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If you're lucky enough to get stationed OCONUS in Japan, you might be wondering what credit card to pack while you're exploring the land of the rising sun.
Living and working in the US military while living in Japan is an incredible opportunity to experience a rich and ancient culture that embraces modernity more than many other nations.
Whether you're in the Navy at Atsugi, Air Force at Yokota, a Marine at Iwakuni, or a soldier at Camp Zama, you have the opportunity to open up cards from Chase and American Express.
If you want to maximum your military benefits, I recommend you work your way through my best credit cards for military list.
If I had to just pick a few cards to recommend, I would work in this order:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express Platinum Card®
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- The World of Hyatt Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
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- $795 annual fee adjusted with Chase policy
- bonus_miles_full
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠ including The Edit℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Get a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Live the lounge life at over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years which saves you a ton of time
- Up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 – a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
- Learn more in the Chase Sapphire Reserve review
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card is my top recommended card for servicemembers and spouses, after the American Express Platinum Card®.
With a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year, a large welcome bonus, and airport lounge access, it's easy to see why this card is so popular.
The hotel credit cards offer tremendous value. All of the hotel cards listed here from Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Hyatt offer annual free night certificates. That means you can stay at hotels and resorts all over Japan and Asia and pay no taxes, fees, or room rates.
Overseas hotels and resorts are next level compared to US hotels and resorts. You can get a lot more bang for your buck at overseas resorts. If you and your spouse each open up a few hotel credit cards, you could easily earn a week or more free hotel stays.
Best Chase Credit Cards for American Servicemembers in Japan
Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit card network in the world. If you're going to be traveling outside Japan, I recommend you always have a Visa or Mastercard branded card in addition to the American Express cards listed below.
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- $795 annual fee adjusted with Chase policy
- bonus_miles_full
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠ including The Edit℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Get a $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Live the lounge life at over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years which saves you a ton of time
- Up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 – a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
- Learn more in the Chase Sapphire Reserve review
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- Welcome Bonus Offer: bonus_miles_full
- 1 free night at any category 1-4 Hyatt hotel every year you keep the card open
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn ANOTHER free night at category 1-4 hotel when you spend $15,000 on the card in a year
- Cardholders get World of Hyatt Discoverist status (Level 2/4) just for having the card, as long as the account is open
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays – 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- $95 Annual fee relieved for covered borrowers with Chase policy
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IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
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- Limited Time Offer! Earn up to 185,000 bonus points. Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 35,000 bonus points after spending a total of $6,000 in the first 6 months from account opening.
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG® Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you
- redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG Rewards bonus points are redeemable at hotels such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Hotel Indigo® & Holiday Inn®
- No foreign transaction fees – essential for international travel
- $99 annual fee adjusted to $0 for covered borrowers according to Chase policy
Best American Express Cards for US Military in Japan
American Express has excellent acceptance across Japan, very similar to the United States. If a shop takes credit card, it probably takes American Express cards. That includes buying Shinkansen bullet train tickets and buying snacks at 7-Eleven or Family Mart.
The American Express® Gold Card allows you to earn 4x Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1x points for the rest of the year.
Note that this is not restricted to US restaurants. And, you'll pay no foreign transaction fees with the American Express® Gold Card. Terms and conditions apply.
If you're stationed in Japan, what cards have you received the most value from? Let me know in the comments.