Traveler Checks v.s. Cash
 

I am making my first trip to Japan this Monday and I was hoping I could get a little advice concerning the use of traveler's checks within central Toyko. I am uncomfortable carrying large amounts of cash and I am keen to avoid oversees card charges, I thought that traveler's checks seemed like a good alternative. Do most hotels exchange them? If not, is it a simple process to go to a local post office or bank instead? Also are Pound Sterling traveler's checks as viable as Dollar or Yen ones?
Any advice would be appriciated.
Cheers!

In my experience, traveller's checks are a pain in the butt. Hotels might take them and big departments stores, but otherwise they are hard and timely to change to cash.

I have never had that much in the way of charges for using my credit card. I recommend credit cards and cash.

It's Japan for crying out loud. Carry as much cash as you want, everyone does. You will not be robbed, and no on will pick your pocket. Just stay away from any club or bar with Nigerian hustlers out front, and you'll be fine.

Japan isn`t 100% crime free. I don`t blame the original poster. It`s always better to be safe than sorry...

On the other hand, you`re going to have a lot of trouble if you try to go about using travelers checks. This was a couple years ago, but I had to help someone exchange theirs, and it literally took all day to find a place that would do it - and even then, they charged a huge fee.
I imagine things are a bit easier in a hugely tourist frequented area like Tokyo, but then again it isn`t as if we were out in the countryside.

I`d say it would probably be easier to invest in a slim money belt, and keep the majority of the cash in it, hidden away beneath your clothes. At the very least, I can say with confidence that the chances of you being held up or robbed are far lower than the chance of simply losing your wallet or dropping the cash.

Be prepared for a looooooooooong wait my friend. TC's are shunted to the back of the que so you should take some bento or sandwiches to the bank with you.

Best practise for Tokyo is to carry as much cash as you feel comfortable with and use international ATMs for top-ups. When using an ATM withdraw your full allowance as the charge will be the same for $5 as for $500.

At one point I had about ¥350,000.00 yen in my wallet.

I've dropped the idea of traveler's checks, it seems like it's cash all the way for me now.
Thanks for the advice

Had absolutely no problem cashing traveller checks at hotels or at exchange places in larger train stations, never paid any commission either, just take along checks in yen, not USD. On the other hand, I never managed to get cash out of an ATM with any of my credit cards.

Checks in yen? Japanese banks don't use checks. It's a cash based system.

with checks, I meant traveller checks, you can get them in many different currencies, yen been recommended for use in Japan.

If you go visit Japan what's the recommended amount you should take?

depends on what you are thinking of doing and how long you are staying!

A week in Ginza clubs (hehe) and resturants is going to kill the cash.
What sort of things are you going to buy and what sort of traveling will you be doing?

I'd like to buy a kimono, and if I go it would be for about a week. And I'd like to go to a host club (Hehe) (blush)

going for a week, buying Km and going to a hostess joint.

For a weeks spending $$ inc food, drink and travel look at $250 basic, $500 happy and $ 1500 FUN TIMES!!!
Kimono cheap $150 mid $600 exp $1500
Hostess bar $100-$1000 depending on bar, time used and how much you want to spend.

thanks! I'll remember that.

HOST bar, not hostess bar.

Save your money.

That depends on many things, such as how long you plan to stay, where you plan to stay, and what activities you plan to enjoy. Hostels and hotels range in price from $30 to $500 per day, food can run $10 to $100 per day. Transportation is $5 to $50 a day.

On a low-cost trip, you should budget $100 per day for hotel, food, transportation, and sightseeing. For an average stay, which includes tours, theme parks, and better restaurants, you should plan on spending about $200 per day.

You should bring about 1/3 more money than you think you'll need, there may be things you want to see, do, or buy that you didn't take into account when you were planning your trip.

Travelers checks are a pain, but credit cards are much more widely accepted in Japan than they once were, and Japan's post office ATMs will accept pretty much all foreign credit and/or ATM cards. But always carry extra cash just in case, you may find yourself on a tour somewhere and find out that no one accepts credit cards, and that the post office is closed. Convenience store ATMs generally will not accept foreign credit cards or ATM cards, so always keep ichi-man yen (10,000 yen note) hidden in your purse or wallet in case you need it.

Hi, rather than start a new thread for such a small question, how do you pronounce 'torabera-zu chekku' I just cant get my mouth around the first part.

Thanks.

totally personal question, but are the host clubs really expensive, cuz on the telly i saw that they can cost a lot, but if i go to japan, i want someone to show me around, (since i don't know anybody from japan) has anybody been to one?

How in the world can can someone type how to pronounce it? Just say it slowly in English and people will understand.

Hosts only show you to their club. They don't show people around.

really? dang, but they are hot! HAHA

the cost to go to japan, people usally say $1,800.00, but then i heard it was like $792.00. Does it only depend where youre leaving from? how much do you think it will cost leaving form California, bec i not sure anymore?

I fly to Japan from Seattle, fairly frequently of late. Airfare can range between $800 and $2600 for economy depending on what day of the week you fly, airline, which city in Japan you are flying into, and how far in advance you buy your ticket. Usual prices are $1100-$1600 if you book 1- 2 weeks in advance. Any further in advance and the prices are higher, any less and if the flight is fairly empty the prices will drop otherwise the prices jump. But it is really easy to check if you just go to the airlines' webpage and look up ticket prices, I do this frequently. For my short trips less than 5 days I usually plan on around $2,000 for the whole trip.

I usually buy three months in advance and would never pay over 900 dollars (from Portland...near Seattle)

thanks for your guys help! arigato