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Houjin Bank Account

GaijinPunch

遠いから行きません
25 Nov 2004
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Anyone know of a bank that offers some actually useful service along with a houjin bank account? I basically need to be able to change foreign currency into yen either online, or on the phone. I've gone to UFJ who doesn't offer it online at all (have to go to your branch) and Mizuho, who has an online feature for the bargain price of 20,000 a month after a 50,000 yen one-time fee. Unless there are sexual favors (note the plural) that come w/ that, that won't be happening.

Shinsei, believe it or not, does not have said features for a houjin account. Only personal. Ebank I've checked, and they pretty much suck as well. Citibank doesn't do houjin accounts full stop.

I think I'm going to have to go to the bank once a month to change my money it looks like.
 
Well, after doing some research, I've decided all the Japanese banks suck, but I've gone with UJF. For 2600 a month you can use their PC-only online banking service which has a lot of useful tools I'll never use. For another 2600 I can transfer USD to Yen and vice versa. The kicker, and the show-stopper really is the fees involved with using foreign exchange. USD transferred into my USD account is subject to a 1500 yen transfer fee, plus 1/20% (minimum 2500 yen) "foreign currency handling fee". If you have the money converter and put into your yen account immediately, there is only the 1 yen per $1 conversion fee (which is standard in any bank).

So, looks like the money will somehow come in through my personal Citibank account and then go to the houjin. It'll save me 4000 yen a month for the xfer, and I won't have to pay 5000 yen a month for their turd online thingy.
 
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