Best & Right Bank Account Options for Foreigners in Japan

TOKYO – Compare the best bank account options for foreigners in Japan, covering Prestia, Sony, Rakuten, Seven, and Japan Post Banks.

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Bank	Basic Requirements	Methods of Application	Easiness	Supported Languages	Days to Complete	Important Notes	Comparable Services
Prestia	Age 18+, resident in Japan for 6+ months or employed, 3+ months on residence card expiry	Online	Moderate	Japanese, English	10+ business days	Must not be a US person, address on ID must match current address	Foreign currency deposits, multi-currency debit card
Sony Bank	Age 20+, resident in Japan, valid residence card, health insurance card, proof of employment if needed	App-based	Easy	English	10 days for Sony Bank Wallet	U.S. citizens need additional FATCA forms; application canceled if Sony Bank Wallet not delivered within 3 months	Foreign currency savings, Sony Bank Wallet debit card
Rakuten Bank	Resident in Japan, valid residence card, Japanese phone number	Online	Easy	Japanese, English	7-10 business days	Not available for people with temporary visitor status or short-term stay visas	Rakuten Super Points, international money transfers
Seven Bank	Resident in Japan, valid residence card	Online, via app	Easy	Japanese, English, Chinese	10-14 days	Must use app for ID verification; cannot apply if less than 6 months of stay on residence card	ATMs in 7-Eleven stores, international money transfers
Japan Post Bank	Age 15+, resident in Japan, valid ID (residence card, passport)	In-person at branch	Moderate	Japanese, English	7-14 days	Requires in-person visit for account opening	Nationwide ATM network, remittance services