Traveller tips - money

Japan is a cash-based society. There are ATMs all over the place, like in convenience stores and outside banks, but most of them only allow you to use Japanese bank cards, ie to make withdrawals from a Japanese bank account. At the airport, of course, you can find ATMs that will let you withdraw from overseas accounts.

If you need more money once you're in the city, you can find a post office. A lot of post offices have ATMs where you can use international credit cards, while most other ATMs - and I have tried a LOT of them - don't.*

*(I have successfully used my card in at least a dozen countries, from Egypt to Guatemala, Singapore to Norway. Japan was the only place I've found that had foreigner-unfriendly ATMs as the default.)

7-11 also often has international card-compatitble ATMs.

You should be aware that many ATMs actually have operating hours and may be closed/inaccessible at night.

Withdrawing from an international ATM generally incurs a currency conversion fee and a withdrawal fee, but this is usually still cheaper than converting your money at a currency exchange.

You can find currency exchanges around major cities in Japan, especially in very touristy places or in the most major banks, but they're not exactly ubiquitous. You have to seek them out, probably look up online where to find them.

Nonetheless, when it comes to money, do what's comfortable for you.