i found it easier to exchange in the airport right before i left…

When you arrive at Japan airport, just exchange there. It is more convenient and besides most place you go also accepts USD, so no need to worry. Another thing is that, you will carry a lot of changes since Japan do use coins on daily basis; so, bring something to carry the changes, the coins are range from 5 cents to 5 dollars. Have a fun trip!

I think when we returned, it turned out the exchange rate was better in Tokyo. But I would just reccomend going to an ATM once you get there—also, the ATMs are in the Post Offices.

I changed mine when I arrived at the airport in Narita. Also, keep in mind the Post office ATM has certain specific hours, such as closed on Sundays and what not. This can prove to be a problem if you’re not prepared. You can forget about getting cash back in most places.

The risk of not being able to get cash at an ATM is too high to rely on that. And generally, the post office will probably be the only place that you’ll be able to get cash at. Get your money exchanged at the airport in Japan and carry cash. Though you might hear warnings in busy areas that pick pocketing has been reported, it is very rare, and Japanese regularly carry hundreds of thousands of yen on paydays.

I spent 10 weeks in Japan, and regularly got cash from the post office. There’s no risk as long as you are near a post office (which you will always be, if you’re in towns) and you are aware of the hours. They’re open basically business hours weekdays, plus some are open limited hours on saturdays. I generally got out about $300-500 at a time. You can carry a lot of cash, but you’ll get the best rate by going to an ATM.

Post office isn’t your only option – if you’re near a Citibank branch (there’s a big one in Akasaka, right near Akasaka-Mitsuke), they have 24-hour lobbies with international ATMs. No fees or anything, either, besides the usual exchange rate ripoff – but it’s still way better than anything you’ll get at a hotel or airport.

As a former bank accounts rep, I don’t recommend traveler’s checks, in general, since international ATM withdrawals have become much more commonplace. That said, it’s always useful to have a little “emergency cash” in this form, in case something happens to your card – they can be tough to impossible to replace overseas!

My bf and I got some cash before we left CPH. That worked fine for us.

Generally airport exchanges give poorer rates than banks because their overhead is very high.

As far as using a bank at home or in Japan, there will be less of a difference between the two. In most countries, freestanding currency exchange kiosks in major cities offer the best exchange rates if you shop carefully. I’ve seen 10-12% differences.