Which plug adaptor do I need when travelling from Okinawa Prefecture to Japan?

Search again

Summary

The table below summarises the plug types, voltage and frequency of electrical current in both Okinawa Prefecture and Japan.

Okinawa PrefectureJapan
Plug TypesA, B, IA, B
Voltage100V100V
Frequency of electrical current60Hz50Hz, 60Hz

Plug Adaptors

In Okinawa Prefecture there's more than one plug type in use.

What type of plug does your appliance have?

Your Appliance has Plug Type A

In Japan there's more than one socket type in use.

You will need this adaptor:

Socket Type
(Okinawa Prefecture) to Plug Type B
(Japan)

Japan also uses Socket Type A, which is used in Okinawa Prefecture. If using an appliance that has a Type A Plug in the Type A Sockets of Japan, you will not need an adaptor.

Your Appliance has Plug Type B

In Japan there's more than one socket type in use.

You will need this adaptor:

Socket Type
(Okinawa Prefecture) to Plug Type A
(Japan)

Japan also uses Socket Type B, which is used in Okinawa Prefecture. If using an appliance that has a Type B Plug in the Type B Sockets of Japan, you will not need an adaptor.

Your Appliance has Plug Type I

In Japan there's more than one socket type in use. You may require more than one adaptor.

Socket Type I
(Okinawa Prefecture) to Plug Type A
(Japan)

Socket Type I
(Okinawa Prefecture) to Plug Type B
(Japan)

Considerations

Frequency of Electrical Current

The frequency of electrical current found in Okinawa Prefecture (60Hz) differs to those found in Japan (50Hz and 60Hz).

The frequency of electrical current in Japan varies from one location from the next. Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku and Hokkaido) uses 50Hz while Western Japan (including Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku and Kyushu) uses 60Hz.

Most equipment is not affected by differences in frequencies. Some exceptions are:

  • Electric clocks: Some electric clocks use the frequency of electrical current to measure time. If the clock is designed for one frequency, but used with another, time shifts could be experienced.
  • Appliances using motors: If there is a motor load associated with an appliance, the frequency governs the speed in revolutions of the motor. This could mean that the motor will spin faster, or slower than intended and could have a detrimental effect in the appliance's operation. This is of particular concern in power tools and other machinery that uses motors, so if you must use these, you should seek access to a frequency converter.

Good to know

Voltage

The voltage found in Okinawa Prefecture and Japan is exactly the same (100V). You will not need a transformer.

Report an error