Job Discussion Forums

[TokyoLiz]

I've already got a job lined up. Like everyone else in this boat, I have to bring funds with me to get started.

Do you access a Canadian bank account from that side? Which one? How accessible is your account from Japan?

How did you send money home from Japan to Canada? What's the most reliable way? What's the cheapest?

Did I forget any questions?

Perhaps some American, British, Australian, N. Zealander in J. would like to share their knowledge, too.

Liz, who is going to Japan for the sushi, not the money.

[Celeste]

On the advice of many of my former students from Japan, my husband and I brought our money in CASH when we came. They were shocked to hear that we were considering travellers cheques, because they felt that we wouldn't get good rates for them. We also used our credit cards in a bank machine at the Fukuoka airport. If you are going to be in Tokyo, then you could locate an international bank machine and do the bulk of your money that way (Had I known at the time that I could accessmy TD account from the airport, I wouldn't have brought more than a couple of hundred dollars with me in cash).
We use www.golloyds.com to send our money home. People will tell you to use the post office, and that it's really easy- not as easy for Canadians as it is for Americans. Go lloyds rates don't seem any better or worse than anywhere else, but it sure is convenient. They set up an account for you and give you a letter to take into your Japanese bank. You take this letter in and tell the cashier how much you want to send, and by magic it is in your Canadian account in a couple of days.

[fion]

If your foreign bank account gives you a cashcard with a 'cirrus' logo you can use it to withdraw money from Citibank ATMs in Japan. Cirrus cards are pretty much normal in Europe but I don't know about US/Canada. In theory a cirrus card lets you access your money anywhere in the world, but Japanese banks are not like other banks, and I think Citibank is the only one where it works.

Citibank ATMs are not thick on the ground here, but they give decent service. When one of them swallowed my card recently, I lifted the phone and got an English-speaking customer service lady who sent a security man round on a motorbike to open the machine and retrieve my card. (Took twenty minutes.)

You might want to get a new cashcard/ credit card before leaving. If it expires in Japan it's a nuisance and a little stressful to get it replaced.

[nakanoalien2]

I am on the hunt for the best way to send money home, too (USA).

I usually use post office. I'm not sure why Celeste thinks it's easier for Americans, as it is a standard form. It definitely is easier for people who speak and write Japanese. You can get a list of how they charge on the web at workinjapan.com. There are various annoyances in using this mehtod. Do NOT write outside the lines or make any mistakes on the form. Also, if you send large amounts, you'll have to fill in addresses on more than 1 money order.

Lloyds - agree with Celeste. I've got the info and will go there this week. The rate is comparable with the postal fee if you send large amounts. For smaller amounts, the P.O. is cheaper.

Citibank - easy if you are in Tokyo. Setting that account up this week.

You can also do a furikomi from an ATM, but not sure if this can be done internationally or just within banks in Japan.

Btw - if you travel to and fro quite often, get an AMEX card. Use it as much as possible when you are visiting home or elsewhere, and it will transfer the charge into yen based on the date of the charge. Therefore, you are exchanging money based on the true exchange rate, no transfer fee, etc.

[Glenski]

You can get AMEX travellers cheques in yen, you know. I carried them with me on a 3-week trip all over Honshu and Shikoku and never EVER had a problem cashing them anywhere. In fact, when I tried cashing them at a department store, at first they thought my cheques were in US dollars and said I could cash up to 50,000 yen. When they realized I had cheques IN YEN, they allowed me to cash 70,000 yen.

[Xerius]

I'm hearing conflicting reports then about traveler's cheques. Is it actually not such a great idea to rely heavily on them in Japan? I had heard that they actually tend to get *better* rates on exchange than cash.

Anybody know whether there are many (any) Citibank ATMs in Nagoya? I'd imagine there'd be some at least, since it's one of the largest cities.

[Celeste]

While it is a standard form to send money through a postal money order, we have never been able to do it quickly like our American co-workers can. My husband sent one and it took almost 4 weeks to get to Canada. A Canadian co-worker from Winipeg has waited up to a month. Ususally for our American co-workers, it only takes a week. We were told that the American ones are done directly at any post office but that for Canadian ones they have to go through a head office somewhere.

