Withdrawing Cash in Japan

Using an ATM machine is a rather simple task, but one that can be somewhat stressful when you aren’t sure what buttons to press. Add to that an ever-growing line of impatient people behind you and it could just be enough ruin your day! Let’s take a look at the process of withdrawing money.

This miniature guide is focussed specifically on using the ATM machines for the Mitsubishi UFJ bank – a ubiquitous company with a distinctive red coloured brand. More often than not, you’ll find a branch near to where you live, and because they are dotted all over Japan, it’s usually easier to use them for basic monetary withdrawals then a local bank. You can also use your bank card at most convenience stores to withdraw money, although you’ll usually be charged after 6pm.

Although the pictures in this post are of the UFJ ATM machine then, the process is quite typical and vocabulary needed won’t vary much for other banks and cards. Let’s take a look!

First up then, check for an English button! There’s usually one on the touch screen, and that will make your life a lot easier. But we’re not about taking the easy route here, are we? What fun is living in Japan if you’re just going to avoid learning how to do things properly, eh? So let’s get to it. First, you’ll notice the bold yellow characters:

お取扱中 (おとりあつかいちゅう) – In Service
お取扱中止 (おとりあつかいちゅうし) – Not in Service.

Following that, the two main slots:

通帳 (つうちょう) – Bank passbook
カード • 明細表 (カード • めいさいひょう) – Card • Statement/Receipt

And finally below that above the main screen:

紙幣 (しへい) – Notes
硬貨 (こうか) – Coins

Alrighty. That’s the basic vocab for the ATM machine itself, although realistically you could have figured it out from the slot shapes anyway ;). Always useful to know these words though! Let’s move onto the process of withdrawing money itself.

Insert your card and you’ll be greeted with a screen like the one below:


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Comments

2 responses to “Withdrawing Cash in Japan”

  1. Japan Australia Avatar
    Japan Australia

    Great post and very useful information. They are not too hard to figure out and the English option does help a lot of you don’t have any Japanese :)

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