Weird question that I’ve never encountered in the 10 years of living in Japan. When I came here I got a Mizuho bank account and they put my card and bank book with my name in English characters. Never had an issue until I changed jobs lasted year and the company wanted the katakana. I gave them what was on the original paperwork. They couldn’t transfer my salary. I asked them to do it in English characters and they could transfer my salary.
I changed jobs again this year and my new company is demanding I give them my bank info in katakana. I explained that the transfer needs to be with my name in English but they’re insisting I need the katakana. My husband called Mizuho and of course wouldn’t give them any information because I need to be on the phone or go to the branch myself.
Based on previous experience I’m certain that even if I get the katakana direct from the paperwork or the bank they won’t be able to transfer my salary.
Has anyone encountered this issue before? Do I need to change my name to katakana at the bank? Or make a new bank account ( I really don’t want to do that…). I have a Shinsei bank account too but it’s also in English characters, so I doubt they would want that either.
I really don’t understand why my previous 3 companies could transfer without katakana but this company is saying different. Any ideas?
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I don’t know about Mizuho but my Sony Bank account has both my English and Katakana names. Forward facing and in documents to me (in Japanese as well), I get my English name but for any transfers and such, it’s my Katakana name.
Isn’t it standard for banks to have account names in half-width katakana? All mine have been despite all documentation, cards, and banking UI being in the alphabet. I’m all but certain your [Shinsei account is katakana](https://faq.sbishinseibank.co.jp/faq_detail.html?page=500&id=815).
However, most systems don’t require it since when you enter the bank, branch, and account information for a bank transfer, the name usually just pops up. I think your previous companies just matched the alphabet name with the katakana name and accepted it.
check your bank passbook if you got one (通帳), your katakana name as the bank knows it might be printed in there
All transfers inside Japan uses katakana. You need to check what’s registered with your bank and use exactly that.
I recommend shinsei and MUFJ for banking
Based from my experience
Mizuho – romaji
MUFJ – romaji
SMBC – katakana
Rakuten – romaji
I suggest going to the branch and change the account name (口座名義変更). Bring your juminhyou or insurance card that has katakana on them for proof. They support changing names. Mizuho sometimes doesn’t register katakana for foreigners somehow.
>Based on previous experience I’m certain that even if I get the katakana direct from the paperwork or the bank they won’t be able to transfer my salary.
While this is likely true, it is also completely irrelevant. Your new company will follow the exact process they have in their books, and will not even _consider_ deviating from it until they have already tried it and failed, complained that you gave them incorrect information, and then demanded to see your bank book pages to “prove that they are right”.
When it comes to bank policy I’ve learned to never follow the advice of Simon Sinek and always follow Bruce Hornsby’s words instead.
Also, why can’t you head down to the bank and ask? I have two ways of spelling my name in katakana at my banks and this (is dumb) and has caused issues.
I also have Mizuho. My account only has Romaji (they were adamant they need to put exactly what’s on my resident card). They nearly had a breakdown when my full name (first middle and last) wouldn’t fit on the cash card. Called my supervisor in a panic about what to do. I had issues with not having katakana when I tried to register to use PayPay. Just gave up.
Write how it is on your bank book. You might want to look into getting a new account if this one doesn’t have too much tied in to it.
I have had Mizuho Bank for ever and ever, even before they were Mizuho. As you say, no katakana written on my bankbook and card, just my Family Name Middle Name in all caps romaji, which is totally fine with me. In these more than three decades, I have never had any workplace (or other entity depositing money into my account), have any problem or request anything different. I don’t understand why the company you are mentioning is different.
Side note: My related issue is a minor one but still a little annoying. I am completely unable to get the Mizuho phone app (to check my account on the go), because it doesn’t allow romaji input for the name, WHICH WAS HOW THE COMPANY ISSUED MY ACCOUNT IN THE FIRST PLACE! I mean, I would have been fine with katakana. But, strangely, they have created an app that excludes this possibility.
At first I thought this was my misunderstanding in applying at the bank with the app application form, but no, I went back with my wife and, sure enough, after much lengthy and extended, deep, internal teeth-sucking and discussions at multiple levels, it was deemed “impossible.” 🤷♂️
I don’t actually care that much but still . . . it’s kind of amazing that this barrier exists.
*waiting for someone to say “I had no problem at **my** branch of Mizuho and use the app daily!”* 😣
One thing you can try is to get someone else try to make a transfer to your account from a bank that has the name-lookup feature, to see the exact kana your bank presents and capture that information to use.
(in some cases, it’s possible to view it by attempting to do a transfer to your own account number)
FYI: I have both English and katakana registered for my Shinsei account. I have used both depending on what the transferring organization said they wanted. The English is the original. Katakana was added later.
Same thing happened to me with Mizuho I made almost a decade ago; I only had romaji… but I fixed it.
I ended up going to a nearby branch, spending a lot of time there, and they gave me katakana in the end. I just explained that I only have romaji registered, and there is definitely a katakana writing for my name since y’all are pronouncing it somehow, so please add it! The local staff were very confused why I had no katakana to begin with, and gladly added it.
It was years ago, but I remember the issue having to do with how JP names are registered with both a kanji and kana reading. I either,
A. Had alphabet in the kanji slot and nothing in the katakana slot
B. Had alphabet in both the kanji and katakana slots.
Again, it was years ago so I don’t remember which, but when the staff brought up my info they were also like ah, something isn’t formatted right here…
Edit: Btw when you go to Mizuho in person, you need to make a reservation in advance. It is a pain in the ass.