SHIGA SURVIVAL GUIDE: THE GUIDE-financial: banking

One of the first things you'll do when you arrive in your new town is open a bank account. Most people in the JET Programme will have an account with Shiga Bank, although in some cases, Biwako Bank will be used. These are both prominent banks in the region.

GETTING STARTED: OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT

To open a bank account, you will need your passport or certificate of alien registration, proof of your address and your personal seal. You will then be issued a passbook for your account. You can also apply for a cash card when you open your account. The clerk will request that you specify your secret personal identification number of four numerals, which you must memorize. If you forget your personal identification number, you will have to have a new card made, which will take about two weeks. When you have your initial cash card made, it will be sent to your home in approximately one week. Both deposits and withdrawals can be made using the cash card at the ATMs of different branches of your bank. The cash card can also be used at the ATMs of other banks nationwide. However, each transaction made at banks other than your own or after your bank's hours of operation will have a fee of around 103 to 306 yen.

Each month, your salary will be directly deposited into your bank account. When an automatic transfer is made to your account, a post card from the bank will announce the transaction. In addition, any transaction will be automatically annotated in your passbook when you present it to a bank teller or insert it into an ATM. Therefore, it is never necessary for you to write in your passbook or keep track the balance of your account. If you do not update your passbook after making several transactions, you may receive a message on your receipt asking you to update it soon.

The interest rates in Japan are comparatively low (nice way of saying "next to nothing"). Just one use of another bank's ATM can use up the interest of an entire year for a savings account of 10,000 yen. Therefore, if you are interested in opening a savings account with a competitive interest, you may want to open an account in your home country or look into opening a postal savings account. These accounts are useful, as they can be accessed free of charge from any post office nationwide and offer slightly better interest rates. See the post office section for details.

BANKING HOURS

Tellers' windows	Monday to Friday 9 am to 3 pm
Automatic Teller Machines (aka "cash corners")	Monday to Friday 8:45 (or 9) am to 7 pm
Automatic Teller Machines (aka "cash corners")	Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 5 pm Closed on national holidays (very few branches may operate using Sunday hours)

Business hours for ATMs will be a new concept for many of you, and vary from bank to bank and region to region, so please confirm the hours of the cash corners near you. Its not unheard of to be stuck with 300,000 yen in your account but no way of accessing it. Always make sure you have some cash available.

AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINES

Your cash card should arrive within a week after opening your account. Using the ATMs (known as "kyasshu kona" or "cash corners" in Japan), despite limited hours, are a more convenient way for most JETs to do their banking than using the actual bank because working hours for banks are the same as a JETs working hours (in fact, an hour or so less). Once you receive your "kyasshu kado," you can access your account from any of your bank's ATMs and a variety of other bank's ATMs. Generally, only your cash card and personal identification number will be necessary, though you will need to insert your passbook periodically to have it updated. The following will give you a basic idea of how to use the average ATM. Many ATMs in Japan are operated on a touch screen system, therefore they have no buttons. Just touch the screen on the appropriate selection.

USING THE AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE

After inserting your cash card (also inserting the passbook is optional, though recommended if you are carrying it with you), input your personal identification number (PIN number) and then the amount of cash you wish to withdraw. Next, press the "confirm" (kakunin

) button and your cash will appear. Remove your card and passbook (or receipt), take your cash, and the process is painlessly finished.

For a detailed explanation on how to withdraw money using the ATM, follow these instructions :

It is likely that when you step up to the machine it will speak to you. "Irasshaimase, toriki sentaku botan o oshite kudasai." ("Welcome. Please push a button to select your transaction.")

