Advice?
 

Hi!

I´m going to buy a small (very small) vacation apartment in Japan and i am stuck in a tricky situation. Everything seems solvable except the matter of insurance. The insurance company won´t let me get insurance if i don´t have a japanese bank account, wich i can only get if i get an alien registration card and live in Japan. I´m planning to go to Japan a few times a year but im not moving there. There is lots of different information about accounts, some say it´s possible to get a post savings account with only a passport and mailing adress but it seems uncertain. Another option is if my father who is a japanese citizen could open an account but he doesn´t live in japan either. I understand that they have rules for tourists not opening accounts but since i will own an apartment in Japan it would be nice to get insurance and pay utilities with a japanese account. Does anyone know if the rules can be bent or what the rules are for japanese citizens? I´ve tried searching for info but it´s confusing...
Thanks!/Emm

Japanese banks are pretty strict about having your alien registration card, these days a lot won't even let you open an account until you both have the card and have lived in Japan for 6 months. If you are affiliated with some organization/company that does business or something in Japan you can open an account with a bank they have some connection with without too much trouble, basically nulling the 6 month period but not the alien registration part. All in all I think you would save yourself a lot of pain if you just had your father do it somehow.

PS Remember to bring an 印鑑 inkan/personal seal or get one if you don't have it