[G Cthulhu]

[Felix]

Uh, because Citibank is setting up branches like crazy all over the world. If they aren't in Nagoya, they will be.

[Glenski]

This is what I mean by doing basic research.

I did a Yahoo search on "Citibank Home Page". Got it.
Looked at the first page, and found "global locations", clicked on it.
Followed the SIMPLE link to choose Japan, and BINGO! Several regions were displayed, including Nagoya.
http://www.citibank.com/locations/ap/jp/jp/jp.htm

Nagoya has 2 Citibank locations, both with 24-hour ATMs.

Now how hard was that?

[Xerius]

Hmm, gee, maybe it's because someone just mentioned them three posts before mine? Do you feel better after the condescension? Good . . . maybe you can read the rest of the thread now.

Perhaps someone has something more valuable to say?

[Glenski]

Xerius,

If you can't see the utter simplicity of doing the EASY search I described, then you deserve my condescension. Come on. Did you even bother to look at such a SIMPLE way to find the info?

Don't tell me my advice wasn't worthwhile. You're just sore you failed to do the most basic research.

[Xerius]

First, look at my post again - it wasn't directed at you, and was put up at nearly the same time as yours. It was a response to G Cthulhu's comments on me having "expectations" that Japan is just like the US (funny how we drop assumptions based on no understanding of people around here). Second, what's the point of the attitudes around here? Is there a FAQ around here that answers basic questions about teaching in Japan? I sure don't see one. It's not really valuable to 1) try and be snide and take the piss on someone's post without even looking at the full equation, or 2) answer someone's question, but make it clear that you consider it a pain in the tail. If it's such a hassle and burden to answer a simple question, the conclusion is pretty clear to me: don't do it. I didn't ask anyone to research anything for me . . . all I wanted to know was if someone knew something off-hand.

Granted, yes, I probably could have ran a search on it, or simply thought to check on the Citibank page (after all, I pay my bills online with it). But I didn't think of it at the time, and when I checked the posts earlier and saw the responses to my other one (see: money matters), I just tossed a quick message on here and then had to head off. I wasn't able to get back online and check anything until later in the day, by which time the fuss was all out on here. Pardon my extreme indiscretion by having a brain lapse about Citibank and asking a question. I didn't realize it was such an inconvenience.

I appreciate the information, Glenski (and yes - once again - I should have thought to check Citibank's page at the time, myself), but can we lose some of the tension around here? If something gets you hot and bothered, then just ignore it . . . . . it keeps the conflicts down on a forum that really doesn't need them.

[Glenski]

Xerius,

In this thread, Cthulu didn't even post before you did, so I don't understand how you can say you were responding to something he wrote.

Your first message in this thread followed mine by almost 8 hours, so I don't understand how you can say they were posted at nearly the same time.

My second message was directed at the second half of your second message only. Thanks for admitting that you didn't even consider to check Citibank, even though you obviously had the information all the time at your fingertips.

You'll pardon me for coming off as condescending. I rarely do. I have been posting for over 4 years and have maintained a high level of professionalism in my posts. This was an extremely rare example of when I got fed up with answering something that was too simple for the poster to have posted. Yes, I could've just ignored it, but I chose not to. Why? Because I wanted to show just how simple it was to find the information, and to give some notice to everyone (not just you) that people should be more responsible at looking up basic info. I spent a total of 2 whole minutes looking that up and writing it, and I wanted everyone to know how silly it was to have asked for that.

Pardon me for any "attitude".

And, just for your information, I am making an FAQ section for this web site. Perhaps having that on my mind influenced my emotions in my message.

[Xerius]

Are we looking at the same thread here or is there just some sort of misunderstanding? One more time, the second post I put in here was in response to Cthulhu's reply two down from my original one. From the tone of your response, it seemed as if you took it to be aimed at you (which it wasn't). Your post about the Citibank page preceded mine by a mere three minutes (1:14am and 1:17am respectively my time, if we really need to be specific), and I didn't see it until *after* I finished my post. That's the point I was trying to make.

Anyways, the question's been answered, so there's no need to drag on the discussion. I'm sorry it turned into such an unnecessary conflict . . . let's just forget about it and move on.