Select "" (Withdrawal- "ohikidashi") to make a withdrawal. On this screen, you will find the following buttons:

: Withdrawal (ohikidashi)

: Deposit (oazukeire)

: Transfer of funds (furikae nyukin)

: Inquiry (shokai)
Insert your card into the appropriate slot (generally the small, card-sized slot on the top right). If you are carrying your passbook, quickly insert it now. These slots will light up.
Enter your PIN number (ansho bango ). This is the four digit number you selected when you opened up your ATM account.
Enter the amount (kingaku ) you wish to withdraw (If the previous PIN number was incorrect, this screen will not appear). This is generally the same screen as step 2. Then, press the kanji for yen (en ). You can also shorten the process by using the Japanese number system. For example, if you want to withdraw 16,000 yen, you can either type in 1-6-0-0-0- , or:
1. Press "1"
2. Press "" (man), the Kanji which means "10,000" in Japanese.
3. Press "6".
4. Press "" (sen), the Kanji which means "1000" in Japanese.
5. Press "" (en), the Kanji which means "yen" in Japanese.
The amount will then appear in the confirmation window. If it is correct, press the confirmation button (kakunin ). If it is incorrect, press the correction key (teisei ). This allows you to change the amount you entered incorrectly. If you want to cancel the whole transaction, press the cancel button (torikeshi ). On some older models, rather than pressing a confirmation key, you will have to press the (maru) key if it is correct, or the (batsu) key if it is incorrect.
Most machines will automatically give you a confirmation slip indicating your new balance. Those models that do not operate automatically will require you to press the inquiry key (shokai ), or the entry key (kicho ) to receive your receipt. Generally, if you have inserted your passbook along with your cash card, your new balance will be automatically recorded.
If you had inserted your passbook, it will now be updated. If the page is filled, usually the machine will turn to the next page for you. This action will update all account transactions, including pay deposit, interest payment, etc.
Retrieve your card, passbook and cash from the slots.

If you are confused about how to use the ATM ask a teller or bank employee to assist you. They will be more than happy to help you learn how to use the ATM, as it will reduce their work in the long run.

Helpful Vocabulary
Withdrawal	Ohikidashi
Deposit	Oazukeire
Transfer of funds	Furkae nyukin
Inquiry	Shokai
In Operation	Otoriatsukaichu
Out of Service	Shiyochushi
Start	Kaishi
Amount	Kingaku
Change	Ryogai
Cash card	Kyasshu Kado
Insert your card in the slot.	Kado o kado sonyuguchi ni irete kudasai.
Passbook	Tsucho
Slot	Sonyuguchi
Cash Insertion Slot	Shihei sonyuguchi
Cash Return Slot	Shihei modorihenkyakuguchi

BANK TRANSFER

The check payment system is not used in Japan. Cash is often transferred from one account to another to make payments. For example, if you make reservations with an out-of-town travel agency, you will need to pay with a bank transfer. The forms to make a transfer of funds can be found at the document counter of your bank. Look for a form which reads something like the following:

(furikomi Irai Hyo- transfer request form).

There are two types of forms for this process: document and electronic. An electronic transfer will cost slightly more. After filling in the form, hand it, along with the necessary funds, to your bank teller. You can also make bank transfers through the ATM. Ask for assistance from the teller in this process ("Kyasshu kona no koza furikomi no shikata o oshiete itadakimasu ka." Could you please show me how to make an account transfer by ATM?). It is a good idea, if you are making a transfer to a person or business that you expect to make similar transfers to in the future, to have the ATM create a sort of debit card that will automatically go through the transfer setup process for you in the future. To do this, when the ATM asks at the end of the transaction if you would like to make such a card, press the appropriate button. If you are not sure how to do this, again, simply ask for assistance.

SENDING MONEY ABROAD

Money can be transferred directly from your bank in Japan to a bank in a foreign country. This can be costly, however. The most inexpensive way to send money abroad is through the International Postal Remittance (Kokusai Soukin Kawase). Through this method, you can purchase a money order in the local currency, so it is convenient for paying bills, etc. For more information, see the Post Office section of this guide.

If the country that you wish to send funds to is not covered by the International Postal Remittance (New Zealand, Ireland, Peru or Russia), you can use the Lloyds Bank remittance service to transfer funds. The cost is 2,000 yen for the remittance and the transfer to Lloyds Bank can be made at the counter of your bank or ATMs for around 630 yen. They have competitive exchange rates and same-day telegraphic transfer in most major currencies. For free registration, contact Michael OÕReilly at (03) 3589-7745, or by fax at (03) 3589-7722.

financial info

the post office