Money & cash · 2026 edition

When Do Banks Close in Japan? The Year-Round ATM Survival Guide

Japanese bank branches keep banking-business hours that surprise foreign visitors — weekdays only, 9 to 3 in many cases, locked tight on national holidays, and shut for almost a week at New Year. The actual cash supply for travellers does not run through bank branches at all. It runs through three convenience-store ATM networks that work every hour of every day, and a fourth network at every Japan Post counter. Below is the year-round map of when each option works, when each one fails, and the decision tree to use when you are standing in front of a closed lobby with cash to find.

Written by Nobu · based on Seven Bank, Japan Post Bank and Lawson Bank service-area documentation, and field observations across the 2025–2026 winter holiday.

The 30-second summary

For 99% of cash needs as a traveller, ignore the banks entirely. Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven stores work 24/7, accept every major foreign card, and have an English-language menu. Family Mart’s Japan Post Bank ATMs and Lawson Bank’s ATMs are the backups. The only time banks matter is currency exchange — and even that is now better handled at airport counters or via your home card.

Quick Facts

Bank branch hours	Weekdays only. Most branches: 9:00–15:00. Closed Saturdays, Sundays, and all national holidays.
New Year closure (legal)	December 31 to January 3 by law. In practice closures run from about December 29 to January 4 because of weekend overlap.
Best ATM for foreign cards	Seven Bank (in 7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado supermarkets, and standalone kiosks). 24/7, English menu, accepts Visa / Mastercard / Amex / Discover / Diners / JCB / UnionPay.
Foreign-card ATM fee	¥110–220 per withdrawal at Seven Bank or Japan Post; your home bank may add its own fee.
Daily withdrawal cap	¥100,000–¥300,000 typical, depending on your home card and the ATM operator.
Cards your home bank may not warn you about	Some debit cards from outside Japan are blocked at Japanese ATMs by default. Check before flying or carry two cards from different networks.

Hands inserting a red bank card into a Japanese ATM while holding 1000-yen banknotes — The pattern that does not change: an ATM, a foreign card, a stack of ¥1,000 notes. Seven Bank dispenses in ¥1,000 and ¥10,000 increments — bring small bills back to your hotel for vending machines, taxis and inner-city cash-only restaurants.

Where can I actually get cash right now?

Japan is gradually moving away from cash, but it is not there yet. Outside of major-city department stores and chain restaurants, you should expect to need physical yen for: small temples, neighbourhood ramen shops, taxi drivers in rural prefectures, vending machines (most accept IC card now, but not all), Sunday morning markets, and any establishment with a hand-painted price board. The decision tree below covers the five most common situations a traveller actually faces.

Decision tool · Updated April 2026

When and where do you need yen?

Pick the line that matches your situation. The right ATM updates as you select.

It’s a normal weekday or weekend — I just need cash now It’s between December 29 and January 4 (the New Year window) I’m in a rural area and the konbini I can see doesn’t have an ATM symbol I need a large amount — over ¥100,000 in one withdrawal I need to receive an international wire or do currency exchange

Find a 7-Eleven

Seven Bank ATMs run 24/7, accept every major foreign card, switch to English with one tap, and charge a flat ¥110–220. There are over 26,000 nationwide — pull up “7-Eleven” or “セブンイレブン” in Google Maps and the nearest one is almost always within walking distance in any city. Backup: Japan Post Bank ATMs at every Family Mart and post office.

Same answer — konbini ATMs only

Bank lobbies and bank-branded ATMs shut down. Seven Bank, Lawson Bank and Japan Post Bank konbini ATMs all keep running 24/7 right through January 1, including the airport branches. Withdraw a slightly higher cash buffer (¥30,000–50,000) before December 30 because some smaller restaurants close for the holiday and only nearby konbini ATMs may be the closest cash source for an extra street or two.

Look for the post office logo (T-shape) instead

Konbini coverage is uneven outside major cities. Japan Post (郵便局) maintains a branch in nearly every village — the red-and-white T-shaped 〒 logo is a guaranteed sight. Inside the post office is a Japan Post Bank ATM that takes foreign cards. Hours are limited (typically 9:00–17:00 on weekdays, shorter Saturdays, closed Sundays and holidays in rural branches), so plan ahead. As a last resort: most large supermarkets and JR ticket-office machines also accept some foreign cards.

