Country guide

Japan travel essentials

Everything practical for a trip to Japan: what plug to pack, the local money, tipping, the time difference from home and what the weather's doing.

Updated Sun 1 Nov 2026 · Built from Aorista’s tool data

Plugs and power

Japan uses Type A (two flat pins); Type B (two flat + round pin). Mains power is 100 V at 50/60 Hz. Japan uses 50 Hz in the east (including Tokyo) and 60 Hz in the west (including Osaka); a device labelled “50/60Hz” works on both (see our Japan plug guide). Phone, tablet and laptop chargers are usually rated 100–240 V, so they need at most a plug adapter; check the label on hair dryers, straighteners and kettles.

Travelling fromAdapter needed?Voltage note
US / CanadaNoSimilar voltage (120 V at home, 100 V there)
UK / IrelandYesDifferent voltage (230 V → 100 V): check each device label for “100–240V”
Australia / NZYesDifferent voltage (230 V → 100 V): check each device label for “100–240V”

Plugs and voltage in Japan · Do I need a plug adapter for Japan? · Plug adapter vs voltage converter

Money: currency, cash and cards

The currency of Japan is the Japanese Yen (JPY, ¥). Convert from your home currency below; the rate is a daily mid-market reference rate, so a card, ATM or exchange counter will usually give you a little less.

Loading today’s rate…

Daily mid-market rates, fetched in your browser (loading…). Rates By Exchange Rate API

AUD → JPY · EUR → JPY · GBP → JPY · NZD → JPY · USD → JPY · Cash and cards in Japan · Pay in local or home currency? Checker · Paying abroad: cards, cash and ATMs

Tipping

In Japan, tipping is not customary (Aorista tipping data: “Avoid”, can be offensive). Rates for taxis, hotels and tours are on the country page.

Tipping in Japan · Tipping around the world

Time difference

Japan uses one time zone, Asia/Tokyo (UTC+9), and daylight saving time is not observed. The table compares Tokyo (now 20:00, UTC+9) with common home cities, using the 2026e rules.

CityLocal timeDifferenceNext change
Auckland00:00Tokyo is 4 hours behindSun 4 Apr 2027: becomes 3 hours behind
Sydney22:00Tokyo is 2 hours behindSun 4 Apr 2027: becomes 1 hour behind
London11:00Tokyo is 9 hours aheadSun 28 Mar 2027: becomes 8 hours ahead
New York06:00Tokyo is 14 hours aheadSun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 13 hours ahead
Los Angeles03:00Tokyo is 17 hours aheadSun 14 Mar 2027: becomes 16 hours ahead

Time in Osaka · Time in Tokyo · Auckland and Tokyo time difference · Clock changes 2026–2027

Weather

Current conditions and 7-day forecasts (Open-Meteo) for Osaka and Tokyo in Japan.

Weather in Osaka · Weather in Tokyo

Getting there: flight times

Typical non-stop flight times and local arrival times for 4 routes into Japan:

Auckland → Tokyo · Los Angeles → Tokyo · San Francisco → Tokyo · Sydney → Tokyo

Packing

Packing lists you can tick off and save in your browser:

City break · Ski trip · Hiking trip · Build your own list

Nearby and also popular

Indonesia travel essentials · Thailand travel essentials · Australia travel essentials · All countries

Questions

What plug do I need for Japan?

Japan uses Type A, B plugs at 100 V, 50/60 Hz. From the US or Canada: adapter not needed. From the UK or Ireland: adapter needed. From Australia or New Zealand: adapter needed.

What currency is used in Japan?

The Japanese Yen (JPY).

Do you tip in Japan?

Tipping is not customary in Japan, according to our tipping data.

What is the time difference between Japan and the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand?

Right now (Sun 1 Nov 2026), compared with Tokyo: Auckland 4 hours ahead, Sydney 2 hours ahead, London 9 hours behind, New York 14 hours behind, Los Angeles 17 hours behind. Differences change when either side starts or ends daylight saving time.

Does Japan have daylight saving time?

No. Zone Asia/Tokyo (IANA tz database 2026e).

Sources and last checked