Tokyo JET Wikia

Most banks are open on Monday to Friday between 9am to 3pm. Bank-affiliated ATMs are often open longer and many ATM machines in convenience stores are open 24-hours.

When setting up your bank account, it may be a good idea to chose a bank with several branches (JP Bank, Mizuho, SMBC, or MUFG), or SBI Shinsei Bank that provides English services, ATMs with free withdrawals and deposits at multiple convenience stores as well as free online banking.

Requirements[]

After you register your address with the ward office, you are ready to open a bank account. When you open an account, make sure to bring the following:

  1. Passport
  2. Registered residence card
  3. Work contract1
  4. Inkan2
  5. Japanese phone number (some banks, such as SBI Shinsei Bank, may also require a Japanese phone number. You can try to use your school phone number.)

Checking Accounts[]

Please ask your bank about specific procedures regarding direct deposit or online accounts, as each bank’s policies will differ.

Passbook and Cash Card[]

Most banks will give you a passbook or a bank book. It looks like a place for you to write in your bank transactions, but don't! You simply have to place the book into your bank's ATM and the ATM will automatically write down all your transactions from the past. These bank books can be used to withdraw cash too, so be sure to protect this little book with all your bank information on its front page.

Along with the passbook, most banks will give you a cash card, which is a card specifically used to withdraw cash from your bank ATMs. It is not a debit card. It cannot be used in stores as such. Debit cards are not widely used, but you can still get one. To get a debit card, you must specifically request for one. Again, each bank has different policies. The same applies to credit cards.

Nowadays, stores tend to have a Suica/PASMO card scanner. Suica and PASMO are rechargeable train cards that can be used as your commuter's pass after you register3 with the train officials. You can store money on the card, acting like a debit card. As many convenience stores, vending machines, and stores have a Suica/PASMO card scanner, you can simply carry your train card and cash.

Japanese Credit Cards[]

If you would like to have a Japanese credit card, Rakuten is known to be most open to foreigners in Japan. There are multiple English guides that will help you apply for a card online. To apply for a credit card with your bank, please ask a staff and be sure to bring someone who can help translate.

Notes[]

1There have been cases in which the bank refuses to allow JETs to open bank accounts because they fear JETs don't have proper employment or are students. To ease their fears, it's best to show bank staff your employment contract. 

2Many banks will allow you to use your signature in place of your inkan, but you are advised to bring one just in case. 

3If you lose your bank card, you can pay a small fee to get a reissued card with your remaining balance. Your lost card will be cancelled. 


Japanese Bank Transfers[]

There are 3 different ways you can make a bank transfer (Furikomi 振込) in Japan; Teller, ATM, or Online. Depending on your bank, you may be charged 200~500 yen for it.

Depending on your bank, you may also be able to set up automatic transfers.

You will need the following to make a transfer:

  1. Bank card or Cash
  2. The recipients Bank Information including:
  • The name of the recipient’s bank in Japanese (Ginkou銀行)
  • The branch name in Japanese (Shiten支店)
  • Recipient’s account number (Kouza bangou口座番号)
  • Type of Account — usually it is a “normal” account (Futsuyokin普通預金)

You will need the Japanese names in Kanji plus the first character in Katakana. The katakana character is to help you search for the name in their database. For example:

  • SBI Shinsei bank 新生銀行 = シ
  • Mizuho bank みずほ銀行 = ミ

ATM Transfers[]

There are already some good tutorials on how to make an ATM transfer, so I will just provide the links below. They come complete with step by step photos and a list of Japanese words you will need to know.

If you wish to continuously make transfers via ATM, I would suggest making a Transfer card / Furikomi card 振込カード which can be made at the ATM. Your transfer recipient’s information will be saved onto the card so that you won’t have to punch it in every time. More information is provided in the Gunma link. If you have a JP Post account, your recipient's information can be saved directly to your account under references when you use your bank card.

Gunma JET http://www.gunmajet.net/furikomi-electronic-funds-transfer-guide/

Surviving in Japan http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2010/06/how-to-do-furikomi-bank-transfer.html

Online Banking Transfers[]

The layout of your bank’s online site may look different, but you will still need all the same information as if you were making an ATM transfer.

Japan Post https://origami-book.com/column/course-en/8984

SBI Shinsei http://www.shinseibank.com/english/guide/direct/furi.html

Popular Banks with Current JETs[]

While it will ultimately be your responsibility to select a bank (or banks!) that suits your needs, these are some banks and other finance platforms that are popular or well-received by current JETs in Tokyo, to help you start your search.

