Open a personal Japanese bank account so you can be paid, pay rent, and set up direct debits.
Not verified yet
Drafted from general knowledge. Bank, carrier, and agency requirements vary significantly between companies and change often — confirm with the specific branch or shop before relying on this.
Why it matters
Japan still runs on bank transfers. Your employer needs an account to pay you, your landlord will want rent by direct debit, and utilities are awkward to pay without one. This is usually the first thing people get stuck on, because it silently depends on having registered your address first.
- Deadline
- No legal deadline
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- 1–2 hours at the branch, card arrives later by mail
Do these first
What to bring
- Residence Card在留カード·zairyū kādo
The address printed on the back must match where you actually live.
- Residence Certificate住民票·jūminhyō
Required by some banks, not all
- Japanese phone number日本の電話番号·nihon no denwa bangō
Most banks require a contactable Japanese number. This is the awkward part of the loop — see the steps below.
- Personal seal印鑑·inkan
Some banks still require one; many now accept a signature
How it goes
- 1
Break the phone/bank loop first
Many banks want a phone number and many carriers want a bank account. The usual way out is a prepaid or MVNO SIM that can be bought with a card or cash, giving you a number before you have an account. Japan Post Bank and some online banks are also commonly described as more accommodating to new arrivals.
- 2
Pick a branch near your home or work
Traditional banks often tie your account to a specific branch, and it matters more than you would expect for later paperwork.
- 3
Bring more documents than you think you need
Residence card, residence certificate, phone number, and a seal if you have one. Being turned away for one missing paper is the single most common failure here.
Say this
口座を開設したいのですが。
Kōza o kaisetsu shitai no desu ga.
I would like to open an account, please.
- 4
Expect a wait for your cash card
You typically leave with a passbook and receive the cash card by mail some days later. Ask what the account can and cannot do in the meantime.
- 5
If you are refused, it is often not personal
Some institutions apply a minimum residency period before offering certain products. A different bank may say yes on the same day. Being declined once is not the end of the process.