ATMs are insane here, I want to pull out my hair and find the rationale behind them.

First, they close at 7 or 9 during the week and many aren't open on Sundays or Holidays. Arrrrggggghhhhhh, why not? Why Why Why? What is the point in this? I can understand locking them when the station closes, but they close before and open after the station opens.

Second, I can only use my little ATM card at 1 of 10 or so ATMs in my little city. If I go just outside there maybe only 1 ATM I can use, or maybe none at all. There is one Toho ATM in all of Tokyo. I'm sure it's open every third Thursday from 4:30 to 5 pm.

Finally, for certain transactions it requires I put my passbook in? What do my parents work for the bank now? I can keep the balance in my head or via receipts just fine, I don't need to be forced to have it written. It's fine to have the option of updating my passbook, but don't require it.

There's a charge to use the ATM each time, and I can't use other banks ATMs, but then again my checking account has no fees so I shouldn't complain.

You have to take out too much money for trips just in case you can't get to it when you need it.

And Japan is that safest country now I think.