Does anyone have advice on the best way to convert currencies while living in Japan for an extended period?
I read credit cards get the best exchange rates, however is it cheaper to convert large sums through wire transfers between personal japanese and home bank accounts in order carry yen?
I will transfer some at the airport for landing money, but what about for larger purchases like emergencies, vacations, vehicles etc etc.
Some one mentioned to me wise.com? Any kther or suggestions?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
2 comments
There was a post in here a day or so ago that (assuming you’re American) you will probably find very helpful:
https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/t97410/banking_tip_for_americans_moving_to_japan/
Just use the Wise app to transfer to your Japan bank account. We use it monthly and it costs about $35USD to transfer $5,000USD.
For vacations, hotels, car purchase we use either my US credit card or my wife’s Japanese credit card. A lot of Japan still runs on cash and paying 300,000 or 400,000 yen for larger purchases with a pile of 10,000 yen bills is quite common.