SWIFT/BIC codes in Japan: banks starting with C

Finding a SWIFT code in Japan

Here you will find codes for 586 banks in Japan, 712 codes in all. A BIC tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive an international payment.

Every bank is listed with its own page showing the head office code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. Below the list you can read how a code from Japan is put together, how to send money there without overpaying and how to check a code before you pay.

Incoming international payments in Japan

If you are waiting for money from abroad in Japan, give the sender all details at once. Share your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Find the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Certain banks may also want your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

Banks in Japan beginning with the letter :letter

This filter limits the list to banks from Japan that begin with :letter. The totals on this page cover every bank we list.

Many institutions appear under their legal name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for Japan is one click away when you cannot find the bank here.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. For any payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient. We are a comparison site for money transfers, not a bank.

Be wary of invoices with a new account. Always confirm changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.

What the letters in a Japan BIC mean

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of 8 or 11 characters, always in the same order. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and the next two mark the location.

In every code from Japan, characters five and six are the ISO country code of Japan. Codes with other letters in that position come from another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. For most transfers the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

International payments to Japan and the BIC

Since Japan is outside SEPA, an international payment is usually sent as a SWIFT payment. This means the payment always needs the BIC of the receiving bank.

In some countries, the account is identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN. Ask the recipient which details their bank requires for incoming international payments; banks often publish instructions for this. SWIFT payments can pass through correspondent banks and fees can be taken along the way.

How long does a transfer to Japan take?

There is no single answer for payments to Japan: some arrive the same day or the next, others take several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often start a business day later.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services usually provide tracking in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

The largest SWIFT network in Japan: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The leads the list for Japan when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The uses BOTKJPJTXXX and that code covers most payments.

A large number of codes usually means that the bank registers branches and departments separately, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. Paying someone at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The? Go with BOTKJPJTXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Sending money to Japan for less

What you pay for a transfer to Japan has more than one component – not only the fee you see. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Specialised transfer providers frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to Japan, it is worth comparing the total cost on GoldexPay.

Sending JPY to Japan

Japan pays in the Japanese Yen (JPY). A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into JPY on its way to the recipient.

Who converts the payment matters: every bank has its own margin. Check how much JPY the recipient gets with several providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. Exchange rates change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.