European debit cards in Japan
I will be traveling [from Austria] to Japan for two weeks soon.
From searching online it seems that I should prepare a few hundred euros and convert them to Yen as soon as I get there, since my MasterCard and my EU debit card are not going to be very popular for these choices.
But while the MasterCard is mentioned often (both on this site and elsewhere) as something that is sometimes being accepted, especially for larger purchases, there is no mention of debit cards (e.g. Maestro).
Are there places in Japan, specifically Tokyo, to get cash using European debit cards? Or should I just assume there are none, and bring a wad of cash with me?
Best Answer
In general, you should have few problems withdrawing cash if you're not in middle-of-nowhere. Most Seven Bank, AEON Bank, Lawson Bank and "big four bank" (Mitsubishi UFJ, Mitsui-Sumitomo, Mizuho and Resona) ATMs (or, in case of ATM booths, they usually will have at least one ATM that) support international withdrawals, and MasterCard is surely not a problem given its universal presence. Even ATMs of smaller banks (e.g., some Bank of Yokohama and Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank ATMs) will allow international withdrawals.
If you're in any city of considerable size (definitely in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, but even in Gifu or Matsuyama), you shouldn't have too much trouble finding at least a Seven Bank ATM which accepts your MasterCard: that would usually be in a Seven-Eleven, of course, but you'd have good chance of finding one at a (larger) train station or a subway station. FamilyMarts and Lawsons usually have ATMs too, which will probably accept international debit cards.
No need to worry too much about the cash withdrawal situation. That said, you're better off withdrawing as much as you can at once, to get lower effective international transaction fee rates. You may also consult if your bank has an agreement with a Japanese bank (likely one of the "big four") to save on transaction fees.
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Answer 2
You'll be able to pay with your MasterCard in many places, but indeed not everywhere. Not sure about debit card -- I've never owned one. Getting cash is a little harder, but much better than 20 years ago. Many banks have branches with ATMs that accept foreign cards. Two (well three) good locations in Tokyo: the airports, and Ginza. I know from personal experience that most bank ATMs in Ginza work with foreign cards.
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