Are you planning to live in Japan for a while? Chances are you'll have to deal with the Japanese banking system! While the Japanese language can be daunting for newcomers, the banking system can be quite challenging, especially if you're only familiar with it from a French perspective. But don't worry, it's not insurmountable! It's all about preparation and getting used to it. We'll explain furikomi (お振り込み / お振込), or bank transfer, step by step. Let's get started!
Why an article about bank transfers?
After all, a few clicks on an online account are all it takes! It is indeed a possibility, BUT there are several situations where it isn't. For example, some banks don't offer this service online; another possibility is that your account doesn't allow it; or simply, speaking to a teller in Japanese seems insurmountable. For all these scenarios, the solution is furikomi (お振り込み / お振込) via ATMs (our French ATMs).
ATMs on almost every street corner
Whether it's in bank branches, post offices, convenience stores (konbini), or even some major train stations, there's bound to be an ATM within a 10-minute walk if you live in Tokyo. In addition to depositing and withdrawing cash, these machines also allow you to make bank transfers.
Bank transfer in 8 steps
1) Insert your payment card (so far, so good)
2) On the home screen, select お振込 or 振込 (the display depends on the ATM), which means furikomi
3) Select the account that will be used for the transfer *
4) Enter your code
4) Select the name of the beneficiary bank (ginkōmei 銀行名)
5) Specify the name of the bank branch (shiten 支店)
6) Enter the account number (kōza bangō 口座番号)
7) Indicate the type of account (kōza kamoku 講座科目). You will generally have three options: regular (futsū 普通), current account (tōza 当座), savings account (chochiku 貯蓄)
8) Enter the amount and confirm (確認 kakunin)
* It is also possible to pay in cash. In step 3, choose a cash deposit instead of withdrawing money from your account. To do this, simply select 現金 (genkin) or 現金でのお振込み (genkin no o furikomi). You can then follow the same procedure explained above. Note: Cash transfers are limited to 100,000 yen, so you will need to repeat the process several times if the amount you need to transfer is higher.
**Good to know! If you make your transfer before 3pm, it will usually be processed the same day.
It might seem daunting at first, but all you need is to have all the information and follow the procedure step by step. You don't need to be fluent in Japanese to manage it; a good grasp of hiragana/katakana and a bit of visual memory to select the right tabs will be more than enough!
And for the step-by-step instructions with pictures, it's via here (Thanks OLES Japan!)
