move · money & banking

money in japan, without the panic.

the banks that will actually accept a newcomer, the wall the big banks put up, and the exact order to set things up so nothing blocks anything else.

lived experience, not financial advice · services change · confirm current requirements

the trap nobody warns you about

the bank wants a phone number. the phone contract wants a bank. here's the order that works.

residence card

everything starts here. you get it at the airport. nothing opens without it.

japanese phone number

banks require it. get your sim/esim first. yes, before the bank.

first bank account

jp post or an online bank. your rent, phone bill, and utilities will all want it.

the money bridge

wise (or similar) to move savings over at real rates. never the airport counter.

the bank picker

which bank will actually take you?

tap your situation. the realistic options light up.

jp post bank

day-one

ゆうちょ銀行

the classic first account. newcomers can usually open one before the 6-month mark, with limits (like no overseas transfers at first). branches everywhere, atms everywhere.

bring your residence card + a japanese phone number

sony bank

day-oneenglishonline

ソニー銀行

online bank with a genuinely good english app, solid foreign-currency rates, and a debit card that just works. a favorite among foreigners for a reason.

smbc prestia

day-oneenglish

SMBC信託銀行

built for expats. english everything, international transfers made easy. watch the monthly fee unless you keep the minimum balance.

rakuten bank

onlinesix-months

楽天銀行

online, points-ecosystem heaven if you're in rakuten land, but the interface leans japanese. better as a second account once you've settled.

the megabanks

six-months

MUFG · SMBC · みずほ

most of the big banks won't let you open an account unless you've lived in japan for over six months. mufg, for example. you'll probably need one eventually though, some landlords and employers want it.

i kind of got a cheat code with the bank account by coming to japan as an english teacher, because they set that up for you. if a company is bringing you over, ask them. if you're coming as a student there are other options, they're all listed here.

wise

day-oneenglishonline

ワイズ

not a bank, but it's how i actually move money from my us account to mufg. multi-currency account + a card, real exchange rates, and you can set it up before you even get here.

reality check

requirements shift bank by bank and year by year. treat this as the map, and confirm the current rules before you queue. not financial advice, just receipts.

how it actually went for me

the six-month wall

big banks like mufg normally want you to have lived in japan 6+ months, and realistically, to bring a japanese speaker to the counter. i skipped the wall because my first employer opened my mufg account as part of onboarding. if a company is sponsoring your visa, ask them to do this. it's the single easiest banking win available to you.

how my money moves

my us money crosses the ocean with wise. real exchange rates, and it lands in my mufg account in a day or two. the airport currency counter and old-school wire transfers are how you donate 3-5% to nobody. set up the bridge before you fly.

daily money · the small print of spending

the part that surprises everyone

a lot of bills still arrive on paper. and get paid in cash.

my water bill and my gas bill? paper slips, paid in cash at the konbini register. same story when i needed official documents printed at the convenience store kiosk. cash only. futuristic japan and paper-slip japan coexist, and you'll live in both.

cash on hand

keep ¥10-20k on you. small restaurants, clinics, festivals, those bill slips, all of it runs on cash.

get a cash card

your bank's キャッシュカード waives atm fees at its own machines. the difference between free cash and a ¥220 toll every time. 7-eleven atms save you when you're stuck with a foreign card.

your ic card is a wallet

suica/pasmo pays at konbini, vending machines, and lunch counters, not just trains. load it and stop fumbling coins.

the invisible fees

off-hours atm fees, monthly account fees, and the "pay in usd?" button. always pay in yen. small leaks, real money.