How to send money overseas from Japan

Sending Money From Japan (Kokusai Soukin 国際送金）

As Japan enters the age of globalization and demand for money remittance services grows, cheaper and more convenient options for remitting money overseas are becoming available, especially online.

Common remittance services in Japan

  • Wise (Previously,TranferWise)
  • Western Union
  • Banks
  • Post Office Bank

Wise (previously TransferWise): Economical and Easy　

Wise has been around globally since 2011. They allow you to transfer your funds to a local bank account before they get whisked overseas. The main benefit of TransferWise is they don’t make money on the exchange rate, and they try to make the whole procedure as fast, smooth, and painless as possible.

The cost structure is this: You pay a fixed fee, plus a percentage of the total amount. What you pay depends on which currencies you’re using, but it’s very reasonable for most of the major ones. The exchange rates (when we checked) were almost identical to those on the exchange rate reference site xe.com, which lists mid-market rates. To start their service, go to their website at https://wise.com/jp/​ 　

Western Union

Western Union is a reliable way to send money from Japan. You can set up the transfer online or via their app, or do it in person at one of their branches in Okinawa. Western Union supports transfers to over 200 countries. For more information, please check their website.

Banks: Costly and complicated

Using banks to send money from Japan is usually more expensive than using dedicated remittance services. The costs and requirements of each bank are varies.Please ask your bank for more details.

JP Bank (Japan Post Bank)

The JP Bank currently has 233 branches across Japan that you can send money overseas from, however services are in the Japanese language only (except for its multilingual ATMs). It is therefore recommended to use a remittance service as an intermediary offering a more language-friendly way to avail yourself of the Yucho Bank's services.

Some Words to Know
送金 そうきん soukin remittance
送金手数料 そうきんてすうりょう soukintesuuryou remittance fee/charge
外国向送金 がいこくむけそうきん gaikokumukesoukin overseas remittance
外国送金 がいこくそうきん gaikokusoukin overseas remittance

 

Receiving Money from Overseas

Your "My number, マイナンバー" should be linked with your bank account.
 

Frequently asked bank information:

 

Okinawa Bank

Ryukyu Bank