Japan Shopping & Japan Exchange Rate

A blend of Oriental goods and Western sales techniques confronts the shopper, particularly at the big department stores, which are more like exhibitions than shops, and almost always have a bowing shop assistant to welcome you through the doors. Playgrounds for children are available. Special purchases include kimonos, mingei (local crafts including kites and folk toys); Kyoto silks, fans, screens, dolls; religious articles such as Shinto and Buddhist artifacts; paper lanterns; lacquerware; hi-fi equipment, cameras, televisions and other electronic equipment. Bargaining is not usual. Tax exemptions are available in authorized tax-free stores. Certain items costing more than ¥10,000 are exempt from tax. Remember when buying electronic goods that they may not be compatible with UK or US voltage.



Shopping hours
1000-1900/2000 every day of the week and on public holidays.

Currency Information:

Currency
Japanese Yen (JPY; symbol ¥). Notes are in denominations of ¥10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of ¥500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.

Note: Japan has a strong cash culture, and it is usual to see people carrying large amounts of cash with them because of the low crime rate. It is only recently that credit cards have begun to become more popular. However, travelers may still encounter difficulties with foreign credit cards.

Currency Exchange
All money must be exchanged at an authorized bank or money changer.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa and other major credit cards are widely accepted in towns. ATMs are available although only international banks accept foreign credit or debit cards, and these are hard to find outside of towns. They are generally open Mon-Fri 0700-2300, Sat-Sun 0900-1900, though some only operate during normal banking hours and on Saturday mornings. Citibank machines are the most likely to have ATMs, and also to accept foreign credit cards (and are usually open 24 hours). Almost 12,000 7-eleven stores began to accept foreign cards from July 2007. Some post offices also have ATMs which accept foreign cards.

Traveller's Cheques
These can be exchanged at most major banks, larger hotels and some duty-free shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Japanese Yen or US Dollars.

Banking Hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1500.

Exchange Rate Indicators

Date	Jan 09
£1.00=	¥137.60
$1.00=	¥94.14
€1.00=	¥125.52

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