Your Hair Dryer Won’t Work in Japan — Here’s Why

Travellagio · A practical surprise almost every first-timer misses.

Japan runs on 100V power — unusually low compared to the 220-240V used across most of Europe, Asia, and Africa, or even the 120V standard in North America. High-wattage devices built for those voltages (hair dryers, straighteners, some travel kettles) can underperform badly or, in rare cases, get damaged running on Japan’s lower voltage, even with the right plug adapter.

The plug shape itself (Type A/B, the same flat two-pin style as North America) is rarely the problem — it’s the voltage mismatch people don’t think to check. Dual-voltage devices (check the label for ‘100-240V’) are unaffected. When in doubt, it’s simpler to just buy a cheap hair dryer locally than risk a device or an outlet.

Full Japan travel guide, including currency and connectivity →