Tipping and paying in Japan

Do not tip in Japan. JNTO says tipping is not common in bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis or hotels, and not expected. Pay the total on the bill. Cards are usually accepted in urban restaurants, hotels and big stores, but small shops, cafes and rural areas may be cash only, so carry yen. Dine-in meals carry 10% consumption tax, alcohol is always 10%, and takeout food is 8%. Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven stores accept foreign cards.

Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.

Do you tip in Japan?

No. JNTO’s tipping page lists bars, cafes, restaurants, taxis and hotels as places where tipping is not common, and says it is not expected. Thank staff verbally instead. JNTO’s customs and etiquette page gives the same guidance.

JNTO makes one allowance. If you use a guide or an interpreter and are used to the overseas practice, it advises tipping discreetly, in an envelope.

A table charge is not a tip. An izakaya’s otoshi is billed as a charge for the table; see Ordering food in Japan for how it works.

Whether some restaurants add a service charge on top of the bill is not confirmed. JNTO’s tipping page does not mention one, and no official page confirms it. Pay the total the bill shows.

What is on a restaurant bill?

A restaurant bill shows tax-included prices, no tip line and, at some izakaya, an otoshi charge. This table shows what the sources confirm.

JNTO says table charges are shown on the menu or on signs. Ask staff if you are unsure.

Cash or card in a restaurant?

Carry both. JNTO’s cashless payments page says cards are usually accepted in urban restaurants, hotels and big stores, while small shops, cafes and rural areas may be cash only. Its advice is to check beforehand and carry cash. It adds that in rural areas some places, even hotels, may take only cash.

Ichiran’s store page lists QR codes, cards and IC cards at its ticket machines, says this varies by store and warns that a machine can be down for maintenance. Do not assume a machine takes only cash, or only cards. Ticket machine steps are in the ordering guide.

Which cards and wallets work?

Visa, JCB and Mastercard are the most widely accepted, per JNTO. Wallets are less certain:

• Apple Pay, Google Pay and Alipay sometimes do not work.
• PayPay, LINE Pay, Rakuten Pay and MerPay are common, but some do not support foreign phones.
• Suica and PASMO work at convenience stores and vending machines where the logo is shown, and topping up needs cash.

Which IC card to buy is in the cash, IC card and eSIM guide.

When do you need cash?

Plan cash for the places where cards are uncertain or not taken:

• Small shops, cafes and rural areas, per JNTO.
• Many purchases and temple admission fees in Kyoto, per Kyoto City Tourism Association.
• Clinics, which JNTO’s medical guide says are usually cash only, with cards working only at major hospitals.
• Topping up an IC card at station machines. TOURIST PASMO’s page adds that on buses you top up with $6 (¥1,000) bills only.

Cash from a Seven Bank ATM covers most of these. Withdraw before you leave a city, since rural areas may be cash only.

What tax is on a restaurant bill?

Eating in costs 10% tax, and takeout costs 8%. The National Tax Agency sets the standard consumption tax at 10%, made of 7.8% national and 2.2% local. The reduced rate is 8%, made of 6.24% national and 1.76% local.

The reduced rate covers food and drink except alcohol and dining out, so a meal eaten in the restaurant stays at 10%. The agency’s reduced-rate tables put takeout and delivery food at 8%.

Menus show tax-included prices. A Yoshinoya release of 28 Oct 2026 shows the effect on one new bowl: $4 (¥590) before tax and $4 (¥649) eat-in with 10% included. The dollar figures round to the same number, so compare the yen. Because menus already include tax, do not add 10% on top when you budget a meal.

To verify The 8% takeout rate is medium confidence: confirm the wording on the National Tax Agency’s reduced-rate page.

Where can you withdraw cash?

Use a Seven Bank ATM in a 7-Eleven store. Seven Bank accepts foreign-issued Visa, Mastercard, PLUS and Cirrus cards. Maestro, UnionPay and American Express are listed, but Seven Bank says some cards may not be accepted. English is supported. Seven Bank’s FAQ gives two different language counts, 12 and 9, so the number is unclear.

The limits apply to foreign-issued cards and come from a Seven Bank page that is dated, so confirm them at the ATM. The fee is charged per transaction, and its amount was not found. ATMs can be down for maintenance. Some 7-Eleven stores also have self-service machines that exchange foreign cash, but not coins; their locations were not found.

Before you go Carry a Visa or Mastercard card for ATMs and enough yen for small shops, cafes and rural areas. The fee is per transaction, so plan fewer, larger withdrawals within the limit.

Where next?

The Food hub lists every food page, and the Food guide covers dishes by region. For menu prices, see What a meal costs in Japan. Shopping refunds from 1 Nov 2026 are in Japan tax-free shopping from 1 Nov 2026.