bringing money to japan

[Psy]

I'm a little surprised by this about travelers checks. I ended up changing approx. $2,500 (USD) during my stay and had no problems with getting it done at a normal bank. Though the transactions were done in Japanese, for me it was as simple as agreeing on an exchange rate, showing my passport and signing a few things. The only concern was not all of the branch offices had the same service, so I had to go to larger office closer to the town centre. All said, I was in and out in all of 15 minutes.

[JonB]

good to hear - things have changed in the 8 years since I last tried it personally, then it took most of my lunch break!

I did accompany a visitor to an exchange shop in Roppongi Hills last month and he was in and out in 2 minutes though...

[annie]

I do the same, exchanging money with family and friends.

If you're from the States, open a credit union account that will allow you a certain number of free ATM transactions a month (mine gives me 5) And try to change the maximum withdrawal limit to at least $500.

I would try to wait for a better exchange rate before changing my dollars to yen.

In Japan, Shinsei Bank is great, as long as you can find a 7-11 or post office to withdraw money from