Japan Post Bank
ゆうちょ銀行Bank (nationwide) · Japan Post Bank
- Monthly fee
- Free
- English
- Partial
A bank with the widest branch and ATM network in Japan, often accessible for new residents and useful in rural areas.
How to receive an international transfer in Japan
Incoming SWIFT instructions, local receiving details, supported currencies, incoming fees and intermediary deductions, tax characterization, and how to track a payment on its way to you.
Direct answers
Give the sender your bank’s incoming SWIFT instructions (or local receiving details from a platform), confirm the accepted currency, expect incoming and intermediary fees, and remember that receiving money is taxed by what the money is — income, gift, or your own savings — not by the transfer itself.
Key points
- To receive by SWIFT, give the sender your bank’s BIC, account number/format, and registered English name and address.
- Platforms (Wise, Payoneer) can provide local receiving details in some currencies so the sender pays as if domestically.
- Expect an incoming-transfer fee and possible intermediary deductions; some banks limit incoming currencies (Japan Post: USD/EUR).
- Receiving money is not itself the taxable event — tax follows whether it is salary, a gift, inheritance, or your own savings.
Giving the sender the right details
For a bank SWIFT receipt, provide your bank’s BIC/SWIFT code, the correctly formatted account number, and the registered English account name and address — these must match exactly or the payment can be delayed or returned. Japan Post Bank, for example, uses BIC JPPSJPJ2 and supports USD and EUR incoming, with disclosed correspondent deductions of $10 (USD) and €5 (EUR).
Alternatively, a platform such as Wise or Payoneer can give you local receiving details in certain currencies, letting the sender pay as if making a domestic transfer and avoiding some correspondent deductions. Confirm the accepted currency before directing a salary or pension, and expect an incoming-transfer fee plus possible intermediary charges.
Tax character and tracking
An incoming transfer is not taxed merely because it arrives. Tax follows the underlying nature of the money: salary is income, a gratuitous transfer may be a gift, inherited funds may involve inheritance tax, and moving your own savings between accounts is generally not new income. Keep the originating document — payslip, invoice, sale agreement, or account statement — because a remittance receipt alone is not sufficient tax evidence.
If the money is late, ask the sender for the transfer reference and, for a SWIFT wire, have them ask their bank to trace it; gpi tracking may be available at the institutional level.
Who this is for
- People receiving salary, freelance pay, pensions, or family support
- Anyone giving a sender their bank details
What this is not
- Determining your exact tax liability — that depends on residence status and the source
Important cautions
- Do not receive money into your account on behalf of someone else without a legitimate, documented reason — it can be money-mule activity.
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