Power adapters for Japan

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StevieT

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#3411482 5-Sep-2025 09:32

I am heading to Japan on Sunday and I am alarmed to find out -today- my 3-pin adapter most likely won't work if the sockets are mainly two pins.

What is the best way to obtain a Japanese 2-pin plug with a 3-pin NZ socket? I am going to use a NZ extension cord and power board.

What stores in Tokyo can anyone advise me of, to obtain the adapter described above? Or any other advice to go about charging my devices while there.

KiwiSurfer

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#3411489 5-Sep-2025 10:03

Why not get a Universial adapter here in NZ so you are all set for any countries. If you're flying out of AKL International you can get one duty free from the PB Tech store airside.

eracode

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#3411490 5-Sep-2025 10:05

My understanding is that the vast majority of wall sockets in Japan accept US two pin plugs and adapters. We are going to Japan next month - we have heaps of US type adapters and will just take those for charging devices. We won’t be taking any other appliances. Some older buildings in Japan have the older type of US sockets with one narrow and one slightly wider pin but they’re rare.

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Blurtie

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#3411494 5-Sep-2025 10:21

We've just come back from our trip to Japan and yes all I saw were two pin sockets.

I did have the same thought/mild panic before the trip with taking a 3 pin multi board, but ended up just taking my Samsung 65W Power Adapter Trio with a single adapter and it was honestly fine for our family of four... Between us we had 3 tablets, 3 phones, 4x BT headphones, edit - 2x smartwatches, macbook and a powerbank. My partner also bought her macbook dual usb charger, but we never used it. If you've got a similar multi USB adapter, would recommend taking that over a power board/extension cable..

The hotels we stayed at all had USB-A sockets, some had clock radios with wireless charging, one hotel even had a universal travel socket so could plug my charger directly into it.

We were out most of the day, so we would leave the devices that needed charging at the hotel, then charge up our phones/powerbank overnight..

StevieT

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#3411503 5-Sep-2025 11:02

Blurtie:

We've just come back from our trip to Japan and yes all I saw were two pin sockets.

I did have the same thought/mild panic before the trip with taking a 3 pin multi board, but ended up just taking my Samsung 65W Power Adapter Trio with a single adapter and it was honestly fine for our family of four... Between us we had 3 tablets, 3 phones, 4x BT headphones, edit - 2x smartwatches, macbook and a powerbank. My partner also bought her macbook dual usb charger, but we never used it. If you've got a similar multi USB adapter, would recommend taking that over a power board/extension cable..

The hotels we stayed at all had USB-A sockets, some had clock radios with wireless charging, one hotel even had a universal travel socket so could plug my charger directly into it.

We were out most of the day, so we would leave the devices that needed charging at the hotel, then charge up our phones/powerbank overnight..

That looks ideal. However, I really do need something that can also take 3-pin sockets. Not everything I have is chargable by USB-A or USB-C.

This is becoming quite a nightmare. I'm not sure why adapters are being sold when they won't even fit 2-pin sockets.

I am departing from Wellington to Sydney. Is there a transit store at their airport that may have something suitable? Or should I best wait until I arrive in Japan?

kiwi_64

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#3411514 5-Sep-2025 11:39

I'm in Wellington and have multiple universal adapters. Happy to lend you one if required

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Gurezaemon

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#3411526 5-Sep-2025 12:04

StevieT:

That looks ideal. However, I really do need something that can also take 3-pin sockets. Not everything I have is chargable by USB-A or USB-C.

This is becoming quite a nightmare. I'm not sure why adapters are being sold when they won't even fit 2-pin sockets.

I am departing from Wellington to Sydney. Is there a transit store at their airport that may have something suitable? Or should I best wait until I arrive in Japan?

Get a cheap plugboard from the Warehouse.
Cut off the earth pin.
Using pliers, bend the two diagonal pins vertical.

