living in a smaller city may give you more leeway. As long as there's a train station nearby and you're not in the middle of nowhere, access to the nearest large city should not be a problem.

Budget: Up to ¥8000 per day. Mid-range: ¥10,000–20,000 per day. Luxury: More than ¥20,000 per day.

Any item whose overseas market value is under 10,000yen is free of duty and/or tax and is not included in the calculation of the total overseas market value of all articles. There is no duty-free allowance for articles having a market value of more than 200,000yen each or each set.

Average Food Expense for a Day in Japan

You can enjoy much of Japan's rich food culture for around 1,000 yen per meal. If you have at least 3,000 yen per day to spend on food, you will have enough to eat in terms of volume and taste.

The strong USD travel boom

But there's one destination beyond Europe that offers U.S. travelers an even more lucrative exchange rate: Japan. The U.S. dollar has gained 26.1% against the Japanese yen, the weakest major currency versus the dollar this year.

For instance, you will get a better exchange rate for yen in Southeast Asian countries than in Japan. But if you are traveling from the United States, definitely wait to exchange your money. You will get a much better rate in Japan for your dollars than in the US.

A generation ago, an astonishing 90 percent of Japanese were proud to call themselves “middle class” – meaning what? “Car, color TV, air conditioner” – the “3 Cs” – either acquired or within reach. A middle class “middle income” was, in today's terms, 5.5 million yen a year.

1 USD = 132.4688 JPY Jan 11, 2023 09:55 UTC

Check the currency rates against all the world currencies here. The currency converter below is easy to use and the currency rates are updated frequently.

Hiyaku Style's Japanese name, Hyakuin, literally translates to "one-hundred drinks" and the concept of this standing bar in the heart of Akihabara is just that. All menu items, from snacks to drinks, can be ordered for a mere 100 yen!

Is it better to use credit card or cash in Japan? ›

Cash is still a favored method, although the COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the use of digital and contactless payments. Most major credit cards are accepted for purchases in larger stores and restaurants. However, be aware that shrines and other locations in rural areas might only take cash.

Despite recent changes in consumer behaviour and ongoing campaigns to encourage the use of cashless options, Japan remains a cash-driven culture. In a survey conducted in early 2021 by Statista, more than 90 percent of respondents named cash as their most-used payment method.

Most Japanese ATMs charge small fees. Japan ATM withdrawal fees usually depend on the time of day and the day of the week.

Americans cannot drive in Japan with only a U.S. drivers license. Persons found driving in Japan without a legal license are subject to fines, arrest and possible deportation. “International Driving Permits” are not a medium-to-long term substitute for a Japanese driver's license.

Also keep in mind that while credit and travel money cards are accepted by larger hotels and department stores in Japan, many places (including small shops and restaurants) will still only accept cash, especially in smaller cities and towns.

The amount of cash you need varies according to where in Japan you are, what you're doing, and how much you're wanting to spend. You also won't need the same amount of cash everyday! On average, travelers recommend exchanging 100 dollars into yen, for each day you're in Japan.

The best time to visit Japan is during spring (March to May) and fall (September to November). This is when Japan is at its most vibrant, with delicate cherry blossom or bright red leaves adding contrast to the scenery. Remember, it can also be very crowded at this time.

In the US, the average price per square foot to buy a residence in the city center is around $335, whereas in Japan a comparable figure is $760. This is an approximate 57% increase. However, on the whole, house prices are generally lower in Japan than the US, especially since the Covid pandemic.

After almost two years of travel suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan has now eased their Covid-19 entry restrictions. Moreover, Japan has now resumed its visa-free services, and travellers are once again eligible to enter Japan visa-free.

Generally there is no need to buy Japanese yen in your home country before your trip, as you will most likely pay a higher commission (about 3%) and a worse exchange rate than you would get at the airports, banks, or ATMs in Japan.

What do Japanese say when leaving restaurant? ›

Instead, it is polite to say "gochisosama deshita" ("thank you for the meal") when leaving.

Foreign currencies are not accepted for payments in Japan, except maybe at major international airports.

