Yen to Dollar

Information on the yen and dollar rate

JPY/USD - reference notes

The yen and dollar rate, explained

Plain explanations of what the yen and dollar rate is, how it is formed, how to get yen for a trip to Japan and why the rate you get differs from the one in the news.¹

Read the guides Open the converter

This site explains. It does not quote a price, give advice or handle money.

A Japanese town street at dusk with red paper lanterns and a passing train, and a glowing line chart drawn across the sky.
JPY/USD is the price of one yen in US dollars. The first currency is the base, the second is what it is priced in.

JPY/USD - reference rates

Yen to dollar converter

Convert yen to US dollars at the latest European Central Bank reference rate, with the trend over 30 days, 90 days or a year.

Enter an amount to convert.

European Central Bank reference rates, published each working day ~16:00 CET; not a transaction rate.

Data is delivered by Frankfurter, an open-source service that republishes the ECB reference rates. A pair without the euro, such as JPY to USD, is a cross rate worked out from two euro rates. The ECB does not publish at weekends or on TARGET holidays, so the latest rate can be a few days old.

For information only. This is not financial advice, an offer or a quote. The rate you get from a bank, a card or a transfer provider will differ.

How to read

Reading a rate

Four things to look at, in this order, whichever rate you are reading.

  1. Read the pair

    In JPY/USD the yen is the base and the dollar is what it is priced in. The rate says how many US dollars one yen costs.

  2. Tell buying from selling

    An institution buys at one price and sells at another. The gap between them is its margin.

  3. Find the date and the source

    A rate belongs to a moment. Look for when it is valid and who published it.

  4. Confirm with the institution

    Before you act, ask the bank or the office for the price they will actually apply.

Guides

Read it through

Longer explanations, grouped on shelves.

  1. Yen coins and banknotes, a ceramic cup and a blank card on a wooden tray. How to Exchange Yen: Where and How to Get Japanese MoneyA plain-English overview of the main ways to get yen before and during a trip, and the questions worth asking before you hand over any money.
  2. A map of Japan, chopsticks, a film camera and a blank pale green card on linen. Mid-Market Rate vs the Rate You Actually GetWhy the yen rate on a converter rarely matches what a bank, card, or exchange counter gives you, and how to measure the gap for yourself.
  3. Travel Money Tips for Japan: A Practical ChecklistPractical, general money habits for a trip to Japan: what to sort out before you fly, what to carry, and how to keep your funds safe and flexible.
  4. Cash vs Card in Japan: What to Expect and How to PrepareIs Japan a cash country or a card country? A balanced look at how acceptance varies, and how to carry both so you are ready either way.
  5. IC Cards in Japan: Suica, Pasmo and Similar Cards ExplainedA general guide to rechargeable IC transit cards in Japan, what they are used for, and why you should confirm current rules with the operators.
  6. Tax-Free Shopping in Japan: A Cautious General GuideWhat tax-free shopping for visitors to Japan generally involves, why the rules change, and which official sources to check before you buy.
  7. ATMs and Fees in Japan: The Types of Charges to Look ForA guide to the kinds of fees that can apply when you withdraw yen with a foreign card, so you can check your own bank terms before you go.
  8. Japan Travel Budget Categories: How to Plan Without Guessing PricesBuild a flexible Japan trip budget by category, with questions to ask for each one, and no outdated prices to mislead you.
  9. Avoiding Currency Conversion Traps: Dynamic Currency Conversion ExplainedWhat dynamic currency conversion is, how to spot it at card terminals and ATMs, and a simple habit that helps you avoid paying more than necessary.
  10. Using a Yen Rate Tool and Rate Alerts WiselyHow to use a yen to dollar converter and rate alerts as a reference, what they cannot tell you, and habits that keep expectations realistic.

All the guides

Glossary

Terms: 30

A glossary of rate words

The words you meet around an exchange rate, in plain language.

ATM operator fee
An ATM operator fee is a charge made by the company that owns an ATM for using its machine. It is separate from any fee charged by your own bank, a...
Bank of Japan
The Bank of Japan is Japan's central bank. It describes itself as a juridical person established under the Bank of Japan Act, and its objectives in...
Cash advance
A cash advance is a cash withdrawal made using a credit card. Many issuers treat it differently from a purchase, with a separate fee and interest t...
Consumption tax
Consumption tax is Japan's tax on many goods and services, similar in purpose to a sales tax. Prices may be shown with or without it, depending on ...
Contactless payment
Contactless payment means paying by tapping a card or phone on a reader instead of inserting the card. Support varies by terminal, card and country...
Currency exchange counter
A currency exchange counter is a booth or desk, often at an airport or in a city center, where you swap one currency for another. It is easy to und...
Daily withdrawal limit
A daily withdrawal limit is the maximum cash you can take out in a day, set by your bank, the card network or the machine. It can cause a withdrawa...
DCC
DCC is short for dynamic currency conversion, the offer to pay in your home currency instead of the local one. When a terminal or ATM in Japan asks...
Dynamic currency conversion
Dynamic currency conversion is a service at card terminals, ATMs and online checkouts that charges you in your home currency instead of the local o...
Exchange rate
An exchange rate is the price of one currency expressed in another. For yen and dollars it tells you how many yen one dollar is worth at a given mo...
Foreign transaction fee
A foreign transaction fee is a charge some card issuers add to purchases or withdrawals made in another currency or processed abroad, often as a pe...
IC card
An IC card is a rechargeable contactless card used mainly for public transport in Japan and, in some places, for small purchases at shops and vendi...

The whole glossary

Limits

What a page like this can and cannot be, said once and plainly.

What this page does not do

Read this before the rest. It is the part that keeps the rest honest.

What this page does not do This site does This site does not
The rate Explains what a rate is and how it is formed Does not state a rate of its own; a figure, if shown, carries its date and source
Advice Sets out the questions worth asking before a decision Does not say to buy, sell or wait
Money Describes how transfers and exchange are usually done Does not take, hold or send money, and opens no accounts
Authority Points to the bank, the central bank and official sources Does not replace a bank, a tax office or a qualified adviser

Questions

Frequently asked

Short answers to the questions asked most often. The longer explanations are in the guides.

Is a figure shown on this site a price I can trade at?

No. A figure is information, with its date and source beside it. The price you get is the one the institution quotes when you transact.

Why is the rate different at a bank, an exchange counter and a card?

Each place sets its own buying and selling prices and adds its own margin or fee, so the same dollars can buy a little more or less yen at one than at another. The guides explain the mid-market rate and the gap.

Does this site tell me when to buy or sell?

No. It explains how a rate works and what to check. It gives no recommendation to buy, sell or wait.

Where can I check the current rate?

With the place you will use, or in the reference rates that central banks publish. The guides say what to look for.

All questions