Preparing for a Year Studying Abroad in Japan, any Advice?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Misericordias

Would it be best to apply for a credit card over there, or is that too risky/not worth it for a student staying only for a year?

Visa is indeed your best bet, but I wouldn`t even bother trying to apply for one while you`re in Japan. You`ll be a non-citizen student with no income - banks don`t exactly jump to hand cards out to that set. I would get the card before coming to Japan.

I have been thinking about opening an HSBC account because they have banks in Japan, but how widespread is HSBC? Is the bank and its ATM machines only located in Tokyo and other metropolitan areas, or is it widespread?

HSBC offers a nice map of where all their ATMs are.
Several around Tokyo and one in Kobe. None elsewhere, not even in metropolitan areas.

Would there be another international bank that would be better for me to use in Japan?

Unfortunately I can`t help you here. Citibank seems to be recommended fairly often, but having taken several people to their "ATM"s around... I would be very wary of believing they really have locations where they SAY they have locations. Every one I have been to involved a very short window of time in which you could hand over your bank information, fill out a bunch of forms, and wait an hour while someone in a strange little office did your transaction for you... If you can even find their branch as it`s never called Citibank, and tends to be in some tiny office in a nondescript building. I`m sure they`re better in Tokyo, but probably little different than HSBC.

[steven]

I apologize if it's already been bruoght up, but what about JBC? (I think that's what it's called).

I remember my mom got one of those cards to shop in a Japanese super market in California, and I found out it could be used in Japan after I got here. I've seen it on the windows of taxi cabs and at stores and all that. I believe it's pretty major but I don't deal too much with credit cards so I'm no expert on the subject.

I've been living in Japan for 2 years and I can't get a credit card here yet. I've only tried for super market credit cards, as the ladies at the cash registers have suggested I get one before. I got a "we're sorry" type of ambiguous letter in the mail about it afterwards. I'm assuming it's hard for credit card companies to hand out cards to foreigners who may or may not be permanant. I couldn't even get an ETC card! Yikes!

One other thing-- If you're only planning on staying a year it might not be a big deal, but if you plan to stay longer or plan to order things online, you might want to change your billing adress for that credit card to your Japanese address as a lot of companies won't ship internationally unless your billing adress matches your shipping adress. It can take some time to switch (which is a minor inconvenience) but the phone calls you may or may not have to make can cost you. Hopefully someone with more knowledge about this stuff can help you with that.

EDIT: I just realized, I have no idea if JCB have ATMs or not. I assume they do but I'd check with more experienced people on that one.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by steven

I'm assuming it's hard for credit card companies to hand out cards to foreigners who may or may not be permanant. I couldn't even get an ETC card! Yikes!

Of course you couldn`t get an ETC card. You need a credit card to get one. The ETC card is linked directly to your credit card - when you go through the ETC gate it is charged directly to your credit card.
No credit card, and there is nowhere to charge the ETC fee to, so no ETC card. It`s just an extension of your credit card that can only be used for ETC.

EDIT: I just realized, I have no idea if JCB have ATMs or not. I assume they do but I'd check with more experienced people on that one.

JBC is a credit card, linked to various banks... Just like a Visa. But it`s not quite as major, and it is harder to find places that accept it. It isn`t a bank, so I can`t imagine there would be any ATMs. It would be kind of like looking for a "Visa" ATM.

[Misericordias]

Man, figuring this out is really tough. Would it be too much of a hassle if I were to sign up with an international bank such as Citigroup or HSBC and then make an account at a local bank such as Bank of Chiba and then wire transfer funds to that account for ease of access?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Misericordias

Man, figuring this out is really tough. Would it be too much of a hassle if I were to sign up with an international bank such as Citigroup or HSBC and then make an account at a local bank such as Bank of Chiba and then wire transfer funds to that account for ease of access?

That would probably be your best bet. I would have the international account only to transfer funds. Perhaps get your living funds out of that account once a month or however often they are put in, and promptly move them to the Japanese bank account for daily use. If you want true ease of access, go for a huge Japanese bank - not a smaller local one. For example, UFJ, Mitsui Sumitomo or Mizuho. They have ATMs everywhere, and most convenience stores also have compatible ATMs.

[Misericordias]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

That would probably be your best bet. I would have the international account only to transfer funds. Perhaps get your living funds out of that account once a month or however often they are put in, and promptly move them to the Japanese bank account for daily use. If you want true ease of access, go for a huge Japanese bank - not a smaller local one. For example, UFJ, Mitsui Sumitomo or Mizuho. They have ATMs everywhere, and most convenience stores also have compatible ATMs.

I see I see. Thank you for that information. However, I am a bit worried about a couple of items. I'm not too sure how it works in Japan, but can funds be automatically transferred from an international bank to a national bank? Also, would these national banks even let me open up an account if I am just an exchange student?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Misericordias

I see I see. Thank you for that information. However, I am a bit worried about a couple of items. I'm not too sure how it works in Japan, but can funds be automatically transferred from an international bank to a national bank? Also, would these national banks even let me open up an account if I am just an exchange student?

I would say no to the automatic transfer. I`m sure there is some way to set it up, but assume that you can`t. I`d just make a trip to the international bank branch once every so long to withdraw the funds by hand.... And then hop over to a national bank ATM to deposit them.

You should have no trouble opening an account even as a student. You`ll need to deposit so much when you make the account (It differs by bank, but not much), otherwise it should be a fairly painless process. You may need to get an inkan (signature seal) for the application, but I`ve heard of places accepting just a signature.

[Misericordias]

ooh how informative, thank you! Where does one get an inkan, however?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by Misericordias

ooh how informative, thank you! Where does one get an inkan, however?

You can find shops that will make you one all over the place. They`re quite common. You give them your name, and they will carve one according to your specifications.

[steven]

Nyororin, you can get ETC card/credit cards-- like they work both ways *at least around here, I'm sure of that.