Originally Posted by
Q Shoe Guy
I will add Newspaper people to this line of thought too.
I have also never used a hanko for a bank account, including @ the very upright, buttondown, goodfornothing FUKUGIN and the Post Office. Up until recently I would say that the Post Office Savings Bank has been the best to deal with, and they certainly had the least service charges. Now that has changed since they became a quasi "real" bank.
A close friend uses the "CITI" and although they have few branches, they do offer no fee ATM banking all over the place including 24 hours at 7&i ATMS. As AlexS points out that one needs to deposit 1,000,000 Yen (about $9,400 USD) to get this service. You will also have to wait a few weeks to get a ATM card from any of these banks, and until you have your Japanese ID with your address on it this will be a non-starter.
As others have pointed out, including me, unless you are a master of the universe and have multi-bucks/great job, with someone to run interference for you at the banks, don't bother! It 's four months of your life, and if you go through the PITA banks 1/4 of your time here will be wasted in them
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Get some TC, about 500,000 Yen and then use your debit card for the rest of your needs.
It's quite obvious you've never used Shinsei. When I just arrived in the country, I registered at the ward office and got one of those certificates (I forget the Japanese name but I think it's like the certificate of registered matters). I then went to a Shinsei branch with my passport and an hour later I had my cash card. The only other time I was in a branch was when I had to change my address. I didn't even use my hanko.
Then there was my experience at Mizuho. I had filled out half of the account opening form in Japanese when one of the office ladies asked me if I understood romaji, then she took the form from me and made me write everything again in romaji
I was then asked how long I had been in the country, if I had a job, why I wanted an account there, if I had a hanko, and if a Japanese friend could come to ensure I understood the intricacies of a savings account
(basically they tried everything short of saying "no" to get me to leave). To be fair, they were quite persistent in trying to get me to apply for a credit card. After I left with my bankbook and everything, they called me. In their haste to ensure I didn't write Japanese, they didn't ask about the furigana for my name
If everyone's experience is as painfree as mine was at Shinsei, I recommend it. There are no account minimums nor are there any withdrawal fees (moreover, they reimburse you for withdrawals). I have yet to pay them any money. Once, a day before a vacation, I went to withdraw money (using a foreign ATM card). The card got eaten and the staff weren't able to get it back. It took me a month to get a replacement. I know people whose ATM cards have broken or have been lost and they were able to get replacements the same day they reported it.
semi-OT but what is the official status of yucho ginko now? Before it wasn't a bank, but is it now? Obviously they're calling it a bank (and it was accompanied by an expensive rebranding effort), but is it actually a bank?