Ten days is enough for a first timer, but you could easily stretch this itinerary to two weeks in Japan if you have a few extra days, or skip one or two places if you only have a week there. Mad, mind-boggling, and futuristic are all words that come to mind when I think of our 10-day trip to Japan.

As a first timer in Japan, you should definitely visit the main tourist spots like Tokyo, Kyoto and/or Osaka. In addition, you can also visit some isolated areas such as some the beautiful islands like Hokkaido and Okinawa!

The Worst Times to Visit Japan

The rainy season tends to precede extremely hot and humid summer temperatures. Cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto are often uncomfortably hot and best avoided during the peak summer months of July and August.

How much does 3 weeks in Japan cost? Assuming a minimum cost of 100 USD (¥10,000) per person per day, the least you can expect to spend for a Japan 3 week itinerary is $2,100 (¥210,000), which does not include the price of your flights to and from Japan.

Japan offers a wide range of accommodation types in both Japanese and Western styles, including some unconventional forms such as capsule hotels and temple lodgings. Rates range from less than 2,000 yen per person in a dormitory to over 50,000 yen per person in a first class hotel or ryokan.

The Japanese believe you are already paying for a good service, so there is no need to pay extra by tipping. Japan is one of the very few countries in the world that offers a truly spectacular service without any strings attached.

Money. There is no limit to the total amount of means of payment that may be brought into or taken out of Japan.

What can I not bring to Japan? ›

Firearms such as pistols, revolvers and machine guns, and bullets or parts thereof. Explosives, gunpowder, materials for chemical weapons, germs such as anthrax. Counterfeit, altered or imitated coins, bank notes or securities, and forged credit cards. Obscene or immoral materials, and child pornography.

Mcdonald's Total Operating Expense (Q3 2021 - Q2 2022, $ Million) Fast food chain operator, McDonald's will increase the prices of about 60% of its offering in Japan from Sept 30, 2022. The price of its signature big Mac hamburger will rise to 410 yen ($2.85) from 390 yen.

The estimated total cost for 2 weeks in Japan is ¥790,000 ($5450) for 2 people. This works out to ¥28,300 ($195) per person per day, and it includes flights, accommodation, transportation, food, activities, souvenirs, and other small expenses.

Quality ramen in Tokyo tends to cost around 1,000 yen (just under $8) these days, give or take a few hundred, so there's no reason not to try them all.

If you're referring to a living wage in Tokyo, then yes, it's more than enough. 1 million yen is roughly $7,400 as of current conversion rates (July 2022).

One hundred yen is approximately one U.S. dollar. Exchange rates vary. And no, it isn't a lot in Japan and doesn't get you much.

Big bills are readily used and accepted in Japan; you are unlikely to be frowned upon for using a 10,000 yen bill to pay even for low-cost items, although smaller denominations are appreciated for payments made in taxis, smaller shops, temples and shrines.

So, a trip to Tokyo for two people for one week costs on average ¥277,816 ($2,032). All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget. A vacation to Tokyo for one week usually costs around ¥138,908 for one person.

But how do you define a rich person in Japan? According to Atsushi Miura, who last year published a book titled “The New Rich,” the financial industry considers a person to be wealthy if their yearly income is over ¥30 million and they have assets of at least ¥100 million.

How much cash can you carry to Japan? ›

Currency. If you are carrying cash or other means of payment exceeding 1 million yen （*0.1 million JPY in a case that you are bound for North Korea）, you are required to declare to Customs. Please ask a Customs officer at a seaport/ airport for a blank form.

Credit, debit and prepaid cards of international brands are generally accepted throughout the country. There will be instances where stores may not display the symbols of the cards they accept, so ask the salesperson if you can use your card.

A Realistic Daily Budget for a Tokyo Trip

Factoring in accommodations, meal fees, transportation, entry fees, souvenir prices, the average tourist will spend around 20,000-25,000 yen for a day in Tokyo.

As alluded to in our full article on Japanese etiquette, most workers in service-related roles in Japan don't depend on tips to survive. In fact, not only is tipping in Japan not expected, but attempts to leave a tip will almost certainly be turned down (and potentially make for an awkward moment)!