FINANCIAL MATTERS

LIVING IN JAPAN TOURISM Postal Information Telephone Inkan Travel Cheaply

Living in Japan is very expensive. The prices for most goods and services for everyday life, especially in Tokyo, are higher than in most other cities of the world. Land prices are extremely high and renting an apartment is, therefore, very expensive. Restaurants and supermarkets can be inexpensive and the difference of the Japanese price levels aren't that huge compared with the ones in Central Europe, for example. It is rather easy to find a meal for less than 1000 Yen in a restaurant. Also American fast food chains offer food for low prices. A greater difference in price levels one can naturally find for Western foods, such as diary products, etc. Also meat and ceratin fruits are sold for high prices. Brand new electronic goods, on the other hand, can be purchased for pretty low prices in discount store districts, such as Akihabara in Tokyo. Japanese banks offer automatic teller machines (ATM) and cash dispenser (CD). At ATMs one can withdraw, deposit, transfer money, and pay bills. At CDs it is usually only possible to withdraw money. If you have trouble operating a machine, you will usually find a bank personal, standing besides the machines, who has the task of helping people like you. Both, ATMs and CDs are not available on weekends and during the night. The banks themselves are usually open on weekdays from 9.00 to 15.00. Telephone, gas, water bills etc. can be paied at banks, ATMs, post offices and at some convenience stores. For openig an account a foreigner needs the Alien Registration Certificate and probably an inkan instead of a signature.

PRICES How much is that in Tokyo? (Typhoon Inc.) An Unofficial Price List of Every Day Items in Tokyo. Prices in Japan (Dipper's Japan Home Page) The prices of some goods and services put into categories. BANKING Money (Japan Window) Very useful information about banking in Japan. SOME MAJOR JAPANESE BANKS The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Fuji Bank Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank Sumitomo Bank Sanwa Bank Sakura Bank Tokai Bank Asahi Bank Daiwa Bank The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Fuji Bank Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank Sumitomo Bank Sanwa Bank Sakura Bank Tokai Bank Asahi Bank Daiwa Bank