How much cash will I need?

My wife and I will be taking our two teenage sons to Japan for 9 days. I will use a credit card as much as possible. How much cash will I need?

you will have a hard time using a credit card anywhere except the largest department stores in tokyo or osaka.

bring around 3 thousand dollars worth of japanese yen (or convert it in japan, the exchange rate with usd is very good here). that should cover hotels, food, transportation and souvenirs for 4 - 5 people for a week with lots left over just in case. you can always take out a cash advance at a 7-11 ATM or a citybank.

In Tokyo, you'll be able to use your credit cards at hotels, dept. stores, electronics stores, convenience stores, bakeries, restaurants, taxi cabs, etc. However, as the previous poster wrote, it's not accepted everywhere. There are still some small restaurants, shops, an inns that only accept cash. Of course, this is moreso in the more rural areas. As a conservative estimate, you should plan on spending 50% of your budget in cash.