SWIFT/BIC codes in Japan: banks starting with L

SWIFT/BIC codes in Japan

For Japan we have 712 SWIFT/BIC codes from 586 banks. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain exactly which bank should receive an international payment.

Look for the bank you need in the list and click through to see the full list of codes. Further down we explain how codes from Japan are built, how to send money there without overpaying and how to check a code before you pay.

Paying in JPY: what conversion costs you

The local currency of Japan is the Japanese Yen (JPY). A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into JPY before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who converts the payment matters, because each party uses its own rate. Compare how much JPY arrives via different services. Exchange rates change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Transfer times to Japan

A SWIFT payment to Japan usually takes one to a few business days. Payments made late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually go out the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Money transfer services usually provide a status in their app so you can follow the payment.

How SWIFT codes from Japan are built

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

No matter which bank, every code from Japan share the same country code in positions five and six: the ISO code of the country. When the country letters do not match Japan, the code belongs to a bank in another country, so check again.

An 11-character code ends in a branch code – XXX stands for the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Sending money to Japan for less

If you send money to Japan with a regular bank, the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. Besides the fee, intermediary banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a rate below the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Specialist money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in Japan across services, so you can pick the cheapest route.

Why a transfer to Japan needs a SWIFT code

Since Japan is outside SEPA, an international payment is usually sent through SWIFT. This means you always need the SWIFT/BIC code of the receiving bank.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The recipient’s bank often has instructions for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. On the way to Japan, a payment can pass through correspondent banks that charge for their part.

Receiving money in Japan from abroad

A sender in another country needs several details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank appears in our list. Some sending banks may also ask for the name and address of your bank, so keep it at hand.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The and its SWIFT codes

Among the 586 institutions we list, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The has the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Japan. Its head office code is BOTKJPJTXXX.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. If not a branch code is given, BOTKJPJTXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

Check the code before you pay

The safest source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details. An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges.

We collect bank codes from publicly available data and check them regularly. Still, banks merge or retire codes and our data may lag behind. For a payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers.

Be wary of payment requests containing changed bank details. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Banks in Japan starting with :letter

This filter limits the list to banks in Japan starting with :letter, so you can find a bank faster. The totals on this page cover all 586 banks and not only this letter.

If a bank is missing here, try the full list: banks are often registered under their full legal name. The full overview for Japan remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.