Value Village ／ Before you come to Japan
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
A small but daily question. Japan's electricity is unusual on two counts — the voltage is 100 V, lower than almost anywhere else, and the country runs on two different frequencies depending on region.
| Item | Japan | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | 100 V | US/Canada 120 V; UK 230 V; EU 230 V |
| Frequency | 50 Hz east (Tokyo, Tohoku, Hokkaido) / 60 Hz west (Nagoya, Osaka, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa) | Boundary runs from the Fuji River (Shizuoka) to Itoigawa (Niigata) |
| Plug | Type A (two flat parallel pins) | Same shape as US ungrounded |
| Grounded socket (Type B) | Uncommon in homes and older hotels | Kitchens and newer buildings have them |
[Verify] Frequency boundary and voltage with the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy; plug details with the Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET).
Only if the device is rated 100–240 V (check the label). A 230 V-only hair dryer on 100 V will run weakly; that is not dangerous but it is useless. A 100 V-only Japanese device taken home to 230 V can be destroyed — relevant for souvenir electronics.
Polarised US plugs (one wide pin) may not fit older Japanese sockets. Grounded (three-pin) US plugs need an adapter almost everywhere except newer hotels.
Electronics with switch-mode chargers do not care. Motors and clocks designed for a single frequency (some older appliances, certain microwave ovens) do. Modern devices sold in Japan are dual-frequency.
Older business hotels often have one or two accessible sockets. A small multi-port USB charger solves most of it.
It is designed for 100 V. At home it may burn out unless it is a dual-voltage travel model. Check the label before buying.
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https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/en/
https://www.jet.or.jp/en/
https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
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