Hello,
I currently live and earn income exclusively in the United States, and I hold dual citizenship (Japanese and American). I’m looking to buy a house in Japan, but before that, I need to open a Japanese bank account to hold funds or potentially secure a mortgage loan. My plan is to transfer a large amount of USD for the down payment to this account.
I’ve decided to open an account with Sony Bank using my Japanese citizenship rather than my American one. However, the application asks for a phone number, address, My Number card, and a checkbox confirming that my tax residency is solely in Japan.
Most of the requirements can be met borrowing my uncle’s address and phone number to register/update my jūminhyō, which I can then use to get a My Number card. However, I’m concerned about legal complications if I incorrectly claim my tax residency is in Japan, since I don’t earn income or pay taxes there, and I plan to remain in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. Would this not matter since my tax residency is Japan under my Japanese identity even though I don't earn income there? I'm also not sure if the bank would get suspicious if my Japanese identity suddenly receives a huge wire transfer from my American identity.
Would it better to create a Sony Bank account as an American? This way I'm not lying about my tax residency, but I will have to wait 6 months since they require a residency card or health insurance card that was issued over 6 months ago. I'm also not sure if this affects my chances to apply for a mortgage loan if I open the account as a foreigner.
Apologies for the many questions, I may be overthinking this process.
by SadisticKamikaze