Almighty Dollar Is Mightier In Japan

Above, the currency exchange window at Narita Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now is a great time to pack up your bags and head off to Japan.

Thanks to the extremely favorable foreign exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, a trip there is much more affordable. Americans now can get more bang for their bucks.

According to the Japan Times, the almighty dollar is even mightier these days.

They start off with:

Now that Japan has opened its doors to vaccinated tourists as of Oct. 11, many travelers are going to find great bargains.

The yen has lost about 20% of its value against the dollar this year, making hotels, meals and attractions very affordable for visitors from the United States. At the same time, inflation has been kept mostly under control, although the country is starting to see price increases for the first time in a generation.

After keeping Japan’s border mostly closed to tourists since the start of the pandemic, the island nation is eager for an economic boost, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida saying he wants these inbound visitors to spend 5 trillion yen ($34.5 billion) annually.

All prices below are converted at the current exchange rate of 144.80 yen a dollar. Travelers may get a worse deal from their bank or credit card provider, in addition to other fees. Prices include sales tax but exclude tips. Tipping isn’t expected anywhere in Japan.

Whenever I travel to Japan, I exchange my dollars for yen at the airport. That would solve the aforementioned "worse deal".

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