Tokyo is becoming more Cashless Thanks to the COVID-19
Japan is a country that still relies on cash. Most of the shops you found will accept only cash for payment if they are not chain restaurants or big department stores. But things are changing a bit after the pandemic.
People have the same idea when talking about traveling in Japan: prepare a lot of cash, banknotes and coins. Japan is a country that still relies on cash. Most of the shops you found will accept only cash for payment if they are not chain restaurants or big department stores. But things are changing a bit after the pandemic.
I am also one of the travelers that have a purse full of coins that I don't even know which one is 10, 50, 100, or 500 yen. Took me minutes to pick, see, count, and pay. EVERYTIMES. But when I went to Tokyo last month, I found things have become more convenient.
If you follow the news or updates about Japan or have been in Japan just before COVID-19 strikes, you might already know that Japan's convenience stores are accepting credit cards. That was one big leap for Japan.
Now that I found the next improvement. Most of the cafes I visited during the trip have a small little device that can read credit cards. Yes, lots of cafes in Tokyo now let you pay with cards! As a coffee lover, I am really happy about this. But also sad that I'm gonna buy too many drinks than I planned. Haha.
Other than the cafes? You might ask. Some restaurants that installed the modern ticket machine are also ready for cards. It is rare though. The shop I found the machine was Tsuta Soba, the Michelin-awarded ramen shop. It is a popular shop so that might not be a surprise.
Talking about ticket machines, I need to mention that some train ticket machines now accept cards! I did not try it but one of my frequent Japan traveling friends told me that you can use cards to buy a one-time ticket but can't charge the IC card. That makes sense.
I want to talk about the vending machines, the machine loved by everyone. They accept IC card payments for a very long time but now they are starting to accept cards payment. They are not hard to find in Tokyo.
I also found that for Japanese people, or people who are eligible to download and use applications in Japan. There is a new application called PayPay for QR payment, a contactless payment. I see its logo in most of the shops I went to, they are well-accepted far more than credit cards and I think this is how COVID-19 has changed how people live and use technology.
That are all things I want to tell you traveler about. Your Japan trips will become a bit more convenient and easier than last time for sure.