I certainly wasn’t banking on an adventure when I woke up this morning. It was just another sunny day in Kurokawa and I decided to count out my one yen coins and pay them in to the bank (I mean, really, what good is it trying to save them in a tin?!).
In Japan, you can pay coins and notes in to your bank account using the ATM machine. Unfortunately, you can only pay in fifty coins at a time though, so it was taking forever to pay in my ￥1200. And then it happened. The ATM ate my card and went out of service!
I had decided to go to the ATM building, rather than the bank, as I thought it would be quieter, but then there were no people around to help me. I stared, dumbfounded at the machine. What now?
I looked around for a phone number to call, and then I saw a phone on the wall, so I picked it up and pressed the button. It rang. and then a lady answered in Japanese. “えいご が はなせますか”, I asked. I’m not sure what her reply was, but it wasn’t in English, so I’m guessing she didn’t. So I made a stab at explaining the problem. I think she understood, and she somehow knew my name but then all of a sudden I was cut off and the phone went dead.
By this point I was dripping everywhere from the heat and worry. (I should add that, in the time I was in the building, many people came in to use the ATM machines and not one person attempted to help me – an obvious stranded foreigner! Humph.)
I called back and managed to get someone who spoke a tiny bit of English. All I got from her was “Stay there”. So i did. I waited a few minutes, not quite sure what was going on, and then all of a sudden these two men turned up with clipboards and keys and rescued my card! They spoke no English so I just said ごめなさい a lot and smiled.
They gave my card back, and also my last deposit. On the machine it said only 50 coins at a time, but it hadn’t seemed to mind if I stuck a few more in. However, the men, I think, tried to explain to me that the problem was that I had tried to pay in ￥57 instead of ￥50. I just smiled, put the change in my purse and left. All that palaver over a few coins!! You’ve got to praise them for their efficiency though! I can’t imagine that kind of service in England!
However, whenever I am hit with an adventure like this, it does spur me on to learn more Japanese faster! I wish I could communicate in situations like this!
Just another day in crazy Japan-land… 
waa!!
But you sorted it out on your own. I’m impressed.
It would have freaked me out a bit I think, especially if it was my card while on holiday.
I’ve no idea what I’d do. Phone a friend probably.
Service of this sort never ceases to amaze me in Japan.
UK? they’d make it all your fault; be annoyed at the inconvenience; charge you a £20 fine and send you a new card in the post. Although I’ve probably made up the fine.
Oh and berate your lack of English if you’re a foreigner probably.
It’s also sort of impressive that ATMs accept coins. I never knew that.
I usually give my 1 and 5 yen coins to shrines and temples.
That is an adventure – it would completely stress me out! Glad to hear you got it all sorted though
Haha, well, I kinda had to sort it out on my own really! For one moment I nearly called a colleague who lives nearby, but then I thought that should be my last resort really. I mean, what’s the point in trying to live in a foreign country if you can’t sort out your own problems!
And yes, Robert-san, you’re completely right about UK banks! I once tried to take money out in Central London on a busy Saturday night and it gave me no cash (even though it acted like it had), and when I called (using my own phone, of course) straight away, they didn’t seem too bothered. In fact, they seemed slightly annoyed that I’d even bothered to call!
Thanks for stopping by, ‘chasing snow’! Yeah, I was a little stressed out, but pleased it was sorted so easily!