Money Matters in Hakuba Valley

Money Matters in Hakuba Valley

Cash is King in JapanWhile electronic money is highly developed in Japan, banking is still way behind the 8-ball. Credit card use is growing, but the concept of debit cards does not really exist in Japan. If you have a debit card with a VISA, MasterCard logo on it, you will be able to use it, however the transactions are run as credit cards, so many places add a surcharge to cover the high costs charged by Japanese merchant accounts (2-4% in general).
Japanese money is Yen, and there are Coins for 1-500 yen, and notes for 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000yen. 2,000yen notes were brought out for the millennium but are not widely circulated.

Cash is King in JapanWhile electronic money is highly developed in Japan, banking is still way behind the 8-ball. Credit card use is growing, but the concept of debit cards does not really exist in Japan. If you have a debit card with a VISA, MasterCard logo on it, you will be able to use it, however the transactions are run as credit cards, so many places add a surcharge to cover the high costs charged by Japanese merchant accounts (2-4% in general).
Japanese money is Yen, and there are Coins for 1-500 yen, and notes for 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000yen. 2,000yen notes were brought out for the millennium but are not widely circulated.

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