Two withdrawals or a bank-branch visit

Daily withdrawal cap at konbini ATMs is typically ¥100,000 per transaction and ¥100,000–200,000 per day depending on your home card. For larger amounts, do two transactions across different days, or use a bank-branch ATM during weekday business hours (some bank branches handle larger limits with a passport for verification). For very large amounts, the airport currency-exchange counters at Narita Terminal 1 and Haneda are open until midnight and handle ¥500,000+ in one transaction.

Bank branch on a weekday, not a konbini ATM

Konbini ATMs do not handle inbound wires, foreign cheques, or cash currency exchange. For these, you need a bank branch (MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho, Japan Post Bank) on a weekday during 9:00–15:00, with passport in hand. Currency exchange specifically: airport counters and licensed exchangers (World Currency Shop, Travelex) are easier than banks, are open longer hours, and offer comparable rates — and they remain open through most of the New Year holiday.

The three konbini ATM networks ranked

Japan’s convenience-store ATM landscape consolidated around three operators in the last decade. All three accept foreign cards. The differences are in coverage, language support, and reliability with specific card networks.

7-Eleven Seven and i Holdings sign with a red ATM subsign on a Tokyo street

Best

Seven Bank

The default. 26,000+ ATMs in 7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, and standalone kiosks (including airports and JR stations).

24/7 operation, English menu, 12 languages total
Accepts Visa, MC, Amex, Discover, Diners, JCB, UnionPay
¥110–220 fee per withdrawal
Most reliable for non-Japanese cards

Person using a white Japanese ATM machine in a brightly lit interior

Backup

Japan Post Bank

Found at every Family Mart, every Japan Post office, and at airport branches. Strong rural coverage where 7-Eleven thins out.

24/7 at Family Mart (post-office branches keep banker’s hours)
English menu, accepts foreign cards
¥110–220 fee
Single best option for travel into Tohoku, San’in coast, Shikoku interior

Blue Lawson Station street sign in Japan with a bank ATM subsign

Third

Lawson Bank

About 13,000 ATMs across the Lawson convenience-store chain. Functional but slightly behind Seven Bank on foreign-card variety.

24/7 operation, English menu
Accepts Visa, MC, JCB, UnionPay reliably; Amex acceptance is patchier
¥110–220 fee
Useful when 7-Eleven and Family Mart aren’t visible

Network	Locations	Hours	Foreign cards	Fee per withdrawal
Seven Bank	7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, kiosks (26,000+)	24/7	All major networks including UnionPay	¥110–220
Japan Post Bank	Family Mart, post offices (30,000+)	24/7 at Family Mart, weekday hours at post offices	All major networks	¥110–220
Lawson Bank	Lawson stores (13,000+)	24/7	Visa / MC / JCB / UnionPay; Amex spotty	¥110–220
Bank-branded ATMs (MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho)	Bank branches and select stations	Weekday business hours; some weekend access; many close for New Year	Limited foreign card support	Variable, often ¥220+

The New Year shutdown: what actually closes

The single bank-related question that brings travellers to articles like this one. Japanese banks are legally required to close their branch counters from December 31 to January 3, and in practice the closure runs from around December 29 to January 4 because of weekend overlap. The post office banking counters often close for an even longer span. None of this affects the konbini ATMs, which remain open continuously through the holiday.

Service	Status during Dec 29 — Jan 4
Bank branch counters (MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho)	Closed entirely. No counter service, no currency exchange, no wire transfers.
Post office banking counters	Closed. Some stamp/parcel services may run reduced hours at major post offices.
Bank-branded ATMs (in branch lobbies)	Often closed or significantly reduced hours.
Seven Bank, Lawson Bank, Japan Post Bank konbini ATMs	Open 24/7 through the entire holiday.
Airport currency exchange counters	Most stay open, with some reduced hours on January 1. Narita and Haneda kiosks are the safest bet.
Online banking (account balance, mobile transfers within Japan)	Available. Inbound international wires queue and process after January 4.

Two practical notes that catch first-time visitors. First: small restaurants and family-run shops genuinely close for the New Year holiday, often for the full week. Stock cash on December 29 or 30 if you’ll be in a less touristy neighbourhood — the issue is not that the ATM has closed, it’s that the dinner spot you wanted is dark. Second: airport currency exchange counters operate on slightly different schedules than the rest of the holiday landscape. If you fly in on January 1, exchange at the airport rather than waiting to hit a downtown counter on January 2.

