Japan

Japan uses 100V, 50/60Hz with sockets and plugs Type A and Type B.

Japan uses the Japanese yen (symbol: ¥), code JPY.

Banknotes come in denominations of 10000, 5000, 2000 and 1000 yen. Yen is subdivided into 100 sens. Coins come in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 yen.

Credit cards are only accepted within Japan from large businesses & hotels. JCB, Maestro, MasterCard and Visa are the most widely accepted. American Express is less common. Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay are pretty rare. RuPay is unknown.

Almost no one in Japan asks for tips. It is not expected nor obligatory to give a tip. In fact offering a gratuity may be considered rude.

Automatic teller machines (local names: ATM or 現金自動預け払い機) are everywhere in Japan. Pretty much anywhere you look there will be an ATM. Japan has one of the highest ATM densities in the world.

You do not need a chip & PIN card to use an ATM — your standard magnetic card will work fine.

Internet speed in Japan is on average 17.4 Mbps.

WiFi coverage in Japan is high. Many hotels, hostels, cafes, restaurants and bars have it.

You can buy a SIM card for about ¥1,249.70, which includes 1 GB of data plan. You can choose from 4 telecoms: KDDI au, NTT DoCoMo, Rakuten Mobile or Softbank.

Japan uses GSM mobile networks .

If you don't want to buy SIM card in Japan upon arrival, make sure to check the roaming charges with your telecom provider before your departure so there are no surprises when you return home.

To call Japan, dial +, then 81 (the country code for Japan), then the area code (without the initial 0) and the local number.

Homosexuality is legal in Japan.

Same-sex marriage is not recognized.

No vaccinations are required to enter the country, but it is recommended to perform routine immunizations for your protection and to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.