Japanese financial institutions and banks allow locals, as well as foreign citizens, to open abank accounts in this country. Moreover, banks enable their clients to choose from a variety of bank accounts.
A bank account in Japan can be:
- A general deposit account;
- A general savings account: a post office account which provides a slightly bigger interest rate than the general deposit account;
- A time deposit account: it generally has a bigger interest rate, however it could request a notice for withdrawals;
- A current account: commonly, it offers the option of utilizing cheques, but is rather used by businesses than by private individuals;
- A foreign-denominated currency deposit, foreign-currency term deposit. Our company registration consultants in Japan can provide more details on these types of bank accounts in this country.
Usually, the most common kind of bank account in Japan is the general savings or the general deposit account.
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Documents necessary to open a bank account in Japan
In order to open a bank account in Japan in 2026, the following documents are required:
- The residence card;
- A valid passport;
- A valid visa;
- The applicant’s address in Japan and his or her phone number;
- A “hanko” seal, which is a seal hand carved sold in certain stores.
The applicant will be offered the choice of a four-digit personal identification number (PIN) and of receiving a passbook which he or she can utilize to update the bank account balance at the ATM.
The passbook will contain the account name, the three-digit sort code of the local bank branch and the seven-digit account number. Our company registration advisors in Japan can offer more information on the documents needed to open a bank account here.
Opening a company bank account in Japan in 2026
The procedure involved in opening a company bank account in Japan has been tightened in the last few years, mainly due to the coordination among most states and their local banks worldwide in order to prevent illegal businesses and money laundering.
Our company formation consultants in Japan can assist you in opening a company bank account in this country.
The documents required for opening an ordinary company bank account in Japan are:
- Application form from the bank;
- The Registration Certificate of the branch or local office;
- The Articles of Association of the local company;
- The seal of the branch or company;
- ID proof for the individual who is applying for the company bank account.
Japan’s banking system
Data published by the Financial Services Agency of Japan shows that:
- The net income for the first half of the year 2025 increased by 26% on a year-on year basis;
- This growth was mainly due to an increase in net interest income;
- The balance of non-performing loans remained at the same level; however, their ratio decreased in September 2025 compared to March 2025;
- The total capital adequacy ratio of banks increased by the end of September, compared to the end of March 2025 (both for international banks in Japan and for domestic ones);
- According to the Financial Services Agency’s report, there were 10 internationally active banks in Japan at the end of September 2026 and 88 domestically active banks.
If you require further details on the bank accounts in Japan, or if you intend to open a company in Japan in 2026, please speak to our friendly Japan company formation executives.