SWIFT/BIC codes in Japan

Finding a SWIFT code in Japan

Our directory covers 586 banks and other institutions in Japan, with 712 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A SWIFT code shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank should receive the money.

Every bank has its own page showing its main code and, where available, codes for branches and departments. Below the list we explain how codes from Japan are built, how to send money to Japan without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

How reliable is this list?

Have the recipient copy their bank details straight from their online banking. A wrong code may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges.

This list is based on public sources. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes. Before any payment that matters, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank and has no link to the banks in this list.

Scammers often use fake invoices carrying changed bank details. Before paying, verify changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Sending JPY to Japan

Japan uses the Japanese Yen, code JPY. A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into JPY, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Which bank converts the money matters. Compare how much JPY the recipient gets with several services before choosing one. Rates for JPY change during the day.

Bank or transfer service for Japan?

If you transfer money to Japan via a regular bank, the stated fee is rarely all of the cost. There is the transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. An easy check: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank. GoldexPay compares these providers side by side so you can see what actually arrives in Japan before you commit.

What a sender needs to pay you in Japan

When you are waiting for money from abroad in Japan, send the payer everything they need in one go. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page but always compare it with your own bank details. Certain sending banks also want the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

Why a transfer to Japan needs a SWIFT code

Because Japan is outside SEPA, an international payment is usually sent through SWIFT. That means the payment always needs the SWIFT/BIC code of the receiving bank.

In some countries, the account is identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. Ask the recipient which details their bank needs for incoming international payments. SWIFT payments can pass through one or more intermediary banks.

Most SWIFT codes in Japan: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The tops our list of Japan banks when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses BOTKJPJTXXX – the code most transfers need.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Making a payment to Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The? Go with BOTKJPJTXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

How SWIFT codes from Japan are built

SWIFT/BIC codes follow the same format worldwide: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

For banks in Japan, characters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Japan, which makes these codes easy to recognise. If those two letters do not match Japan, you are looking at a bank in another country.

The optional last three characters identify a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code just when the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

How long does a transfer to Japan take?

How quickly a payment arrives in Japan depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace. Specialist transfer services usually provide a status online.