Japan trip money guides
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The complete system — the pre-trip conversation, the one-payer rule, the cash plan, and the single settlement.
Apps & tools
The free tier got squeezed. How Tricount, Splid, and SplitJapan compare against yen, cash, and izakaya reality — including our own weaknesses.
Dining & etiquette
A dish you didn't order, then ¥300–600 a head on the bill. It's not a scam — it's rent for your seat. When you can refuse, and how to budget it.
Cash & cards
3-D Secure, fraud blocks, and the SMS that never arrives — three failure modes, three fixes, one pre-flight checklist.
Cash & cards
Dynamic currency conversion costs several percent for fake certainty. The screens to watch for at ATMs, hotels, and terminals.
Dining & etiquette
Betsu-betsu works sometimes, gets refused often. The etiquette, the phrases, and the system seasoned travelers actually use.
Updated Aug 2026
The in-store discount is ending. You'll pay full price and claim a refund when you leave Japan. What changes, what it costs you, and a calculator for what you'll get back.
Cash & cards
Japan is 58% cashless — the other 42% is exactly what you came for. Build your number with the calculator instead of trusting a stranger's.
Cash & coins
Exchange counters won't take coins. Every way to land at zero yen — kiosks, spend-down tactics, and the traps.
Cash & cards
Tourist Suica balances can expire unrefunded, and most foreign Androids can't run Mobile Suica at all. Five traps, five dodges.
A realistic group-trip budget · Tipping (don't) and other money etiquette · Airport refund walkthroughs after November 1. Meanwhile, the app is ready:
Open the bill splitter