How should I access money in Japan when studying abroad?

Question

I'm an American student set to study in Japan for a year. Should I open an account in a Japanese bank or would it be easier to access my funds from an American bank? I would really appreciate any advice from any fellow study abroad students.

Answer 1

You can easily acess you funds from Japan with your current bank ATM card. In fact it's one of the best ways as you will not get charged any fees from the Japanese bank and you will get the correct exchange rate. Any other method will probably cost you money or a lot of effort.

Answer 2

Opening a Japanese bank account isn't all that hard to do (with a little help from a Japanese friend), and gives you some options beyond the post office and a very few bank machines that are on the international networks. Tokyo-Mitsubishi, and a couple of other banks even have ATMs with an English button. By the time you're ready to come home, you'll won't have any trouble with the Japanese-only machines though.

If you are paying bills (like your mobile phone, etc.), having a Japanese bank account can make it easier...otherwise you can pay these at a convenience store.

You'll need to get yourself a 'hanko' (personal stamp) before you open your bank account, but this isn't difficult to achieve either.

Be aware that, depending on where you live, bank machines are not necessarily open 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Many of them are only open during banking hours, and almost all are closed by 7pm or so.

Answer 3

in the journey that your monetary enterprise wont' provide help to twine money to Japan then open an account with a substantial monetary enterprise in the previous going to Japan. I twine money from the U. S. to Japan some situations a 300 and sixty 5 days. it is not perplexing. I ought to call a one million-800 first to get a authorization code then fax the monetary enterprise a twine request style. some banks provide help to do all that online. I pay $30 to my US monetary enterprise and not something to my jap monetary enterprise. i prefer to advise Shinsei monetary enterprise in Japan simply by fact they have the final English help. i do no longer understand in the event that they have a branch in Hiroshima yet you could open an account with the aid of the mail so it does not count number. i think the main inexpensive way, so as, are: one million. TC 2. twine (if the quantity is sufficiently super) 3. ATM 4. money

Answer 4

Isn't this the information which you need?
http://www.yu-cho.japanpost.jp/e_a0000000/aa210000.htm

You can withdraw cash from ATM at Post office.

But I guess not all the VISA, PLUS or Cirrus card do work in Japan.
You bring the card which has this marks on the back.
And also you should open an account in Japn.

You will be free from the exchange rate.

Answer 5

no problem just use your states atm card, not all atm machines can take your card, such as the ones at the convenience store, but the post office and some banks can take it.

Answer 6

http://www.2think.org/dollar-yen-change.shtml