The order of inquiry for getting paid from abroad — domestic payroll, platform receiving details, or a Japanese bank SWIFT account — plus the records to keep and why leaving salary abroad does not make it tax-free.
Ask first whether the employer can make a domestic JPY payroll transfer; if not, whether it accepts local receiving details from Wise or Payoneer; and if not, give a Japanese bank’s incoming SWIFT instructions — but keep payslips and remember foreign salary is not tax-free just because it is paid or held abroad.
Work through these in order. 1) Ask whether the employer can make a domestic JPY payroll transfer into a Japanese bank account — simplest and cheapest. 2) If salary is paid abroad, ask whether the employer accepts local receiving details supplied by Wise or Payoneer, which can avoid correspondent deductions. 3) If not, provide a Japanese bank’s incoming SWIFT instructions and confirm the accepted currency (some banks, like Japan Post, only take USD or EUR). 4) State whether conversion should occur before sending, at an intermediary, or at the Japanese bank. 5) Run a small test payment. 6) Retain the employment contract, payslip, transfer advice, FX statement, and bank credit record.
Whichever route you use, the employer must accept it, and for salary the receiving account usually needs to be legally in the employee’s name — payroll systems may not accept a payment-platform account for formal employment.
A foreign salary is not made nontaxable merely because it is left abroad or paid through a wallet. Japanese taxation depends on your residence status, source rules, and, for non-permanent residents, statutory remittance rules that are not a simple “same dollars entered Japan” test. Residents other than non-permanent residents are generally taxed on worldwide income; nonresidents are generally taxed on Japanese-source income.
Keep every record — contract, payslips, transfer advice, and the exchange rate used — because you may need them to report income and, where relevant, claim a foreign tax credit. For non-permanent-resident remittance treatment, get a Japan international-tax professional before assuming income is untaxed.
Online bank · Sony Bank
An online bank popular with residents who want strong foreign-currency features, a well-regarded app, and comparatively English-friendly service.
Fees: No monthly account fee; ATM/transfer fees depend on tier — verify current schedule.
International transfers · Wise
A licensed money-transfer service that uses the mid-market exchange rate with a transparent, upfront fee — often cheaper than bank wires for personal transfers.
Fees: Transparent per-transfer fee plus mid-market rate — compare the recipient amount.