Power Plugs and Electricity in Japan

The voltage in Japan is 100 Volt, which is lower and different from North America (120V), Central Europe (230V) and most other regions of the world. Keep in mind that the use in Japan for a device designed solely for 240V should be avoided, unless you use a step-up transformer.

The electric current in eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido and other northern area) is 50 Hertz, and in western Japan (Nagoya, Osaka, down towards Kyushu and Okinawa, and other southern area) is 60 Hertz. Keep in mind that however the difference is, most equipment is not affected by this frequency difference. But there may be a possible exception like clocks might be affected.

Power plug and socket are all type A, and resemble North American ones. It usually come in various versions, but most commonly they are non-polarized and ungrounded with two pins, meaning the slots in the sockets are the same size.

Many appliances, especially those designed for travelers, are compatible with a wide range of voltages. But, to make sure, try looking at the back of the appliances or its charger to verify if your device or appliance is dual-voltage or not . If it can run between 100v-240v, you'll just need the right power plug to connect to the power sockets used in Japan. If not, you’ll need a voltage converter to make a device function with a noncompatible voltage in Japan. Some appliances like hair dryers are not capable of operating in multiple voltages and may cause fire hazard or damage, unless if it is designed especially for travel purposes. And due to the difference of voltage, some appliances like hairdryers and razors will only work half power in Japan. Pay attention to the maximum number of watts, a converter can support too. If you worry about whether the ones you have work or not, go online or ask the manufacturer. With that being said, smartphones, laptops, and digital cameras are usually built to overseas standards and will automatically adjust to the different voltage. So for these items, there is a high possibility that you might not need a converter but just the type A plugs.

Keywords to look for are INPUT, AC and V. “100-240V” in the image above. This means that this electrical appliance handle dual voltages.

Most big cities will have such major retail stores as BicCamera, Yodobashi, Yamada Denki and other local electronic retail stores where they sell variety of plugs, converters and obviously electrical appliances too. These major stores will have not only English and Chinese speaking staff, but some with multi-lingual speaking staff, as well as a Duty Free counter. In the case of Tokyo, electrical districts such as Akihabara will be the best place to look into if you need to buy anything “electrical” related. For convenience stores, unfortunately, most won't sell converteres and only in some rare occasions, they do sell type A plugs, but usually they only sell smartphone chargers. However, convenience stores at the airport in the international terminal like Haneda and Narita Airport do sell so if you forget them and want to buy immediately, best check it before leaving the airport.

These are some of the usual chargers that are sold at convenience store in the town outside the airport, but no converters and type A plugs

Akihabara

Tokyo

View All

Go here

JR-EAST HOTEL METS AKIHABARA

1-17-4 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo

• 
• 
• 
• 
•