Visa launches benefits programs for overseas cardholders visiting Japan

Sunday 23rd August, 05:08 AM JST

TOKYO —

Visa cardholders visiting Japan will enjoy special discounts and privileges when they shop and dine in Tokyo and at Narita Airport.

The “go experience Tokyo with Visa” and “go shop and dine at Narita Airport with Visa” programs expand upon the offerings of the previous “experience Tokyo with Visa” promotion and is available to Visa cardholders visiting Japan through July 31, 2010.

Cardholders who present booklet coupons or online PDF coupons and pay with their Visa cards at 54 selected stores and restaurants in Tokyo and Narita Airport will receive up to 10% discount in addition to gifts and services provided by each merchant. In addition, there will be a special offer to Visa cardholders who shop at Isetan Shinjuku store starting from Aug 26 to Sept 30.

Visitors can download PDF coupons at http://www.visa.co.jp/visitjapan/. Program materials will be available in four languages – English, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Web pages in languages other than English will be available from Aug 25.

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12 Comments

bcbrownboy at 09:20 AM JST - 23rd August

10% off at Isetan! Oh BFD. The prices at Isetan are inflated about 200% already. Is this really going to satisfy a tourist who can buy essentially the same items in their home country for about 1/4 the price. Sometimes I wonder if J-managers have ever stepped off the island to see what life is like elsewhere?
bcbrownboy at 09:28 AM JST - 23rd August

up to 10% discount in addition to gifts and services provided by each merchant hahaha - almost all of them are 3%!
electric2004 at 09:35 AM JST - 23rd August

I once noticed when I wanted to pay in a Japanese restaurant in Tsukuba with a European issued credit card, that they want to add on a service charge of 3percent. Then I paid in cash. Money saved.
stirfry at 09:49 AM JST - 23rd August

"dine at narita airport" ?? i hope one of the benefits is an ambulance ride to the nearest hospital
Farmboy at 10:12 AM JST - 23rd August

If they had a buy one set of flu masks, get one free promotion, I bet it would be popular.
gogogo at 11:06 AM JST - 23rd August

Seriously 10% of in Isetan? Their prices are so over inflated it is more of a "lets fool the tourist into buying from us"
aelieth at 01:26 PM JST - 23rd August

This is all rather pointless... and here I was thinking I was going to have a reason to actually use a Visa card over my others.
escape_artist at 03:17 PM JST - 23rd August

What's this continual BS about Tokyo only, again? Isn't it enough that the poorly named "Kansai edition" of my daily newspaper routinely has ads and articles focusing on Tokyo, with nearly nothing similar for Kansai. Enough already. Tokyo's not the center of the world; show the world the rest of Japan too.
Luddite at 12:16 AM JST - 24th August

Why only Tokyo? Overseas tourists like to visit places like Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nara etc., why hasn't this permeated through those Tokyocentric skulls? If Japan is serious about promoting tourism they have to get out of this 'Tokyo is Japan' mindset.
taiko666 at 09:30 AM JST - 24th August

The Visa / foreign banking card situation in Japan is still ludicrous. The sign at the Narita Express and Skyliner ticket desk sums it up beautifully for visitors: "Cash Only!"

Most ATMs in Japan still don't accept foreign cards. I was in a tiny Thailand village last month, and I was able to draw cash from a 24 hr ATM using my Japanese-issued Citibank card and my UK-Visa card. Yet they don't work in many major Japanese banks' ATMs.

Naturally, Japanese cards are accepted worldwide. Another example of Japan not understanding the concept of reciprocity.
Altria at 09:53 AM JST - 24th August

Doe this include the benefit of actually being able to use your card at stores in Japan?
OssanAmerica at 07:10 AM JST - 28th August

"dine at narita airport" ?? i hope one of the benefits is an ambulance >ride to the nearest hospital

The Sushi Den at Narita, while small, is quite good. Althogh the one at Haneda blows it away.