Getting credit cards in Japan for non-Japanese might be a hard task, even if you have enough earnings and your bank account(s). I’m not exactly sure why it’s even hard for those who’s got MONEY and STATUS…
Alternatives? Pre-paid credit cards are not available in Japan (yet or will never be…). Even it’s hard for you to get credit cards, you can set up bank accounts easily compared to getting credit cards.
Most Japanese bank cards come with debit cards, so you can use your bank card to purchase and/or pay if the shop accepts debit cards.
VISA Japan offers debit cards, too and you can get it from Suruga Bank. VISA debit cards can widely be used among VISA partner shops.
