Financial Institutions

Opening Accounts

Banks and post offices engage in banking transactions. Normal business hours for banks are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. weekdays, and for post offices, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays.
To open your account, submit some identification (such as your foreign resident registration card) to confirm your name and address, and your family stamp. If you do not have a family stamp, your signature will be accepted in place of the stamp.

Automatic Transfer for Your Utility Bills

Both banks and post offices provide a transfer service which automatically pays your utility bills such as electricity, gas, water, telephone and NHK. Bring an invoice/receipt, your passbook, and family stamp (if you have one), and fill out an application for the service at the window of any bank or post office. Your bills will be paid on a certain day every month automatically from your account and a receipt will be mailed to you.

Cash Cards

When you open your account, you can apply for a cash card. You select a four-digit secret code at the time of your application. With your cash card, you can deposit or withdraw cash from automated teller machines (ATMs) and cash dispensers (CDs) without having to go to a teller window. You can also record your transactions on your bank book or check the balance of your account.
Deposits to your account, whether by cash card or bank book, can be made only at your bank's main or branch offices, but withdrawal by cash card can be made at other banks, too. Cash cards issued by a post office are honored nationwide.

ATM

Remittances (Sending Money) (Sokin)

Both domestic and overseas remittances are handled at either banks or post offices.

Domestic Remittances (Kokunai sokin)

Through banks and post offices, you can send your money to another party's account. You also can use registered mail service to send cash to the other party.

Overseas Remittances (Kaigai sokin)

From a Bank:
Overseas remittance services are provided by banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange transactions. There are three methods: Demand Draft (D/D), Telegraphic Transfer (T/T), and Mail Transfer (M/T). D/D is a bank certified check designed for overseas fund transfers and is issued to you, which you then mail. With T/Ts and M/Ts, your bank sends he fund transfer documents to overseas banks by cable or mail, the receiving party obtains the funds from the overseas bank.