grandmastaal 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Right i am under the impression it is best to take yen with me to niseko due to lack of bank machines etc etc. Can anyone in the UK or anywhere advise the best place to buy yen before i go/ when i arrive. i can get about 186yen to the pound from the AMEX shop in my town, i got that quote today. Is the airport in tokyo a good option? Any advice would be great, cheers! (2 weeks and counting!!! wooop woooop!!) Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I would avoid the airports al, surely they rip you off all those last minute people who have no choice. We went round the banks in town and compared the rates in each. Suggest you do the same! Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 See if the bank where you have an account will do the exchange - sometimes they waive any service fees for their own customers. Definitely do it at home if at all possible. Hotel front desks in Japan seem give better rates than the airport concessions (at home or in Japan) or Japanese banks. I think the worst rate I got was at a Japanese bank in Sapporo. Link to post Share on other sites
Kraut_in_HongKong 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 If you have a Maestro debit card you can use the ATM in the post offices and in 7Eleven shops. 7Eleven also takes a range of credit cards for cash withdraw (incl. AMEX) PS: I used my EC Card (=Maestro) in the Hukuba 7/11. Maximum is 50,000 per withdraw. And you can do at least 2 withdraws in a row. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 only 186 yen to the pound??!!! Really? What bank are you Al, they should convert it without charging a fee. Stay away from any of the tourist money converters (although keep a small eye on Thomas Cook, cos sometimes they do good deals). RBS and BoS should be very competitive. Stay away from the Airport ones unless its just chump change you're changing. I sent money the opposite way on Friday and it 212 yen for the pound. 7/11 shops accept VISA cards I'm sure BUT its select ones and there is no way to know which ones. Doesn't Niseko have a Post Office nearby? Post Office machines accept bank cards from home as long as they have the Maestro sign Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Al, meet up with TB and he'll give you a good rate. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'll take 1% for suggesting that. Link to post Share on other sites
Mark.S 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 The best thing to do is to take yen out from a cash machine in Japan. Some banks, e.g. RBS don't charge you for taking money out abroad. Even if they do, it'll definitely be cheaper than trying to exchange it anywhere. The only problem is tho that hardly any cash machines take UK bank cards in Japan (trust me! me and my friends have wondered EVERYWHERE looking for places that work). Machines in airports tho work 100%. I know UK bank card have this annoying policy of can't-take-out-more-than-2or300 quid a day-policy, so what I tell my friends to do when they come out here is to take out yen in the airport as soon as they arrive and pay other expenses (food, trains) by card. P.S. One last tip, cash is still mainstream in Japan and rather remote places in Hokkaido may not take cards. So best to take cash out any time you're using an airport or in a big city where they have banks like citibank! Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 In Niseko, some places take cards but most prefer cash. The Post Office cash machine in Kutchan will take "foreign" cards - not sure of what other kinds, we had Mastercard that worked. Seven11 have a gig with an atm in the stores. Trouble is, Hirafu doesn't have one, just a SeikoMart (AFAICR) Link to post Share on other sites
Sciclone 2 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I know it might be slightly different for UK residents, but I found it easier to use my ATM card (hole-in-the-wall) at 7-11. Provided your visa card is linked to your savings account, or it has Sirus or something on the back, you should be able to do it. What I would suggest is changing some money to yen before you, so you can get your transfers/buses and stuff, but going to the nearest 7-11 when you get there.. Also most banks don't rape you in charges to transfer money, as opposed to travel exchanges. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 My bro had hassles with card limits (OZ side) You can ring your bank and arrange for a higher limit while you are away. Link to post Share on other sites
grandmastaal 0 Posted March 5, 2008 Author Share Posted March 5, 2008 decent, cheers everyone! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Post Office is A-OK for UK bank cards Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Yea, lookin at exchanging AUD into JPY here before we fly out in around 4 weeks too. For Aussies: I have heard that the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) in Martin place Sydney, is one of the best place to exchange currency – if you have a CBA bank account and that location is handy for you of course. I have also seen this posted in another forum: "Mate, go the post office. They seem to give the best rate compared to the banks, no commission and only a business day or two for delivery. Easy, available and my research showed the best rate (for regional area!)." And thanks to someone else for pointing out the Australian travel website travelex as a good option too. I'll be checking out the local Post Office now tho (a cppl of weeks before heading to Sydney to fly out), for sure. Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Oh, and re: AUD to JPY exchange rates over the past year, I have logged this: --- Exchange Rates from xe.com/ucc/ AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 93.98 (Yen) @ 28/01/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 96.98 (Yen) @ 04/02/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 99.04 (Yen) @ 24/02/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 91.20 (Yen) @ 29/03/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 70.72 (Yen) @ 09/10/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 65.20 (Yen) @ 11/10/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 66.83 (Yen) @ 16/10/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 67.57 (Yen) @ 22/10/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 65.12 (Yen) @ 02/11/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 66.02 (Yen) @ 09/11/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 65.23 (Yen) @ 14/11/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 60.33 (Yen) @ 15/12/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 62.63 (Yen) @ 19/12/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 60.89 (Yen) @ 22/12/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 61.54 (Yen) @ 23/12/08 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 61.33 (Yen) @ 19/01/09 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 58.24 (Yen) @ 21/01/09 --- Wish I had exchanged AUD$1000 into Yen back in Feb 2008! (as if I had any idea back then Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 The National Australia Bank (NAB) charge AUD$15 to transfer some hard JPY to a local (Newcastle NSW) branch (to be exchanged from AUD), and you have to order it in person at said branch and expect 3-5 working days likely ETA. Australia Post advise over the phone that there is no fees or charges to exchange JPY from AUD and that it can be arranged from any post office, with a likely ETA of 2-3 working days. So I am going to call into my local (quite small) P.O. this arvo and suss that out. I have heard that currency exchange at both Sydney and Japan (Tokyo/Chitose etc.) airports is likely to charge a higher rate and/or add higher fees, so I am keen to get it in my hands here in Newcastle (NSW) before we go. Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 From another forum: "The rate is just under 59 yen/AUD today. If you change it at a bank in Sydney, you might get around 57 yen/AUD. If you change at Sydney airport you might get 55-56. If you change at an Airport in Japan, you might get 50-51. If you change at a bank in Japan, you'd be lucky to get 45 yen/AUD!!!!!" Link to post Share on other sites
s3phis 0 Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I posted about this some time ago but generally speaking, the following holds true until the JPY weakens or AUD strengthens: don't exchange your money in Japan. At the moment, the banks, Foreign Exchange companies etc are trying to get rid of their AUD as it's a bad investment. You will get good JPY->AUD rates but terrible AUD->JPY rates as a result. It's really them giving people incentives to buy their AUD rather then sell them more. American Express booths are usually pretty bad (and they're usually set up at every Airport). When you look at the Buy and Sell rates, their profits is the difference between the two... and you'll be able to generally see which companies are taking the most from you. I was told we'd probably hit 55yen to the dollar by Feb and I think that's still a pretty sound prediction. If you're in a metropolitan area, I've found good rates at UAE Exchange (at least for AUD->JPY... the same doesn't hold true for the other way). The website doesn't show the rates so you really just have to be well informed and keep an eye out (there's like a dozen on the Gold Coast so it's usually hard for me to miss). Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 AUD$ 1.00 = JPY$ 58.82 (Yen) @ 23/01/09 - from xe JPY 70,000 = AUD$1238.81 @ Post Office (in Newcastle, Australia) 22 Jan 09 JPY 70,000 = AUD$1224.85 @ Travelex (Australia) Website 22 Jan 09 Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Ooh, here I was keeping a log of the AUD/JPY rates I noticed online each day, but of course there are free online charts available. From the same website I was using, check this: http://free.charts.xe.com/Misc/promoChart.asp Can set it to AUD/JPY (or a range of other comparisons), Chart Type "Line", and Time Scale & Period to "Daily -> 1 Year" or "Daily -> 3 Years" etc. 2/3 of the total cost of our upcoming Niseko trip was paid for based on rates during the 1st half of 2009 - THANKFULLY. Just gotta hope that AUD/JPY rate jumps up markedly during the next fortnight, for us to buy our pocketmoney Yen now.. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 why don't you just dump your cash in ya credit card and withdraw it over there from the machines. You'll save heaps rather than buying it in oz. Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Originally Posted By: Indo why don't you just dump your cash in ya credit card and withdraw it over there from the machines. You'll save heaps rather than buying it in oz. Cuz the advice I have gotten indicates that: There are stuff all ATM machines in Niseko, Said ATM machine has a fair chance of not accepting our types of cards, The international conversion fee applied would be significant, and It will save time & hassle to have a fair qty of Yen in our pockets so we do not have to go looking to withdraw/exchange it over there. (I generally use my credit card a lot, here in Oz btw, and keep it around Nil balance owing most of the time, too). Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 My oz CC charged around $4 per withdrawl (up to a few grand). Get the best rates (TT) and only a 10 min bus ride to Kutchan to get extra cash. Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Originally Posted By: ssar Originally Posted By: Indo why don't you just dump your cash in ya credit card and withdraw it over there from the machines. You'll save heaps rather than buying it in oz. Cuz the advice I have gotten indicates that: There are stuff all ATM machines in Niseko, That's crap - the 7/11 has one, the PO in Kutchan has one. Originally Posted By: ssar Said ATM machine has a fair chance of not accepting our types of cards, The ATMs with international access in Japan will accept any card that has "cirrus" or "Plus" logos. Unless, of course, you have one of the funny shaped Virgin cards. Japan machines only accept rectangular cards. Originally Posted By: ssar The international conversion fee applied would be significant, and Probably not as significant as the commissions paid to everyone along the chain for small amounts of yen bought in Oz Originally Posted By: ssar It will save time & hassle to have a fair qty of Yen in our pockets so we do not have to go looking to withdraw/exchange it over there. (I generally use my credit card a lot, here in Oz btw, and keep it around Nil balance owing most of the time, too). The "cash in pocket" idea is one that appealed to me too. However, there are an increasing number of places (restaurants/hotels etc) that accept "crejitu cardo" so we actually brought home some of the cash we took over. Never mind, it will be there for next trip! Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 velly true JA. Especially about the commissions. TT rates and a flat few $$$$, can't be beaten in my book. Link to post Share on other sites
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