I’m going to be working in Japan for one year starting next week, as a visiting scholar to a university (who receives a stipend from them that is also taxed in Japan, and so on.) I’ve already lived in Japan for a number of years (though I am not in Japan right now) working as a researcher at universities, but in those cases my salary was paid by my home university (not the Japanese one) to my foreign bank account.
I’ve had a Japan Post bank account for 7 years (though I potentially will need to renew it when I arrive next week, I do not know), but would like to have a bank account with a more normal bank, on which to receive my salary *and* most importantly with which I could make online purchases, on say Amazon.co.jp. To the best of my knowledge, the Japan Post bank does not offer ways to do online purchasing.
When I tried to create such a bank account back when I was in Japan in 2020-2021, the Mizuho staff told me I needed to wait for 6 months before I could apply to create a bank account. At that point I dropped it, because I realized I was just using my own credit card and debit card from my home country’s bank anyway, and getting cash at 7-11 ATMs. Now that I will be getting a Japanese salary in yen, however, it would be very handy to be able to buy stuff using that salary online. In the worst case scenario, I could also just use my home bank account’s savings to make these purchases, but that would mean that I would end up with money left over from my Japanese salary at the end of this year, which I would then have to pay for to transfer back to my home nation when I go back home. So it makes more sense to me to use my Japanese salary to pay for things like furniture etc. while in Japan.
So, my question: are there any banks that can give accounts to foreigners straight away, and which also offer the ability to get a credit card (or some kind of way to do purchases online on Amazon etc)? And if there are any, which would you recommend?
Thanks in advance.
2 comments
Bring your work contract or anything that proof you are being paid by Japanese entity. Then go to any bank, including Japan Post.
The problem is that by law if you are 非居住者 you have a lot of restriction on financial service. If you are working in Japan than You are automatically 居住者 even if you just arrive in Japan.
>Are there any banks that can give accounts to foreigners straight away
JP Bank, and subsequently my local Labour Bank did that for me. Also ask your university if they have any preferred banks/credit unions. You’re definitely not the first visiting scholar, and your Japanese university most likely has dealt with this before.
>and which also offer the ability to get a credit card (or some kind of way to do purchases online on Amazon etc)? And if there are any, which would you recommend?
JP bank offers both credit and debit cards, but based on anecdotes on r/japanlife, some people have difficulties getting approved.
If you end up going with a different bank, try applying for their debit/credit card, as that will probably give you the least resistance.
Anecdotally, I had no problems applying for a [Rakuten credit card](https://www.rakuten-card.co.jp/) (not an affiliate link). The cashback rate(1%+) is decent, and I got the card about 1 week after application.
PS) I know you said “not Japan Post” in your title, but they certainly fit the bill for your needs, so don’t count it out