How money actually works for visitors to Japan. Written in Tokyo. https://splitjapan.com/ 2026-09-09T14:58:31Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about © 2026 SplitJapan https://splitjapan.com/guides/credit-card-declined-japan 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-09-04T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Your card works at home, then fails on the Shinkansen booking site, the station ticket machine, or a konbini kiosk. The three real causes — 3-D Secure, issuer fraud blocks, SMS that never arrives — and what to do about each.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/japan-tax-refund-amount 2026-09-03T00:00:00Z 2026-09-04T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Not 10%. Japan has two consumption tax rates, and after handling fees the real refund is about 8.45% on general goods and 6.45% on food — of the pre-tax price. The correct arithmetic, worked examples, and a calculator that splits the rates.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/tax-free-japan-2026 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-09-04T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

From November 1, 2026, Japan switches to a refund-style tax-free system: pay full price in store, claim your 10% consumption tax back when you leave. What changes, the fees, and a refund calculator.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/apps-you-actually-need-japan 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Every Japan app list has 25 entries. You need about seven — and two of the most important aren't even apps. A minimalist, honest setup for 2026: what to install, what's built into your phone already, and what to skip.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/group-trip-money-playbook 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Money is the #1 way group trips to Japan go wrong — split-check refusals, cash-only izakaya, multi-currency settling. The complete system: the pre-trip conversation, the one-payer rule, the cash plan, and the single settlement.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/how-much-cash-japan 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Japan is about 58% cashless now — but the other 42% includes exactly the places you're traveling for. Instead of a one-size number, here's the logic and a calculator: your days, your eating style, your cash figure.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/japan-budget-4-friends 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

A transparent, line-by-line budget model for four friends spending 12 days in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka at 2026 prices — per person, shared vs personal, and who ends up owing whom. Adjust the assumptions, not the vibes.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/leftover-yen 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Foreign exchange counters won't take coins, and Japan's no-tipping cash culture guarantees you'll have a pocketful. Here's every way to land at zero yen — Pocket Change kiosks, spend-down tactics, and the traps.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/otoshi-seat-charge 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

A small dish you didn't order appears, then shows up on the bill at ¥300–600 per person. Otoshi isn't a scam — it's how izakaya charge for your seat. What it is, when you can refuse, and how to budget for it.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/pay-in-yen 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

ATMs and card terminals in Japan offer to charge you in your home currency. It's called dynamic currency conversion, it costs several percent, and the correct answer is always yen. The math, the screens to watch for, and the one exception that isn't one.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/splitwise-alternatives-japan 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Splitwise now limits free users to a few expenses per day and charges for currency conversion. Here's how Tricount, Splid, and SplitJapan compare for a trip to Japan — tested against yen, cash, and izakaya reality.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/suica-money-traps 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Tourist Suica balances can expire unrefunded, most foreign Android phones can't run Mobile Suica at all, and charging machines want cash. The five money traps of Japan's IC cards, and how to dodge each one.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/tipping-in-japan 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

No tipping — not taxis, not restaurants, not hotels, not guides on the street. Where the service economics actually live (otoshi, service charges), the rare gray areas, and what to do when you really want to say thank you.

https://splitjapan.com/guides/why-japan-wont-split-the-bill 2026-08-26T00:00:00Z 2026-08-27T00:00:00Z Takumihttps://splitjapan.com/about

Asking for separate checks in Japan — betsu-betsu — works sometimes, gets refused often, and confuses everyone at an izakaya. Here's the etiquette, the phrases, and the system seasoned travelers actually use.