ATM

ATMs here are a different beast. The first one we tried, at the post office, dispensed only 10,000¥ ($100) notes. This struck me as a little odd. There are smaller monetary options so why would you get $100, especially if you're just withdrawing $100? I figured that was bound to cause problems the way it does in the US. It doesn't. I guess that comes from being a cash dominant society. If the US was strictly cash based, maybe $100s wouldn't carry the stigma they do now.

Secondarily, we can't get a second ATM card for our bank account. This means that Chrys gets one or I get one. The good news (?) is that they still have a passbook system on the accounts. (Remember passbooks? My first savings account when I was 7 had one, but nothing since.) The passbook can also be used in the ATM. It's a little weird. Somehow, though, the ATM knows the last line printed and keeps a nice, sequential listing of the transactions. It even updates the book if you're missing transactions that were done with the card or ACH.

Lastly, it took some learning to figure out how to not get just 1000¥ notes from the bank machines. You have to hit the number of 10,000¥ notes you want, then the symbol for the 10,000 multiplier (万). Then you can enter the number of 1000¥ notes you want. Then you hit 円 (another symbol for yen) and it then will spit out appropriate denominations.

Basically, some nice features and some weird ones for those of us not used to dealing with much cash. The only other thing I need to remember is not to use the machine on weekends - then I get charged an extra 105¥, which stinks. Oh well, it all seems to work.