There are a number of banks to choose from when opening a Japanese bank account in Tokyo, but inevitably most people end up choosing from the big 4: Mitusbishi (三菱UFJ銀行), Mitsui Sumitomo (三井住友銀行), Mizuho (みずほ銀行), and Japan Post (ゆうちょ銀行).
Any of these are a good choice as they all have been around for a long time and they all have branches and ATMs everywhere.
There are also online only banks, like Rakuten (楽天銀行) and Japannet (ジャパンネット銀行).
There are other options besides the above but let’s just focus on these for now. Unfortunately, it’s generally the case that there isn’t much multilingual assistance when making online and postal applications. A couple of banks do have English assistance for some of their services, but not all. You may need to visit the banks in person for assistance in languages other than Japanese. Although, that will usually be just English.
Credit Cards and Debit Cards
The chances of non-Japanese residents acquiring a credit card in Japan are slim. There are a number of additional factors that will affect your chances of being approved. These include things like visa status (length of stay in Japan), salary, employment status (full-time, part-time, etc.), the credit limit you choose, whether or not you work for a Japanese company, whether or not you select cash advance (キャッシング), and whether or not you wrote your three or four names in the required order even though the form doesn’t specify what that order is.
Another factor is that credit card companies (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, JCB) prohibit you from applying for some time if you are rejected too many times using the same personal details. And to round it all off, you won’t even be told why your application was denied.
This is not to dissuade you, but suffice it to say, rejection is extremely common.
It may sound like the odds are stacked against you, but if you enjoy a challenge, feel free to try your luck at a credit card application. Debit cards, on the other hand, are virtually guaranteed once you’ve opened your bank account as there are no credit/ID checks needed.
Given this, we will just be focusing on debit cards in this article.
Credit Card vs. Debit Card
Credit cards can be used to pay for goods and services online or in person using your bank’s money. Basically, it’s a loan which you must repay, with interest. The most common credit card companies are Visa, Mastercard, and JCB.
Debit cards are used in exactly the same way as credit cards, although they only use the money you already have in your bank account, so approval is straightforward and fast. They also tend to be issued by the three credit card companies listed above, although which one you receive will depend on the bank you choose to apply through.
How to Open a Bank Account
Opening a bank account at any of the six banks mentioned earlier is generally straightforward, if you have all the required identification.
You may not need all of these forms of identification, but preparing as many as you can means you won’t need to go home to get additional documentation.
- 在留カード (zairyū kādo – Residence Card)
- Passport
- 運転免許証 (unten menkyoshō – Japanese Driver’s License)
- 住民票 (jūminhyō – Residence Certificate)
- 国民健康 保険 証 (kokumin kenkō hokenshō – National Health Insurance card) or 健康 保険証 (kenkō hokenshō – Health Insurance card)
- 個人番号カード (kojin bangō kādo – My Number Card)
- Japanese mobile phone number and any valid email address
- Proof of Billing such as a recent gas, electric, or water bill with your name and address
- Reason for opening an account
- Job description
- Proof of Assets / Debts for people from countries that have economic sanctions
- Documentation if you are a PEP (Politically Exposed Person). Some banks may exclude these people from obtaining accounts
*Note 1: Some banks accept the 通知カード (tsūchi kādo – Notification Card) in place of a My Number Card. See here for more about 通知カード.
*Note 2: Most banks require extra documentation for American citizens with regard to FACTA. This part will be done by the banks.
How to Open an Online Bank Account
Regardless of whether you’re applying online for a bank account, or the internet banking part of your account, or a debit card, the process generally will involve receiving something in the post at some stage to confirm your address. It may be a code that you need to enter into your online account, or it may be something delivered to you that the postman will scan, so that the bank knows you’ve received it. In this case you won’t need to do anything further aside from wait for an email from the bank with further instructions.
Mitsubishi
Non-Japanese people must visit a branch to open an account or do it by post. Online application and online banking is all in Japanese.
- Request to receive your application form by post here.
- Once your account is established, apply for internet banking here.
Their debit card can be either JCB (can be used with Google Pay on your smartphone) or Visa (has payWave and Garmin Pay).
If you have a good level of Japanese and can do everything without human assistance, they also run their own online only bank called じぶん銀行 (jibun ginkō). You need to have been living in Japan for over 6 months to open a じぶん銀行 account.
Mitsui Sumitomo
Accounts can be opened on the website. US citizens and PEPs must visit a branch and enquire about opening an account.
The first couple of pages of the online application uses automatic translation so be careful. After that, it’s all in Japanese.
Their debit card is Visa, has payWave and Google Pay, and there are four designs to choose.
Mizuho
Their ‘online’ account application involves either printing out documents yourself or selecting to receive them from the bank by post. All information is in Japanese only.
Internet banking can be applied for here, once the account is established.
Their debit card is JCB.
Japan Post
A visit to your local post office is necessary to open a Japan Post account. The website has very good English, Chinese, and Vietnamese guidance to help you print and fill out the required forms to be presented at the post office.
The online application for internet banking is only in Japanese on your computer or by post, and online banking can be applied for after opening an account in person at a post office.
The online application for their Visa debit card (mijica) is all in Japanese and begins with selecting the design that you want. Currently, they have two limited edition designs for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to choose from.
They have a very convenient, direct, and free way to transfer money to and from your Rakuten account.
Japannet
Japannet is owned by Mitsui Sumitomo so you can trust that it is run by one of the banking giants.
The Japanese only online application form lets you apply via their official app, by mail, or on your computer
Their debit card is Visa, has zero annual fees, and has payWave. When applying, you can choose to apply for just an account with a card, or, an account and card and online banking.
Rakuten
Rakuten has a very good English online application form (click ‘English’ in the top right corner). However, once the account is established, your online banking experience will be entirely in Japanese.
They also have a very convenient, direct, and free way to transfer money to and from your Japan Post account.
One of their debit cards is Visa (with payWave) – Basic (no annual fee), Silver (¥2,200 annual fee), Gold (¥5,500 annual fee). The other one is JCB (no annual fee).
Comparison Table
| Open Account Online | Debit Card Capabilities | |
| Mitsubishi | No † | JCB (Google Pay) Visa (payWave / GarminPay) |
| Mitsui Sumitomo | Yes ‡ | Visa (payWave / Google Pay) |
| Mizuho | No † | JCB |
| Japan Post | No † | Visa (payWave) |
| Japannet | Yes | Visa (payWave) |
| Rakuten | Yes | Visa (payWave) JCB |
† request forms online and / or visit bank
‡ excludes US citizens (apply in person)
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