And back to business!

Hello Folks! Yes... I know, I'm on a roll. I feel accomplished. Two posts in one week? Impossible I say!

Okay, so a while ago I spoke of a "gauntlet" that you needed to pass in order to "exist" in Japan? I gave you the run down of the first part of this gauntlet. Assuming you got through that part unscathed, then you should be ready for part two of the process.

However! If you failed and ended up bloody on the floor and missing a few limbs, then please insert another quarter and try again.

Alright, jokes aside, the next part that you need to take care of is that of getting a bank account. Getting a bank account in Japan is probably the best option if you are going to be here a while. If you are only staying for a summer or such, then you should be okay with your bank account back home. That is unless you are really stressing the exchange rate and service fees that you are charged for when you take money from an ATM. This is the exact same reason as to why, if you are staying a while, getting a bank account in Japan is a vital thing.

So, you are ready to get a bank account. You just go and fill out a form and give them money and done, right? Easy enough huh?... Come on folks, lets do this together.

NO! WRONG!

Before you head out to the bank, you need to bring a few items. The first item is a copy of your Alien Registration Certificate that you should have already picked up at the City Hall. Make sure that when you pick it up you ask for a few copies because depending on what or where you use them, they might need to keep the copy. You don't want to go back to City Hall and ask for a new one each time. I guarantee that they will make you wait at least a day and you will have to pay the same amount you did the first time around.

The second item that you will need is what they call an "inkan." An inkan is basically a stamp that has your last name on it. It is used by Japanese people to "sign" documents and it is just as legal as a signature is back in the states.

Now, there is a slight problem with this requirement. First off, unless you have lived in Japan before, you probably won't have one of these readily available. Second problem, you are not Japanese and therefore do not have a Japanese last name. Inkans can usually be bought at any convenience store, just like buying a pen or pencil. They come readily available with the most common last names, such as Yamada or Tanaka. However, the odds of finding one that says Johnson or Smith are very unlikely. The odds of finding one in Katakana too are very slim.

If you want one with your last name, you will have to go to a stationary store and request one to be made. It will be relatively cheap, from what I hear, and it will take some time to pick it up.

But do not fret my friends, there is an easy solution for this problem. You can just buy one and use it. The Japanese government won't care what Inkan you use, as long as you use one. Odd isn't it? If you ever decide to go through the Naturalization process here in Japan, then yeah, you will have to think of what Japanese last name you want to take because you are required to take one. Otherwise, just do what I did and go to a store that sells the Inkans, close your eyes, rotate the display, and pick one at random. I ended up being Taira, which apparently reads along the lines of "flat luck" which I was told is basically "Pure Luck." I don't know what to think of it, but given the circumstances under which I picked it, its kind of fitting.

Anyways, now that you have these two items, you still need to take your passport and all other documents that until this point you have used. They might not ask for all of them but it is better to be prepared than sorry and have to come back the next day to restart the process.

Now, unlike back in the states, going to the bank and opening a bank account can be somewhat over complicated. First thing you will need to do is go to a machine, usually located at the front, and get a ticket for the window you need to go to. You will have to wait a bit to get called to said window.

Once at the window, they will have you fill out the forms and provide them with the pin number you want to use. Then, they will ask you how much money you want to put in your account. After you hand them the money, they will laugh at you and run away.

... Okay, that last one was a joke. But seriously, once you hand them the money, they will give you another number and ask you to sit down and wait. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to about 2 hours. So come prepared to wait a while. I brought a deck of cards with me and ended up doing card tricks for some of the other international students that were waiting there with me. They were rather entertained and an elderly gentleman sitting next to me seemed entertained as well. So yeah, come prepared to wait a bit.

Once they finally call your number, they will hand you a little book for your account and tell you that your ATM card, or "Cash Card," will be sent to the address you provided within a week or so. Now, I am not completely sure how it works with other banks in Japan, but if you take the little book you got to any ATM machine that belongs to the bank, you can actually insert it and get it updated automatically. For those who have never been good at keeping track of their spending, this is very useful.

AND with that task complete you have passed the second part of the gauntlet. Congratulations! You still have one more task to complete which is not as hard but still annoying. Oddly enough though, this last one is optional. But trust me, you will do it eventually so you might as well do it while you are on a roll.

Till next time folks, keep on reading!