Should I bring Canadian or US Dollars to Japan?

Question

I am Canadian, and it is easy for me to change my CAD to USD before I leave (almost at par). Is USD more recognised in Japan than CAD?

Answer 1

dont waste your time with travellers cheques or western money. Just bring your ATM card and use it at any 7-11 to get Yen, easy peasy.

Answer 2

Bring over Japanese Yen.

and don't bother with travellers checks.

Or just use your bank card at CitiBanks or Japanese Post Offices - that's the easiest option.

Only Japanese yen is used in Japan.

Answer 3

Bring international postal money orders and an ATM card. Don't bring any cash.

Answer 4

Prepare some Japanese Yen cash say Yen50,000 and bring together with your several (international)ATM/

credit cards either in PLUS or Cirrus international system.

CAD is out of reality(not always available to exchange at many places) and USD makes you double waste for exchange commission.

Answer 5

I travelled to Japan few times (I am American) so I brought USD and Japanese Yen. I exchanged the money when my flight transit in Hong Kong. You get a better rate in HK rather than in Japan. Don't exchange at Thomas Cook or other very expensive exchange service in the airport. You will get less.

Answer 6

Neither is useful in daily life. Exchange them for Yen. Japan is a cash society many places do not take credit cards or travelers checks even so make sure to bring enough Japanese Yen. Leave some at your hotel in the safe though in case of an emergency.

I suggest going to the Post office in Japan or a Currency Exchange place in a Major city before you go to Japan. Avoid doing it at the airport because their exchange rates are usually pretty poor.

Answer 7

If you exchange your Canadian money to USD and then to Japanese yen, you're paying exchange rate fees twice, so it's not a good idea. You should just exchange directly from CAD to JPY.

For example, say the exchange rate fee is 3% and it's

1 US Dollar =  1.05520 Canadian Dollar

1 US Dollar =  109.034 Japanese Yen

1 Canadian Dollar =  103.359 Japanese Yen

100 CAD / 1.05520 / 1.03 = 92 USD

92 USD * 109.034 / 1.03 = 9,738 JPY

100 CAD * 103.359 / 1.03 = 10,034 JPY

Answer 8

Just bring travellers checks. If you lose the checks you can get them replaced and they are honored anywhere. I usually exhcnage the checks at the hotels. The banks take a huge commission and its not worth it. And exchange some yen at your local bank. It probably takes about a couple of buisness days to get that to you but its better to arrive in japan with some money that you can use. But remember credit cards are universal. So do use it if you want because most stores ( excluding those outside of the big city...) do take credit cards.