Getting off the airplane in Tokyo I found a 7/11 ATM machine that promised to give me yen to be charged to my credit card.
I didn’t use it at the airport because I had plenty of Japanese yen from earlier trips.
There are thousands of 7/11s in Tokyo. When I next needed cash I used one. To my great surprise I was able to withdraw $1,000 worth of yen. One hell of a lot of money for a single withdrawal. The fees are low, but start at a minimum $5.00 charge.
My dream of creating a global currency has now come true, certainly for Japan. I don’t know how many other places you can just put in a Visa and MasterCard and get large amounts of local cash, but it has started now.
I am the father of this modern miracle. When I uniquely understood that the bank check clearing house model could be used for credit cards, I made it possible for banks to join together and gain total credibility for credit cards. That is the a priori necessity for a trusted credit card and a global consumer monetary system.
Finally it has happened. 50 years after I invented and created the modern credit card. We can all get cash around the world with our credit card. You are welcome.