The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences International Liaison Office

For Current International Students

• Campus Network
• Scholarships
• Japanese Language Courses
• Facilities
• Career after Graduation
• Upon Graduation
• Money and Banking
• Social Security / Health Insurance

Money and Banking

Japanese banks, including the Japan Post Bank (Post Office), offer several services including deposits and remittances, and payment through bank transfers. An account at a Japanese financial institution is required for the transfer of salary or scholarship money from the university.

Opening a bank account in Japan

The Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act makes opening a new bank account difficult for foreign nationals who have been in Japan for less than 6 months. It is recommended that you make a credit card in your home country before coming to Japan.

The main conditions for opening a bank account are your length of stay and your status of residence. Each bank will have different requirements and you will need to check directly with the branch

. You will need a residence card when you open a new account but some financial institutions may require a seal (hanko). If you know that you will receive payments such as scholarships, please check if you need to set up an account with a bank designated by your sponsoring institution.

ATM

ATM cards and credit cards issued overseas can be used on some convenience store teller machines and Japan Post Bank teller machines. For example, VISA, MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus, Plus, American Express, JCB and China UnionPay credit cards and ATM cards can be used to withdraw money from Seven Bank teller machines installed in Seven-Eleven stores. Japan Post Bank teller machines are installed all over Japan, providing easy access and facilitating usage. Seven Bank teller machines are found in Seven-Eleven stores. Some large overseas banks such as the Bank of China have branch offices in Tokyo.

Payment in Japan

Cash (Japanese Yen) can be used anywhere for shopping. Transportation IC cards such as SUICA and PASMO are very convenient because they can be used in many places such as trains, buses, and convenience stores. Over the past few years, smartphone payments have become increasingly popular including Edy, Rakuten Pay, Paypay, Line Pay, Origami Pay etc.

For more details refer to Handbook of KASHIWA Campus Life (p.81).