Remember - you are not restricted to one account at one bank! Many JETs have multiple bank accounts to help with budgeting, conveniently manage bills or gain access to certain rewards programs. You can also change banks wholesale simply by opening a new account, moving all your money to it and closing the old one, so don't feel like you're trapped with your first choice. Many JETs are increasingly choosing to have one more "traditional" bank account at a more established bank to receive their salary, handle bills and other fixed expenses while maintaining the option to expand into more conventional financial services without switching banks, and a second account with a net-based bank that has more flexible services or certain perks.

Keep in mind also, if your school requests you open an account with a specific bank, it's probably best to do so regardless of what's written here. As a final disclaimer, these accounts are based on the accumulated experience of Tokyo JETs, so your own experiences may differ based on the exact branches you visit, the degree of support from your school or even just sheer dumb luck.

This section was last updated in June 2025.

JP Post Bank[]

The most common bank for JETs all over the country, and pretty popular with the natives too. CLAIR provides a reasonable number of resources for signing up for and using JP Post, because JETs in rural placements may not get much choice, so it *should* be a relatively pain-free process to open an account there. Busier branches may default to pushing you to sign up through the app and not be much help in troubleshooting if you encounter issues. Banking services are basic, but competent, and there are branches in even the most far-flung spots in Japan, so if your goals include travelling to small, isolated towns, having a JP Post account in your back pocket for emergencies isn't a bad move. There will be fees for doing withdrawals from ATMs not operated by JP Post, but there's not exactly a shortage of those. It's less convenient than using a conbini ATM, to be sure, but not by much. By default, you'll only receive a passbook and cash card, but debit cards are available by application. English support is limited, but exists, and foreign currency remittance is tricky (although this can usually be mitigated by using a remittance service like Revolut or Wise on the side). Services you consider stock-standard in your banking system (like transferring between bank accounts) may attract fees or even be impossible with your account type if you don't specify correctly when opening, so prepare for at least the possibility of headaches if you're doing anything beyond day-to-day banking.

SBI Shinsei[]

Despite being acquired by SBI, the new SBI Shinsei bank retains some of the English-language oriented support and banking options. While some support has been pared back (at this stage, English-language phone support has been terminated completely), all daily life banking functions can still be carried out in English using the website, although their app is entirely in Japanese. You may have some difficulties setting up direct deposits and other similar services using SBI Shinsei's foreigner-oriented PowerBank account, which is likely the only one they will let you open at first. It also only comes with a cash card, locking you out of any services that require a passbook or a debit/credit card if using SBI Shinsei as a primary bank (luckily there's not actually that many of those), unless you want to apply for (and probably get knocked back from) their frankly lackluster credit card programs. Foreign currency remittance is relatively painless, but attracts higher fees than some competitors. They have fewer physical branches than JP Post, especially outside Tokyo, but still enough that, if you encounter a grave enough problem, you can just go, sit there and refuse to move until it's fixed, which is usually less heartache than trying to navigate some AI-infested web form for serious matters. That said, anecdotally, there's been a really wide range of experiences between branches since the SBI takeover - some branches are well-equipped for and accommodating to foreign clients, while others are dismissive and rude, so getting help or even just opening an account may be challenging if your nearest branch is uncooperative. While they operate few if any ATMs, this means they've struck deals with other ATM operators to have free withdrawals at a pretty convenient spread of ATMs, including ATMs at the three major convenience stores.

Sony Bank[]

Yes, that Sony, they have a bank too. Sony Bank has no physical branches, being digital-only, but in exchange is well-versed in the banking needs and comforts of foreign residents. The default Sony Bank WALLET card functions as both a cash card for withdrawals and other banking procedures at ATMs and a debit card for making easy breezy purchases anywhere that takes Visa payments (which is a pretty good chunk of Tokyo now, but definitely keep an eye out if you travel). Foreign currency exchange or remittance is also painless and fees are reasonable (within the scope of always-exorbitant remittance fees, anyway). To cap it all off, they offer 0.5% to 2% cashback on all transactions made using the debit card, depending on your "Club S" level - which sounds pathetic, but even at its worst, it is actually pretty much dead equal to the stock-standard "earn 1 point by spending 200 yen, 1 point is worth 1 yen" that a lot of loyalty programs operate off, with the added benefit of giving you straight-up cash rather than points that may not be able to be used at every store. If you're a power user of the PlayStation store, all purchases done there using Sony Bank debit cards will attract 2% cashback regardless of your Club S level. Depending on your Club S level, you'll receive a certain amount of free transfers and free ATM withdrawals per month (starting at 4 withdrawals and 2 transfers per month, up to unlimited withdrawals and 10 transfers per month). Higher Club S levels also come with other valuable benefits like reduced or waived foreign currency remittance fees, preferential currency rates and fee-free international ATM use up to 5 times a month - but if you have the minimum 3 million yen (or equivalent in foreign currency) to qualify for these tiers, frankly you're better equipped to choose a bank yourself than I am to provide you advice. Setting up an account can take a little while - you download an app, fill in the application and they mail you a bunch of stuff that you have to fill in and mail back and then they mail you more stuff before you can start using it, so you might choose to open another account in-branch at another bank in the interim.

