Japan Travel: Why and How to Use the ATM?
Attention: Click here to view a mobile-friendly version. If you ever travel in Japan, do remember that Japan is a cash-centric country. Many small vendors still require cash. Read [1] for some good tips. Why Use the ATM Overseas? Whether you need euros, shekels, pesos or yens, making a withdrawal from an ATM is generally the easiest and cheapest way to get cash abroad. The biggest advantage of exchanging money with your ATM card is that all cash withdrawals, regardless of size, are exchanged based on the wholesale exchange rate, which is usually reserved only for very large interbank exchanges. [2] Sample of Transactions To show you the advantages of making a withdrawal from an ATM, here are my personal experiences: Airport Currency Exchange Counter To get rid of remaining Japanese Yen before returning to US, I had to use the Airport Currency Exchange Counter at Haneda Airport for that purpose. Here is the exchange rate I got on 11/23/201...