American Express cards are just as widely accepted in Japan as Visa and Mastercard, and American Express cards are generally the best credit cards for people living and using credit cards abroad.

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For a credit card that earns air miles (frequent flyer miles) then I recommend the American Express® Starwood card. You essentially earn 1 mile per $1 spent, and you can transfer the miles to the major airline of your choice. You get up to 3 percent cash value back (in the form of mileage). It's a great deal, letting you earn frequent flyer miles quickly, but keep in mind the annual fee and hassles of redeeming frequent flyer miles.

Why American Express? American Express cards are just as widely accepted in Japan as Visa and Mastercard. I've never seen one accepted and not the others. American Express cards have good terms, low interest rates and no hidden fees. People who live and travel abroad need to know that most credit cards have currency conversion fees, or they get you in other ways. If you use a Visa or Mastercard in a foreign currency, you will probably pay a 3% to 5% currency conversion fee (1% goes to the card company and another 2% to 4% goes to the bank). American Express charges a flat 2%. That means you will typically save 1 to 2% on foreign spending by using an American Express card rather than a Visa or Mastercard. That's a huge, huge reason to choose American Express.

For more details about the best American Express card, read the information on this page.