No Japanese required! 2 Japanese banks providing online banking service in English

photo by pctechmag

Hi there! When you were in your own country, what payment method were you using to pay monthly bills? Probably, many of you used internet banking service. Japan, as you may know, is still a cash society and was way behind in service quality of online banking comparing to other countries until recent years. However, in recent years, the number of internet banking users has dramatically increased then most of major Japanese banks are providing online banking services. One big downside for foreign national users is that most of online services by Japanese banks are only available in Japanese language. Reading and writing in Japanese tend to be quite difficult even for fluent Japanese speakers. So, it would be a great help for foreign users if they can use online services of Japanese banks in English. Well, there are two Japanese banks that provide online banking service in English.

PowerDirect by Shinsei Bank

Shinsei Bank is a commercial bank operating 30 branch offices across Japan. Customers who opens Shinsei PowerFlex account also can use internet banking service. By using Shinsei PowerDirect, funds transfer between Shinsei bank accounts is free of charge and 1-10 free funds transfer to bank accounts other than Shinsei Bank is allowed depending on your status. It is also available on your smartphone.

Conditions to open Shinsei PowerFlex account

To be eligible to open Shinsei PowerFlex account, you must;

Be a registered resident of Japan
Have a period of stay for 1 year or longer if you are foreign national
Not be a legal entity
Provide residential address, not PO Box address

Also, each customer is only allowed to have one PowerFlex account. If a potential account holder is under 20 year old, consent from his/her guardian and identification are required.

How to open Shinsei PowerFlex account

This account can be opened by visiting a branch office or by post. To open Shinsei PowerFlex account, you are required to provide;

Residence card or Special permanent resident certificate (original copy if applying in person, or photocopy if applying by post)
Original copy of utility bill if applying by postal mail

Tax residents of USA are required to provide further documentations. Inquire the nearest branch or customer support center.

Things you need to start using Shinsei PowerDirect

Cash card (branch number and account number)
PIN
Internet security cord card

※These will be sent to your registered address about 2 weeks after your application form is posted. You will receive a cash card on the day if you are applying in person at a branch, and your PIN and internet security cord card will be sent to you at a later date.

Using Shinsei PowerDirect for the first time

Starting up Shinsei PowerDirect is straightforward. Click [English] on the right top corner of the main page, then click [Login] on the English page. Enter ①Branch number and account number, ②4 digit PIN and ③your date of birth to log in. When you log in for the first time, you will need to register your PowerDirect password and internet security code.
Once you complete setting up your account, you can start using services such as balance inquiry, bank transfer, fixed-term deposit, foreign currency deposit and investment trust.

Shinsei Bank

Direct Banking by Seven Bank

Seven Bank focuses on operation of over 23,000 ATMs across Japan and internet banking service “Direct Banking” while they have only seven branch offices. Seven Bank account holders can enjoy advanced services including 24 hours ATM service and free ATM transaction during the daytime hours. Direct Banking is also available from a smartphone.

Conditions to open Seven Bank account

To open an account with Seven Bank,

You must be residing in Japan 6 months or longer
You must be an individual customer (Account cannot be opened under business name)

Each customer is allowed to open one account only. If potential customer is under 15 years old, his/her guardian’s permission and ID is also required.

How to open Seven Bank account

This account can be opened only by mailing post. To open Shinsei PowerFlex account, you are required to provide;

Photocopy of residence card
Original copy of utility bill under your name addressed to your registered address (E.g. Water, electricity, NHK)

Things you need to start using Direct Banking

Cash card
Direct Banking user card (If applying for cash card with debit service)

Using Direct Banking for the first time

Before using Seven Bank’s Direct Banking service for the first time, you need to complete a “customer confirmation”. Click [English] on top of the main page to convert language, and click 「Direct Banking Service Logon」, then「For First Time Users」. Enter branch number, account number, customer ID and registered telephone number in the boxes to start using Direct Banking. Services you can use include balance inquiry, bank transfer, debit service, loan, international funds transfer depending on your selection.

Seven Bank

Click and pay!

Internet banking is handy and easy but you must understand what you are doing as it handles important individual data. For online banking users who are not confident in reading and writing, online banking with English page can be a life saver. So, if you are thinking opening bank account in Japan, just take into account if the bank is providing online banking service in English.