Travellers Checks and Currency

Hi,

I will be traveling from the US to Japan.

1) Can travelers cheques be cashed at the airport in Japan? what are some common fees?

2) is it better to take YEN to japan from US rather than exchange in Japan?

3) what is the best way to send money from US to Japan without a Japan bank account?

1) Yes, they can be cashed at the airport. I suspect fees would depend on the type of cheque. Not much though. You generally pay most fees when you buy them.

2) Where to exchange? The age old question. I would put it to you, that unless you are exchanging thousands of dollars, the difference might not be all that great. I USUALLY buy yen before I travel to Japan - generally a bit cheaper.

3) Who to? How much? How often? If it's YOU you are worried about, running out of money, perhaps consider a credit card and use it for big purchases. There are international money orders (ask at your post office)... there are... various things, depending on what exactly you're trying to accomplish. Let us know, and we'll suggest something better than my ramblings.

I'm under the impression from my research that ATMS's are pretty easy to find, especially in 7/11's and the like.
I plan to pre-pay for most accomodation etc using credit card from home (Australia), take about 60,000Y with me (exchange at home first) and then use ATMS when I need to top up. Will that work?

meandher: it has worked for me on 7 trips..I only take 20 -30000 yen then use ATM as needed plus credit card for hotels and bigger expenses.

Travellers cheques can be bought as dollars--Bank of America charged me 2% commission on the total cost of the cheques.

You then can exchange the cheques at the airports and at central post offices in the cities. The exchange rate is what is the daily rate on the market--no commission charged on their end.

I personally don't like using traveler's cheques. I've had hassles at banks in Japan with them when they don't think my signatures perfectly match. I normally just bring around 30000 yen with me and then withdraw from ATMs or use my credit card.

ATMS are pretty plentiful, but remember that cards from other countries won't work at all ATMS. 7-11, Citibank, and Japan Post (Yucho ginko) have all worked for my American ATM cards. But also be aware that many ATMS are not 24-hour. I discovered this on an unfortunate Sunday morning when the ATM was not yet ''open.''