SWIFT/BIC codes in Japan: banks starting with O

Finding a SWIFT code in Japan

This directory lists 586 banks and other institutions in Japan, with 712 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. You will need such a code mainly when making payments across borders and for payments in a foreign currency.

Pick the bank below to view the head office code and its other codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. The sections below covers the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing.

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

Of the 586 banks we list for Japan, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The has the largest number of SWIFT codes. The head office uses BOTKJPJTXXX – the code most transfers need.

The number of codes tells you more about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Paying someone at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ufj, LTD., The? Use BOTKJPJTXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Tracking a payment to Japan

There is no fixed delivery time for transfers to Japan: many land the same day or the next. Bank holidays in Japan or in the sending country can add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Money transfer services usually provide a status in their app.

Why a transfer to Japan needs a SWIFT code

Because Japan is outside SEPA, an international payment is usually sent through SWIFT. This means the payment always needs the BIC of the receiving bank, together with the account number or IBAN.

Not all countries use the IBAN. Check with the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad. Before it arrives, a payment may pass through intermediary banks that take a fee.

The cheapest way to send money to Japan

The price of a transfer to Japan has more than one component. On top of a fixed fee, intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. A simple test: set the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. On GoldexPay we compare the amount that arrives in Japan across services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Japan

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six are the country code and the next two mark the location.

You can recognise a code from Japan by the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Japan. A code with other letters in that position come from another country.

An 11-character code adds three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

Incoming international payments in Japan

If you expect a payment from another country on an account in Japan, send the payer everything they need in one go. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your address.

Your bank’s code is in the list on this page. Certain sending banks 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. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Filter: banks in Japan with :letter

This list only shows banks in Japan whose name starts with :letter in alphabetical order. The figures for Japan on this page cover all 586 banks and not only this letter.

Cannot find the bank? Its official name may start with a different letter. Use the full list for Japan if you do not know how the name is spelled.

Check the code before you pay

The safest source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details. A wrong code can cause a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges.

We gather bank codes using public sources and update our list from time to time. Institutions merge, close branches and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. For any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient. We are a comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of invoices containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. A valid BIC says nothing about who owns the account: criminals use real codes too.

Japan and the Japanese Yen

Japan uses the Japanese Yen. When you pay money in a different currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Check how much JPY arrives with different services. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.