How do I get cash in Tokyo right now?

Factual Questions
1

Hi,

Ok, this isn’t really an emergency situation or anything, but here’s what’s going on.

I came to Tokyo on a business trip on monday, and I’m leaving on the 13th. I’m staying on Ikebukoro, in the Sunshine City Prince Hotel. It’s 4:22 PM on a Saturday here, and I was going to get cash at an international ATM and buy gifts. (First I need a duffel bag, which seem to be hard to find here, but that’s an even more minor detail). I went to Citibank(I’m not a Citibank customer) and the ATM refused to issue me money. I thought about it for a second, and asked the manager, and was informed that my Wells Fargo 11 digit PIN will not work anywhere in Japan.

“Huh?” I thought to myself, “Developed country of the 21st century”. I expect this sort of things in Eastern Europe, but Japan? Ok, fine, I call Wells Fargo 24-hour customer service line, they inform me that Citibank can do what’s called a “Teller Cash Advance against a Credit Card” with my ATM card that does not require a pin(my ATM card is a VISA check card, so it would look like a normal VISA CC to the teller). I inform Citibank of this fact, and they procede to walk me to the ATM informing me that all cash advances can only be done through the ATM. In fact, they do not do any services that the ATM performs with the teller. Tellers are only for things that the ATM cannot do(I can understand a Japanese bank having a policy like that, but Citibank? C’mon, what century are we in?) The ATM takes my card for Cash Advance, and then informs me that I need to povide my PIN and, again, chokes on the 11 digits. Oh woe is me for not picking a 4 digit pin like normal people, but that’s in the past.

The manager of the Citibank branch then gives me a map to the VISA Service Center that happens to be around my hotel, but is only open on weekdays like 10AM->5PM(I’ll be at work), and they didn’t even know how that would help me. They just a have a map to give to people. Then Citibank procedes to close at 4PM for the weekend.

Now, Monday I have to go back to work, and I doubt I’ll have any free time until I board the plane Saturday early morning. I’d love to be able to go down through my extensive list of people-to-buy-gifts for and get them some inexpensive Japanese crap (fans, yucattas, slippers, hair brushes, shirts etc.) But it seems the only places here (at least on Ikebukoro) that DO take VISA as a payment method only sell same rehashed and expensive European/American designer goods that I can buy in San Francisco.

Now I can’t come up with a solution to this problem on my own. I don’t have that much time, but I either need to find an inexpensive shopping district that will take VISA for payment (with just a signature) and sells things like yucattas/kimono-looking-things, fancy chopsticks, fans, etc. or I need to find a way to withdraw cash from my checking account before monday and go shopping with cash(a lot easier, but still most stores on Ikebukoro seem to be european-centric).

Now, I understand I’m a guest in this country and don’t speak a word of Japanese. And when in Rome, I should do as the romans do. However, all I am looking to do is put money in the economy, and as an American(well, ok, Russian-American) I find it hard to believe that it’s so hard to make people take your money.
Thank you for your answer in advance,

Regards,

Groman

2

Do you have an actual credit card? Even though the VISA service center in Tokyo is closed, you can call the 1-800 number on the back collect and they will accept the charge. You can ask the agents in the US to work it out with the bank in Tokyo so that you can get cash.

Do you have a significant other bank home? Have them wire you $500. It will cost about $50.

If you are looking to use your CC, there is a place by the Imperial Hotel and Takarazuka theater in Ginza called the International Duty Free store (or some combinaton of those words). Its right under the Railroad tracks. They have a lot of those types of knick knacks there and I was able to use my CC.

I have to admit, I had no problems getting cash with my ATM card, which is a check card as well. But I don’t have an 11 digit PIN.

3

What a “Wells Fargo 11 digit PIN?”. Most people that I know, in the USA at least (a developed country) uses 4 digit PINs. 11 digit PIN?

4

Well, when I opened my checking account at Wells Fargo, I got an ATM card. The bank manager(who was opening my bank account, it was a slow day) advised me against using a 4 digit pin. He said that all ATM systems in the US can take a pin up to 16 digits, and 4 digits is the bare minimum and not very secure. I picked an 11 digit pin. It works absolutely everywhere in the US except very old Walgreens ATMs.

5

A few random ideas:
[ul]
[li]Perhaps another bank would be willing to do a cash advance. Citibank can’t be the only one around, especially in Tokyo, can it?[/li][li]Can Wells Fargo reset your PIN over the telephone?[/li][li]Can you log in to your Wells Fargo account through the internet and reset the PIN?[/li][li]Someone mentioned this, but do you have a credit card? If you have an American Express card, for home or work, call their service line and I’m *sure they could figure out a way to get you some money.[/li][li]If all else fails, can you borrow cash from your workplace somehow? [/li][/ul]

6

Thank you very much for your advice,

I am not particularly worried about being without money in Japan next week. I’ll figure something out. What worried me was being without money right now(which I still am), and I guess I am going to have to shop in stores accepting VISA tomorrow, since Japanese banks are not open sundays.

The Americna level of convinience is extremely addicting. I am not a very frequent traveler, and sometimes forget that you cannot rely on the same convinience that the locals do whenever you are a foreigner. After all, this would be a non-issue have I lived here and had a Japanese bank account.

Worst comes to worst, I can Western Union myself some money over the Internet(they do have that if you live in the US/UK, IIRC) however, I do not even know if they have WU in Tokyo.

7

What about asking someone to send you some money through Western Union?
By the way, I don’t think you could have used your card here, either. PINs are all 4 digits. There are regularily warnings on some boards about not travelling to Europe with a 6 digits PIN card. I didn’t even know that 11 digits PINs existed.

8

I just checked western union locations, and there’s only one in Tokyo and it’s services list “Sending” but not recieving. I don’t know if recieving is a “given” though.

Regardless, it’s open 9AM to 3PM Monday through Friday, so I’ll check it out Monday.

Regards, and thank you,
Groman
P.S. Is the support for >4 digit pin an effect of American crime rates? After all, if your card is stolen, a 4 digit pin can be guessed long before you report it stolen. In fact, if you have your own mag stripe hardware, I would imagine it would take just a few minutes since IIRC a hashed version of the PIN is stored on the card, and collision testing in a 4 digit number is a matter of seconds. I’m getting too technical here, so good night everybody and thanks for your help