Using Your Electronics in Japan
Power and Plugs
The outlet shape in Japan is identical to ungrounded, 2-pin North American outlets: there is no place for a grounding prong (the third, round prong on some plugs). It is becoming increasingly popular for hotels to install outlets that can accept polarized plugs (devices where one prong is larger than the other), but it is still common to encounter non-polarized outlets (both slots are the same size) in homes, businesses, and rural areas of Japan. You can use a 3-to-2 prong adapter (“cheater plug”) to get around both of these issues. This is considered an unsafe practice among wiring professionals in the US, but at only 100V, you should be fine; just don’t mess with the metal tab on the bottom of the adapter.
The frequency of electric current is 50 Hertz in Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido) and 60 Hertz in Western Japan (including Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Kyushu); however, most equipment is not affected by this frequency difference. A possible exception are timing devices such as clocks.
The frequency of electric current is 50 Hertz in Eastern Japan (including Tokyo, Yokohama, Tohoku, Hokkaido) and 60 Hertz in Western Japan (including Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Kyushu); however, most equipment is not affected by this frequency difference. A possible exception are timing devices such as clocks.
Compatibility: Will it Work?
Provided it uses a 2-prong plug, your digital camera and phone charger will very likely work in Japan without an additional adapter because modern charging devices are made to accept a range of voltages. Check the specs on your charging device to see what range of voltages it accepts. For example, all Apple chargers accept a range of power from 100V to 240V, so they are safe in Japan.