When I'm traveling in Japan, I get an immense amount of satisfaction in paying with exact change, or paying the correct one/ten's digit of the price so that I swap my smaller denomination yen coins for higher denominations. Here are some observations about cash in Japan.
- Higher coin / bill split – the Japanese Yen has ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100, and ¥500 coins. That's roughly equivalent to a $5 coin, whereas in the US, our largest coin is the quarter (half dollars are a myth). That means that coins are more useful, especially for smaller purchases. I actively carry a coin purse when I'm traveling here.
- None of this .99 bullshit – Prices are usually to the whole ¥10 or whole ¥100 without any added tax, instead of $5.95 + tax. I don't know who came up with that trash, but they should be in prison, they ruined cash. Just tell us how much the thing costs.
- Automated registers and self-payment – Most places have you handle payment more than an employee. This comes in a couple of different forms. Fast food places and convenience stores (konbini) will have a screen that shows your total and receptacle for coins and bills facing you. You can choose to pay by cash or card and your change is dispensed to you. Sometimes the employees have the same thing but on their side. Most Subway kiosks accept cash. At many less formal restaurants, you actually choose your order from a vending machine, which dispenses a ticket that you hand to the employee. All of this helps to smooth out the interaction (unless you're a foreigner expecting them to do everything for you).
- Change trays – Everyone has a cute little tray that either party can use to pass coins back and forth. This makes them easier to count and transfer, etc.
- Vending machines – Vending machines are literally everywhere. There's even a soup broth vending machine near my house (there's a warning, just in English, not to drink). They also offer heated drinks, which is amazing. Some of them might take cards, but many don't, which is a great reason to carry cash.