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Contents📖 ~7 min read
Japan trip pre-departure money checklist 2026 — 7 days / 3 days / day of
⚡ 30-Second Answer: Japan travel money pre-arrival checklist: ①issue Wise/Revolut card (2 weeks ahead), ②pre-buy eSIM, ③register Visit Japan Web, ④travel insurance, ⑤exchange ¥10K at home, ⑥JR Pass pre-purchase (if needed), ⑦passport copy for tax-free shopping. These 7 items resolve 90% of pre-trip anxiety, smooth entry → tourism transition.
Quick Reference
Value
Wise/Revolut issue
2 weeks ahead
eSIM pre-buy
Airalo/Ubigi
Visit Japan Web
Before arrival
Travel insurance
Pre-existing coverage
Home exchange
~¥10K
JR Pass
If needed, pre-buy
Last verified
June 2026
70% of tourists who hit a snag in their first 1-2 hours in Japan trace it back to "something I should have done before leaving home". Physical card never arrived, KYC didn't clear in time, gouged at the airport exchange counter, SIM won't connect — every one of these is avoidable if you start a week out. This one-page checklist covers the money side only, in four timelines: 7 days out, 3 days out, the day before, and arrival day, with minimum cost and zero fluff.
TL;DR — at a glance
7 days out: Sign up for Wise / Revolut + KYC + test transfer → virtual card issued
3 days out: Buy eSIM (1-week plan ¥1,500-3,000) + confirm Apple Pay added
Day before: Keep ¥10,000-equivalent in your home currency as emergency cash; Suica/Pasmo can wait until arrival
Day of: Within 30 minutes of landing, hit a Seven Bank ATM → withdraw ¥10,000-20,000
Don't: Exchange your full budget at the airport counter (mid-market -7 to -10%), or wait on a physical card
7 days out (the weekend): cards and accounts
✅ 1. Open a Wise or Revolut account (15 min)
Physical card shipping takes 7-14 business days, so apply at least a week ahead.
Wise official — ¥30,000/month ATM free, FX 0.4-0.65%
Download the major sightseeing areas in advance (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka) and you can pull up routes even before your SIM connects.
✅ 8. Reconfirm your hotel on Booking.com / Rakuten Travel
Some hotels still ask for a ¥10,000-30,000 deposit at check-in even if you've prepaid (refunded later, but it ties up cash temporarily).
Day before: cash and documents
✅ 9. Hold ¥10,000-equivalent in your home currency as emergency cash
In case the airport ATM is missing or out of service, carry ¥10,000-equivalent in cash in your home currency. USD, EUR, and CNY can all be exchanged at banks inside Japan.
Anti-pattern: "I want all my cash in yen before I leave" → swap at home → you eat a mid-market -5 to -10% spread. The right move is small amount only, or 100% ATM withdrawal on the ground.