While many personal finance websites rail against credit cards (and with good reason at times) there is no denying that they are very useful for foreigners living in Japan. Missing something from the homeland that you can only get through an internet vendor? Looking for rare books? Better get online and get out your credit card.
But alas, for those of us who have come to this fair isle without the privilege of having a card, the road to attaining one is ever so steep. For those foreigners without the benefit of a spousal visa, or an 永住権 (eijuuken) permanent residency status, the path to attaining credit can be a bit rocky. From the perspective of most Japanese banks, foreigners on short term visas are a flight risk, and the rate of credit card refusals can be high.
So what’s a foreigner in such a position to do?
Get a debit card.
Available from a number of banks, debit cards allow all the advantages of being able to purchase online, coupled with far easier availability for us the credit-challenged masses. Plus there’s less risk of you spending beyond your means.
I have applied for an account at one of said banks and will apply for a visa debit card as soon as I can. I will keep you informed as to how it tuns out. In the meantime, you can check out these debit card offers using the links below.
「スルガ銀行」 Suruga Bank Visa Debit Card
Japanese (Bad) Japanese-English Translation
「イ－バンク｣ eBank Money Card
Japanese (Bad) Japanese-English Translation
また今度・・・ until next time…
