Select the country you are from to see if you need a power plug adapter when travelling to Japan.

Japan electrical outlets & plugs

Japan uses power outlets and plugs of types A & B. Take a look at the pictures below to see what these plugs and power sockets look like:

Doesn't look familiar?

Do the outlets look different in your country? You'll need a power plug adapter.

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  • Type A - Mostly used in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, China and Japan. No other plug types will fit in a type A outlet.

  • Type B - Similar to type A, but with an extra pin for grounding. Mainly used in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America and Japan. Plugs of type A will also fit into a type B socket.

Even though the US and Japan both use plugs and outlets of type A and B they actually are not entirely the same. One of the two pins on US plugs is wider whereas in Japan both pins are the same width. This means that Japanese plugs can be used in the US, but US plugs often don't fit in Japanese outlets.

Electricity in Japan - voltage and frequency

All power sockets in Japan provide a standard voltage of 100V with a standard frequency of 50Hz & 60Hz.

You can use all your equipment in Japan if the outlet voltage in your own country is between 100V-127V. This is mostly the case in the US, Canada and countries in South America.

The standard frequency in Japan is 50Hz & 60Hz. If this frequency differs from the frequency used in your home country, please use caution when plugging in your devices. Check the small print on the device to see if the device can handle the frequency. Please note we regularly check our electricity information with the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC)

Small print on the device or power adapter indicates what voltages the device can work with. If you see 100-240V 50/60Hz printed, the adapter is rated to work on all voltages used worldwide. Please note that power plug adapters only convert plug types and do not convert voltages.

In Japan, the frequency varies between regions. Whereas Eastern Japan (including Tokyo and Yokohama) use 50Hz, Western Japan (including Osaka and Kyoto) use 60Hz. Most small electronic equipment is able to deal with both frequencies, but to be sure, please check the small print on the charger or device.

Our recommended adapters

Universal adapter

Universal power plug adapter
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Adapter + Converter

Combined converter and adapter
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Frequently asked questions

In Japan they use power plugs and electrical outlets of types A & B.

Japan electrical outlets and plug types

The standard voltage in Japan is 100V at a frequency of 50Hz & 60Hz.