Currency rates are constantly changing, making it essential to know how much money you have when traveling to and from other countries. At the time of publication, the value of the Japanese yen is much less than the U.S. dollar -- meaning several hundred yen can be as little as $5 in the U.S. You can find the rates in the newspaper, but websites and banks usually update the rates several times daily because the market is always in flux.

Step 1.

Navigate to a currency exchange website such as MSN Money or XE Universal Currency Converter. There are numerous financial sites that list the current rate along with tracking the rate over time.

Step 2.

Find the current exchange rate for the Japanese yen to the U.S. dollar.

Step 3.

Multiply how many yen are in a U.S. dollar by the amount of yen you wish to convert. For example, as of July 2011, one dollar is worth .01271 yen. If you have 500 yen, multiply 500 by .01271. In this example, 500 yen amounts to $6.35.

Tip

Most currency exchange sites have currency exchange calculators to do the math for you.