Vegetarians may find difficulty eating out. There are not many vegetarians in Japan, believe or not. More and more detailed dining information will be coming, so please check back. Budgeting Everything we discuss here in US dollar is approximate amount, and it may change depending on the currency market. Souvenirs shopping would be an extra.
People still carry around cash.
Traveler's checks are widely accepted. Other expensive stuff in Japan include transportation, telephone and anything that takes space. Local calls cost 10 cents a minute, which is why internet population is so low. Most of Japanese people know very basic English, and they all can read and write English alphabets fluently. So, it is not totally impossible to communicate with local people if you wish.