Currently living in Tokyo. In my experience, a card is fine for most stores. Having 20,000 ~ 30,000 yen in your wallet covers the rest.

I'm married to a Japanese woman and go there every year. I always have problems with my foreign credit cards (Visa is more problematic than Mastercard), at least a few times every week. And many places only accept cash. I would recommend carrying cash.

I usually carry 20K yen as well (good recommendation by @U0HLHE6JE)

Thank you!!!

Where do you get cash, Leif? On an airport here, there, or just in any convenience store ATM?

My mother-in-law, LOL

That won’t work for me I am afraid 😹

Using ATMs in Japan also works fine, but I have found getting yen in Oslo cheaper before leaving. The currency exchanges downtown (like FOREX at Oslo S) are usually cheaper. If you keep the receipt, they will let you exchange it for NOK without a fee when you return. I'm not sure if they still offer that service, though.

There are foreign exchange in the airport (the rate sucks). Not sure if foreign transaction works for the ATM.

I have had some trouble with Japanese ATMs using foreign credit cards, but my debit card has worked fine with them.

Arigato!

どう致しまして

I hear Japan is, contrary to Norway, quite cash heavythis used to be true, but the rona changed that, and at this point you can pay cashless almost anywhere. (I live here and I haven't used cash in months other than to pay some bills and to charge my pasmo) If you have something like revolut which exchanges at a better rate for you, you can use that to withdraw.

Thx! We ended up encountering couple of places that required cash, such as stalls at a festival and some restaurants, so having 20~30k was useful

Have you already come and gone then?

Yes. It was a great trip. Could have imagined it longer…