Here are some tips for you to avoid commonly made mistakes when providing your Japanese bank account.
We'll need the exact details registered at your bank — any mismatch from your bank records will cause the transaction to bounce back.
What details we'll need
We'll need these details to process your transaction:
Account holder's name (usually in katakana)
7-digit account number
Account type: either 普通 フツウ (Futsuu) current/general, 貯蓄 チョチク (Chochiku) savings, or 当座 トウザ (Touza) checking
Bank name and branch — in English, katakana, kanji, or provide a bank or branch code
Unsupported characters
Here are the characters you can't use, with examples, and how you can replace them.
Kanji characters.
Example: "ワイズ太郎" is invalid. Replace with the katakana "ワイズ タロウ".
Bullet points (・) and Special characters, such as *, @, &, %, #, !, ?
Example: "ワイズ・タロウ" (Wise・Taro) is invalid. Replace it with a full-width space: "ワイズ タロウ".
You can enter up to 48 full-width characters, including voiced and semi-voiced consonants. Avoid exceeding the limit.
Half-width characters (ｱ, ｲ, ｳ).
Example: "ｶﾌﾞｼｷｶﾞｲｼｬ" is invalid. Use full-width katakana: "カブシキガイシヤ".
Account name
Most of the time, Japanese bank account names are registered in katakana characters.
If you enter the account name in Latin, the bank will reject the transaction, so make sure you enter your correct full katakana name in the correct order.
Individual name
Enter the surname and given name in full-width katakana characters, separated by a full-width space.
Example: For "わいず太郎", input "ワイズ□タロウ" (where "□" represents a full-width space).
Corporate name
Enter the type of corporation, the company name, and the branch name, each separated by a full-width space. Example: For "株式会社ワイズペイメンツジャパン東京支店", input "カ）ワイズペイメンツジヤパン□トウキヨウシテン (where "□" represents a full-width space)"
Corporate names abbreviations:
At the Beginning:
"株式会社" becomes "カ）"
Example: "株式会社ワイズペイメンツジャパン" → "カ）ワイズペイメンツジヤパン"
In the Middle:
"株式会社" becomes "（カ）"
Example: "ワイズペイメンツジャパン株式会社東京営業所" → "ワイズペイメンツジヤパン（カ）トウキヨウ（エイ"
At the End:
"株式会社" becomes "（カ"
Example: "ワイズペイメンツジャパン株式会社" → "ワイズペイメンツジヤパン（カ"
Refer to the bank's official guidelines for a comprehensive list of abbreviations.
Japan Post Bank, 甲府信用金庫, PayPay
How do I find my correct katakana account name?
You can find your katakana bank account name printed on the top part of the inside first page from your bankbook (通帳 ツウチョウ). However, some banks have the katakana name printed on the cover instead.
If you do not have a bankbook, then you can find the katakana name on your online bank website by accessing your account details/registration details section.
Account number
Your Japanese bank account number should not be more than 7 digits.
How do I find my correct bank account number?
You can find it printed on the top part of the inside first page from your bankbook (通帳 ツウチョウ)
If you have a Japan Post (Yucho) bank account, the account number is listed on the bottom right corner of the first inside page of your bankbook (通帳 ツウチョウ). The 3 digit branch code will be printed on the bottom left corner.
Account type
Most of the time, Japanese bank account types are “Fustuu” (Current, 普通, フツウ)
If you have a Shinsei bank account, the English writing will be stated as Savings, but it is actually a Futsuu/Current account, so do be careful.
If you are still unsure about your correct Japanese bank account details, you can always contact your local bank or search the help center on your bank website.