Japan budget and pocket money

How much to bring per day, when to use cash or card, and the one-time costs.

Tipid

₱2,050

¥5,000 a day, excluding hotel

5 days, 4 nights sharing a room: ~₱19,800

Hostels, street food, public transport

Sakto

₱3,650

¥9,000 a day, excluding hotel

5 days, 4 nights sharing a room: ~₱36,000

3-star hotels, stalls and restaurants

Galante

₱6,500

¥16,000 a day, excluding hotel

5 days, 4 nights sharing a room: ~₱66,400

Nicer hotels, sit-down meals, taxis

Cash or card

Japan takes cards and tap-to-pay at chains, convenience stores and most ticket machines, but small restaurants, temples, shrines and market stalls are often cash only. Carry ¥10,000–20,000.
7-Eleven (Seven Bank) and Japan Post ATMs accept most foreign cards and have English menus. Check your bank's overseas withdrawal fee first.
Your Suica or ICOCA also pays at convenience stores, vending machines and coin lockers.
Keep ¥100 coins for lockers and gachapon machines. A ¥5 coin is the lucky offering at shrines.
When a card terminal offers to charge you in pesos, choose yen. The conversion rate is usually worse. Some shops with the Alipay+ logo accept GCash.
Exchange some pesos to yen before you fly as a backup. Peso rates at Japanese airports are poor.