That's it. With this, you can plug all your NZ things into the plugboard, which is plugged into the regular 2-pin Japanese socket.

Alternatively, buy a single travel adapter and use it with the plug box.

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SpartanVXL

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#3411538 5-Sep-2025 12:35

StevieT:

That looks ideal. However, I really do need something that can also take 3-pin sockets. Not everything I have is chargable by USB-A or USB-C.

This is becoming quite a nightmare. I'm not sure why adapters are being sold when they won't even fit 2-pin sockets.

I am departing from Wellington to Sydney. Is there a transit store at their airport that may have something suitable? Or should I best wait until I arrive in Japan?

Not sure why you’re panicking. The third pin is not needed. Find something that takes in three and outputs two like the multi-travel kits for multiple countries. If it’s just the one device you can get away with something like the below, ground pin will be exposed but it doesn’t matter. And yes there will be stores in airport that sell travel kits, china funnily enough uses our plug too just upside down so there will be some au/nz/cn to jpn adapters in narita/haneda arrivals.

Edit: ah apologies stevie, I see why this is a headache. The slim two pin plugs are not really around anymore and those Jackson branded ones are all two pin input only.

Grab the american one with three pin input and three output with the round ground pin and crack it open and take it out (or saw it off, your choice). Either that or go with the option of removing the ground off a nz multiboard and bending the pins like mentioned earlier in this thread.

Japanese outlets will sometimes actually have ground under the plate. The electronics sold there that might use it will come with a ground wire you attach to the plug, you have to pop off the cover on the wall and screw the ground wire to the ground screw. For the most part though you won’t need it at all.

lemonpib

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#3411616 5-Sep-2025 14:19

StevieT:

I am heading to Japan on Sunday and I am alarmed to find out -today- my 3-pin adapter most likely won't work if the sockets are mainly two pins.

What is the best way to obtain a Japanese 2-pin plug with a 3-pin NZ socket? I am going to use a NZ extension cord and power board.

What stores in Tokyo can anyone advise me of, to obtain the adapter described above? Or any other advice to go about charging my devices while there.

Yes wait until you get there and find a Bic Camera or similar electronics store, they will have a few different options for universal adapters. See here:

https://www.biccamera.com.e.lj.hp.transer.com/bc/category/?q=travel+adaptor

There are branches at Haneda and Narita in Tokyo - not sure where you're flying in to.

Handle9

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#3411654 5-Sep-2025 15:54

Gurezaemon:

StevieT:

That looks ideal. However, I really do need something that can also take 3-pin sockets. Not everything I have is chargable by USB-A or USB-C.

This is becoming quite a nightmare. I'm not sure why adapters are being sold when they won't even fit 2-pin sockets.

I am departing from Wellington to Sydney. Is there a transit store at their airport that may have something suitable? Or should I best wait until I arrive in Japan?

Get a cheap plugboard from the Warehouse.
Cut off the earth pin.
Using pliers, bend the two diagonal pins vertical.

That's it. With this, you can plug all your NZ things into the plugboard, which is plugged into the regular 2-pin Japanese socket.

Please don't do this. If you get it wrong you've made a fuse.

Just don't, especially if you don't know what you are doing. I really wish people wouldn't post this sort of thing.

cddt

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#3412108 7-Sep-2025 06:36

@PANiCnz

I have a multi-country adapter where you slide the required prongs in and out. (Received it as a consolation prize from a bank overseas when I had moved countries and they weren't prepared to give a foreigner a credit card...)

It also has an integrated USB port to supply power at the same time, which was probably revolutionary at the time, but unfortunately seems to supply only 300 mA which is fairly low these days.

Feel free to borrow anytime, flick me a text. :)

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StevieT

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#3420910 3-Oct-2025 11:10

Flights to Tokyo changed (ended up transiting through Brisbane and Taipei, rather than Sydney then Tokyo). Got myself a travelmall universal adapter (65W) in Taipei, which worked a charm in Japan and Singapore.

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