HomeUS → Japan
Do I need an adapter from US to Japan?
No adapter needed for phone or laptop in Japan.
United States: Type A/B, 120 V, 60 Hz → Japan: Type A/B, 100 V, 50 / 60 Hz.
Dual voltage (100–240 V input) covers 100 V. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A socket. Japan uses both 50 Hz and 60 Hz depending on region.
Dual voltage (100–240 V input) covers 100 V. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A socket. Japan uses both 50 Hz and 60 Hz depending on region.
100 V is within what this device expects. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A socket. Japan uses both 50 Hz and 60 Hz depending on region.
100 V is within what this device expects. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A socket. Japan uses both 50 Hz and 60 Hz depending on region.
Dual voltage (100–240 V input) covers 100 V. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A socket. Japan uses both 50 Hz and 60 Hz depending on region.
100 V is within what this device expects. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A socket. Japan uses both 50 Hz and 60 Hz depending on region.
Why
Plug shape. United States uses Type A (two flat parallel pins) and Type B (two flat parallel pins and a round earth pin). Japan sockets are Type A (two flat parallel pins) and Type B (two flat parallel pins and a round earth pin). They are compatible, so no adapter is needed.
Voltage. United States is 120 V; Japan is 100 V. Same voltage family, so everything you own will run.
Frequency. United States is 60 Hz; Japan is 50 / 60 Hz. No change to worry about.
Japan: Japan runs on 100 V nationwide, lower than anywhere else. The frequency is split: 50 Hz in eastern Japan (Tokyo, Yokohama, Sapporo, Sendai) and 60 Hz in western Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka). Sockets are mostly ungrounded Type A; grounded Type B sockets are uncommon outside newer buildings, so a US three-pin plug may need a 3-to-2 adapter. Japanese Type A pins are the same width, so a polarised US plug (one wide blade) may not fit an older Japanese socket.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an adapter from US to Japan?
No. Your Type A plug fits Japan's Type A sockets.
Do I need a voltage converter from US to Japan?
No. Both countries are in the same voltage band (120 V and 100 V), so even single-voltage appliances work.
Will my US phone charger work in Japan?
Yes. Phone and laptop chargers are dual voltage (100–240 V). You do not even need an adapter.
What about the reverse trip, Japan to US?
See the Japan to US guide.