Job Discussion Forums

[Jess]

I am buying travellers cheques to bring with me. Is it acceptable to buy japanese yen to change at bureau de change? Seems a strange question but can bureaus only change money such as dollars or could I cash my cheques there. If no, could I cash the cheques in a bank easily? Is this possible at Narita?
many thanks!

[shmooj]

Okay, first a question. Why are you bring TCs with you? Is it a security issue? Personally, having huge wads of cash is totally normal in Japan. I've got used to carrying around and keeping at home piles of cash I'd never even seen before I came here. So you might be making your life harder if you bring everything in TCs because a) you're tied to banks/places to exchange them every time you need cash and b) you're going to lose out in commission and time each time you do this.

Personally, I would invest in a money belt and wear this for your trip over. I would then keep this on me until I got myself sorted with a bank or post office account which you can do as soon as you have a personal seal (inkan) made for you. Can get all that done in your first week and then dump all your cash there. Your employer might also be able to keep the cash safe for you for the duration.

[Kestrel]

If you have a bank account back home with one of those debit cards with the visa logo, I wouldn't bother with the Traveller's Checks. Every post office I've been in here has an ATM where you can use your card to take money from your account, as long as it's on one of the major networks. Mine has a Visa logo, and I haven't had any problems that way. You also get the advantage then of getting the bank rate for exchanging cash, which is the best you can get. If you're really set on the traveller's checks thing, I think it shouldn't be too hard to cash 'em--most of the major post offices will do that, as well as the banks, I imagine.

[shmooj]

Kestrel's advice is good and gave me a thought. If you have a bank with internet banking, you could arrange for a bank transfer of the bulk of your cash when you set up a Japanese account. Then you'd only have to bring some survival cash over.

Have you approached your employer about this. Many will offer interest free loans too which are worth having.

[Celeste]

When I cam to Japan, I had about 200 000yen in cash on my person. I also used my bank card to access my account in Canada for the first month I was here. I agree with the above posters that travellers cheques are not the way to go. (They are what many peoples' parents recommend, because they are thinking about traveling in Europe or North America back in "their day". Now it is unnecessary and a bit of a rip off.)

[Munchen]

Interesting point, Celeste. You might say I am on of those that would identify with "their day." I would get my US Gov't. checks cashed from the GI Bill at Am. Express to get "traveller's checks," especially in Italy and Spain, like the '70s before ATMs existed!

A question I have is has anyone ever experienced any sort of error in getting cash in the correct exchange rate from an ATM or in registering a transaction incorrectly with the bank at home? What would one do in that case? How difficult would it be to sort out?

[G Cthulhu]