Currency exchange: where it actually makes sense

For travellers in 2026, the order of options for getting yen is:

Withdraw from a konbini ATM with your home debit/credit card. Best rate net of fees for amounts under ¥100,000. Visa/Mastercard interbank rates plus a small ATM fee beat almost any cash exchange.
Airport exchange counters at Narita, Haneda, Kansai. Open long hours, reasonable rates, no commissions advertised. Good for first-day landing cash if you don’t want to ATM.
Licensed exchangers downtown (World Currency Shop, Travelex, Daikokuya). Comparable rates, often slightly better for large amounts. Mostly cash-to-cash.
Bank branches on weekdays. Slowest, requires passport, similar rates. Only worth it if you’re already there for another service.
Hotel front-desk exchange. Worst rates — reserve for emergencies.

Pre-trip checklist

Before you fly

Tell your home bank you’ll be using your debit card in Japan (some banks block international ATMs without notice)
Confirm your card’s daily international withdrawal limit and any per-transaction cap
Bring at least two cards on different networks (Visa + Mastercard, or one debit + one credit) in case one is rejected
Note your card’s PIN — Japanese ATMs require numeric PINs, no exceptions
If you’re travelling between December 28 and January 4, withdraw ¥30,000–50,000 before December 30 as a safety margin

On arrival

First withdrawal: do it at a Seven Bank ATM in the airport or major station to confirm your card works
Carry ¥5,000–10,000 in ¥1,000 notes for taxis, vending, small restaurants
Save Google Maps shortcuts for “7-Eleven” near each hotel you’ll stay at
Know your hotel’s address and phone in Japanese for taxi situations — cash-only fares are easier with the address handy

FAQ

What time do Japanese banks open?

Most bank branches operate 9:00 to 15:00 on weekdays only. Some major-city branches in Tokyo or Osaka have extended hours (until 17:00 or 18:00 at flagship locations), but you cannot count on it. ATMs in bank lobbies sometimes operate beyond branch hours but typically still close by 21:00 and on weekends. Konbini ATMs are the only round-the-clock option.

Can I exchange money on a Sunday or holiday?

Yes — at airport currency-exchange counters and at downtown licensed exchangers (World Currency Shop and similar) which keep weekend hours. Bank branches are closed. The exception is the New Year holiday window, when downtown exchangers may also reduce hours; airport counters remain the most reliable.

Why was my foreign debit card rejected at the ATM?

Three usual causes. (1) Your home bank blocks international ATM withdrawals by default — phone them and request the block lifted. (2) The card lacks a numeric PIN, only a signature — ATMs in Japan require a 4-digit PIN. (3) The ATM doesn’t accept your specific card network. Try a Seven Bank ATM next, which has the broadest acceptance.

What’s the highest amount I can withdraw at once?

Konbini ATMs typically cap a single withdrawal at ¥100,000. Daily limits depend on your home card — many international debit cards allow ¥100,000–300,000 across a day, in two separate transactions. For amounts above that, use a bank branch on a weekday with passport, or use airport currency-exchange counters for cash exchange.

Are bank fees in Japan really only ¥110-220 for foreigners?

That’s the ATM operator’s fee. Your home bank may add a foreign-transaction fee on top — typically 1–3% of the withdrawal amount. The total cost is usually still cheaper than airport currency exchange counters or hotel front-desk exchanges. Travel-friendly debit cards (Wise, Revolut, Schwab) often refund or reduce these fees and are worth a check before flying.

Last verified: April 2026, against Seven Bank, Japan Post Bank and Lawson Bank service-coverage documentation, supplemented by field observation of New Year holiday operations across Tokyo and rural prefectures in December 2025 / January 2026.

Sources: Seven Bank Co. service area documentation; Japan Post Bank ATM hours by branch; Lawson Bank coverage map; the Japanese Bankers Association statement on year-end branch closures (December 31 — January 3 statutory closure). ATM fees and daily caps are subject to change without notice and should be confirmed with your home bank before flying.

Join 1,000+ travelers discovering Japan's hidden side

Weekly dispatches from off-the-beaten-path Japan — spots and stories you won't find in guidebooks.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

When Do Banks Close in Japan? A Guide to Avoiding Cash Shortages

When Do Banks Close in Japan? The Year-Round ATM Survival Guide

Quick Facts