Before you start

Residence card with your address printed on the back
Ward registration completed
A Japanese phone number
A personal seal (inkan), still requested by some institutions

Step-by-step

1
Complete ward registration before attempting a bank
Your address must be printed on the back of the residence card, which happens at ward registration. Banks will refuse an application without it.
In personWho: YouBefore the bank visit
2
Start with Japan Post Bank or an online bank
Yūcho and SBI Shinsei reliably open accounts for newly arrived foreign residents without a six-month wait. Yūcho branches and ATMs reach every corner of Tōhoku, which matters more here than in a dense western city, and the account is accepted for salary payment.
In personWho: YouWeek 1–2
3
Ask your employer or university which bank they pay into
Some Japanese employers pay salary only into particular banks, and in Sendai that is frequently 77 Bank. Tohoku University and its affiliated institutions have their own conventions. Asking before you open one avoids opening two.
Via employerWho: You
4
Get an inkan if you will deal with traditional institutions
The personal seal is being phased out of government procedures but remains in use at some banks, for property contracts and for certain employers. A simple unregistered one is inexpensive; a registered jitsuin is needed for major contracts and is registered at your ward office.
In personWho: You
5
Get a transport IC card on day one
Sendai's subway and buses use icsca, which is interoperable with Suica for most purposes; a plain Suica works on the subway, on JR, and in convenience stores across most of Japan. Check which one your daily bus route accepts before committing to a season ticket.
In personWho: YouDay 1
6
Keep cash on you despite the digital progress
QR and IC payments are widespread, but the small counters in Kokubunchō, older shops and some clinics remain cash-only. Carrying ten thousand yen is normal and unremarkable.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Residence card with address printed on the reverse
Passport
Japanese phone number
Inkan, for some institutions
Employment or enrolment certificate, sometimes requested

Things most newcomers don’t know

Several major banks will not open a full account until you have six months of residence.

Bank policy varies by institution and sometimes by branch, but it tracks a real legal line: under the Foreign Exchange Act a foreign national is a 'resident' only once employed at an office in Japan or resident here six months, and until then is limited to a restricted non-resident yen account. That is why nearly every foreign resident's first Japanese account is Japan Post Bank or an online bank.

Source: community-reported; Financial Services Agency framework

The regional bank matters more here than it would in Tokyo.

77 Bank dominates banking across Miyagi and much of Tōhoku, and local employers, landlords and guarantor companies deal with it routinely. A Yūcho account covers everything legally required, but having the local institution smooths interactions in a way that is easy to notice and hard to quantify. Ask your employer before opening anything.

Source: community-reported

Yūcho's branch density is worth more in Tōhoku than it is in Kansai.

Outside Sendai the region is sparsely served by private banks, and a job or a research posting that takes you to Ishinomaki, Yamagata or the Sanriku coast will find post offices where there are no bank branches. If you expect to travel or work across the region, that reach is a practical argument for the account rather than a nostalgic one.

Source: community-reported

Close your accounts and settle your taxes before you leave, not after.

Closing a Japanese bank account from overseas is extremely difficult, and residence tax obligations can survive your departure. Appoint a tax representative or settle the outstanding residence tax, claim the pension lump-sum withdrawal, and close accounts in person.

Source: National Tax Agency

Common mistakes to avoid

Attempting a bank account before ward registration puts your address on the residence card.
Walking into a megabank in your first week and being refused without a clear explanation.
Opening a national account when your employer pays into 77 Bank.
Using a Japanese bank for international transfers instead of a specialist service.
Leaving Japan without closing accounts, settling residence tax and claiming the pension refund.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.