Prestia[]

Prestia is perhaps the most English-friendly bank of the lot, with extensive English support options and a full English language application process. As a subsidiary of SMBC, they also have some of the benefits afforded to you by being with a major bank. Unfortunately, the ones you really, really want - like easy access to fee-free ATMs or full compatibility with direct debit and e-money apps - fall outside that some. This puts Prestia in more or less exactly halfway between SBI Shinsei and Sony - they supply their Global Pass combo debit/cash card to any account holder without additional application processes, and it comes with a cashback program ranging from 0.25% to 1.5%, just like Sony, but they have the benefit of having branch addresses you can go and harass to fix your problems, just like SBI Shinsei, and the same "not-quite-a-real-bank" issue they all share with not quite gelling with direct debits and e-money apps. This can make them fantastic as an intermediary bank - you can open the account quickly and painlessly basically as soon as you've registered your address with your city, so you're up and going with minimal delays, but you may still choose to open a separate bank account with another, more conventional bank (even their parent bank SMBC) for more flexibility and options in the long-term.

*Please take note that for Prestia, there is a monthly account maintenance fee of 2,200 yen (including tax) that they automatically deduct from your account on the second business day of each month, unless you fulfill certain conditions. For more information, refer to: https://www.smbctb.co.jp/en/service/fees/

Other Major Banks[]

The remaining major banks outside of JP Post - SMBC, MUFJ, Mizuho and Resona - do all have different degrees of services and some even offer limited English support (namely, SMBC retains some of Prestia's English-language assets in their app), but are all put together here because they share the same major barrier, that being that the application process is in Japanese. For this reason, not a lot of JETs find themselves taking accounts with these banks, but those that do usually report complete smooth sailing after the slightly rocky onboarding process. If you're looking at staying in Japan for the medium- or long-term, it may be worth just ripping off the band-aid and getting in with a major bank on the ground floor so you can easily move into other financial services like credit cards and loans with minimal heartache, or if you're confident in your Japanese reading ability to just go with an option that you know is going to work smoothly for all your everyday needs. Past this point, it's tricky to provide a play-by-play of the relevant features of each bank and their different products since they're not seeing huge use among JETs, so all the relevant information is on each bank's website. It'll be a mostly personal choice as to which one is best suited to you - they're fundamentally similar, but you may be able to score valuable signup bonuses, special point rewards at your most-used stores or other perks depending on your own needs and lifestyle. If you're confident enough to brave the Japanese language sign-up process, you're competent enough to determine which bank is best for you.

International Remittance Services[]

Many of you probably have one of these already - things like Wise or Revolut that allow you to fluidly and cheaply move money between currencies. While these aren't technically banks, and changing to your Japanese address will be necessary to do important things like receive a salary to it, if you've already got the account you can absolutely use it to your advantage. If you're not planning on spending a long period of time on JET, they can function more or less like a second bank account for disposable income, so you don't accidentally spend into your savings. In general, it's a good idea to have one of these even if you don't use it. If you need to send money home (or receive money from home) in a hurry, or indeed send money ahead of you to Japan for things like move-in fees on your apartment, these services are far and away the best way to do it without attracting massive fees or spending hours banging your head against the wall trying to get your bank to help you, and can help you keep your head above water for the first little while before you have a chance to open a regular bank account. They're also a relatively painless way to do things like purchase airfares home or other services in your home currency. They may also offer some degree of interest-bearing savings options which, while likely at rather unremarkable rates, are better than the no-interest 普通預金 you'll likely be opening in Japan. I wouldn't recommend having this be a load-bearing part of your financial portfolio, but it is worth having access to a service like this as a lifeline if nothing else.


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