The Only 2 Credit Cards You Need for a Trip Around Japan

I'm currently circling Japan as a couple using the ADDress lodging subscription — and these are the credit cards I went out of my way to get after the journey began.

On a trip around Japan you want minimal luggage, so this is a strictly curated list: just two cards, chosen from actual use.

The two cards worth carrying around Japan

Traveling Japan with as little cash as possible is both safer and easier: no theft worries in loosely-secured lodgings, no hunting for ATMs. Cashless living is near-essential for a long Japan trip — and card points accumulate until they can fund a fine dinner by journey's end.

Carrying many cards is its own burden; 1–3 is the sweet spot. These are my two:

1. The PayPay Card
2. The EPOS Card

The PayPay Card

The card to get first — because it makes PayPay (Japan's dominant QR payment app) cheap and easy to use. Reward rates rise, top-ups complete in-app, and the numberless card design keeps security tight.

Why make it:

• Boosted rewards (up to 2.5%)
• Smoother PayPay use
  (it's the only credit card that can charge PayPay directly)
• Sign-up campaign points
• Permanently free, at 2.5% back

Why PayPay itself is indispensable in Japan

1. Acceptance is everywhere

Circle Japan and you'll find PayPay accepted from rural Niigata to a soba shop deep in the Nagano mountains — places that take PayPay but not credit cards. For anyone aiming at full cashless, that coverage is the whole argument.

2. Transfers are trivial

Splitting bills with friends becomes effortless — "I don't have change" disappears from your life.

3. It pays utility bills

Payment slips scan in-app, so resident taxes and the like get paid on the road — even a photo of the slip sent from home works.

4. Strong rewards

Card plus app together reach up to 2.5% back.

5. Reward festivals

Seasonal campaigns can hand you 7,000–8,000 points at sign-up — check before applying.

The EPOS Card

EPOS earns its place through perks you get just by holding it — I barely use mine for payments, but I lean on the perks constantly.

1. ADDress discounts

See the guide on using ADDress cheaply for the details.

2. Hot spring discounts

Little-known but heavily used by me: discounted onsen at APA Hotels and large regional bath facilities.

3. Permanently free — ETC card included

4. QUICPay

QUICPay registers with Apple Pay — and you'll occasionally hit places that take QUICPay but not PayPay.

5. 2,000 yen in points at sign-up

6. Issued as fast as same-day

7. Automatic overseas travel insurance

The killer perk. For trips up to three months, the automatic coverage suffices — dedicated travel insurance mostly oversells beyond what you need.

Guard against losing your cards

Cards live at the bottom of the bag

I pay with PayPay, not the cards themselves — so they never come out, and loss or theft risk stays low.

Apps watch the activity

Since I barely use the EPOS card, any fraudulent charge stands out instantly, and I keep the reporting line handy.

When to apply

Apply at least two weeks before departure, during a campaign. Some cards arrive late — and doubling back mid-journey for a credit card is misery, so get them out of the way first.

The PayPay Card hands you a pile of points at sign-up, and the EPOS Card gives 2,000.

If you're applying for a card, do it when the points are good. Mine was worth 7,000 points when I signed up, so a running campaign is not worth skipping. I bought earphones with the PayPay points, for the record.

In short: apply during a campaign, and at least two weeks before you leave.

Summary

1. PayPay Card
2. EPOS Card

PayPay: strongest rewards, accepted everywhere — and the card that makes it cheaper and easier. EPOS: automatic insurance, onsen discounts, ADDress discounts — profitable just sitting in your bag.

Apply for both before the journey starts. See you next time.