Your Japan Post Bank Account Is Costing You Money

Japan Post Bank just charged me ¥7,500 to send money home, and I am furious.

What happened

When I first got to Japan, my part-time job told me to open a bank account for my salary. With a short-term residence card, my only real choice was Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ銀行). I'm guessing it was the same for you. The process was easy, and their ATMs are literally everywhere. It was fine.

The problem started when I tried to send money to my family for the first time. Their online banking, Yucho Direct, doesn't even do international transfers. So I had to go to the counter, fill out forms, and wait. The fee? A shocking ¥7,500. It felt like a huge chunk of my paycheck just evaporated.

The bank comparison they don't tell you

So I spent a whole weekend figuring this out. For us, here's the real breakdown.

**Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ):** It's the best "first" account. That's it. For anything else, especially sending money abroad, it's a trap. The fees are insane and their debit card is super basic. This is not your forever bank.

**Megabanks (MUFG, SMBC, etc.):** Forget it unless you've been in Japan for over 6 months. The screening is tough. Even if you get an account, their apps feel ancient and they love charging you for using an ATM outside of business hours.

**SBI Shinsei Bank (SBI新生銀行):** This is the one. Their online remittance service, GoRemit, only costs ¥2,000. That's less than a third of what Japan Post charges. Their app is fully in English and just works.

So, what's the move?

It's a two-bank strategy. First, get your Japan Post Bank account when you arrive. You have to. Use it to get paid.

But as soon as you pass the 6-month mark on your residence card, immediately open a second account at SBI Shinsei Bank. You can keep getting your salary in your Japan Post account, but move your spending money and savings to Shinsei. Use that account for all your international transfers. That's it. This tiny change will literally save you thousands, maybe tens of thousands of yen a year.

I bet your friends who are still only using Japan Post have no idea they're losing over ¥5,000 every single time they send money home.