My daughter just got a personal check from her grandmother in the U.S. for her birthday.Where do I go to exchange this?Do all local banks handle this sort of thing?

Ha! Surely you jest!
Japanese banks will look at that personal check as if you were trying to cash a lizard or maybe a dubloon. A Japanese bank would take at least a month and maybe three.

My advice is to cash it for your daughter out of your pocket and then deposit it into your account in the U.S.

Scott

I think you can do it but the fees so high it may not be worth it unless it is a fairly large amount, and yes it would take a long time. If you or your daughter don't have an account in the USA anymore because you've settled here, I could probably send it to my account in the USA after your daughter endorses the back, and cash it for her (if it is a small enough sum).

There is a viable alternative. If you have a CitiBank account, they will cash a US check for Deposit into your account. It takes 21 days to clear and it costs 1000 yen. It doesn't matter what the value of the check is the cost is the same.

I had a similar problem. I received a cheque from my UK insurance company. The cheque was in JPY, drawn from their account in Citibank Tokyo. This was what I experienced.

First, I tried to deposit it in my wife's Citibank account. (I went to the Citibank branch in Akasaka-Mitsuke.) They told me that I could not deposit the cheque because it was written to me and the account name that I was trying to deposit it into was in my wife's name...different names = not possible. I asked if I could endorse it by signing at the back and they looked at me as if I was from another planet. Next, I asked if I could just cash it and they said yes but it would cost 4000 yen! (my tiny check was for about 7000 yen and some change!) So, I left quite exasperated.

Next, I went to Fuji Bank where I had an account. I was able to deposit it easily (less than 20 minutes). The trick is to go to the foreign exchange section...they will treat the check as "foreign exchange" i guess because it was not written in japan. I was charged 2500 yen "handling fee". (better than 4000 yen, i thought) Don't forget to bring your passbook. They will also tell you that you probably can withdraw the money only after 3-4 days...that is until the cheque clears.

I imagine that if your cheque is not in JPY, you will be "forced" to convert the amount in JPY before the deposit is made...unless of course, you have a foreign currency account.

I hope it works for you. Me, I have already asked my insurance company to send the next re-imbursement by bank transfer...it is not cheaper but at least I avoid the hassle!

Ever thought of opening an account with Banco do Brasil? You can open an account in US$ with an amazing interest rate (about 5.5%) and deposit foreign currency checks for about 200Y. They have an office in Yurakucho.

Hi Caroline, could you tell me where the Banco de Brasil is in Yurakucho and the phone number? Is it the only branch in Tokyo?
Thanks for the info.

According to my old 1998 NTT Townpage English Directory:

Banco do Brasil, S.A. is listed at: 03/3213-6511
4-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku

There might be another option, but I haven't checked it out yet. The name of the bank is BANESPA and their tel is: 0120-06-0899 or 03-3214-0608 (Mon-Fri: 7am-10pm and Sat: 9am-3pm). They also have a website in portuguese: http://www.banespa.co.jp/

Hi everyone. According to the website, Banco do Brasil has several locations in Japan
http://www.bancobrasil.co.jp/voce/agencias/agencias.html:

Tokyo: 100-0005 Tokyo,
Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 3-4-1, New Kokusai Bldg.
Tel: (03) 3213-6511, Fax: (03) 3213-6720

Ibaraki: 303-0022 Ibaraki-ken,
Mitsukaido-shi, Fuchigashira-machi, Shirai Bldg. 2909 -1
Tel: (0297) 30-6511, Fax: (0297) 30-6512

Nagano: 386-0013 Nagano-ken,
Ueda-shi, Chuo Higashi 1-5, Atago Mansion 101
Tel: (0268) 28-6512, Fax: (0268) 28-6513

Gifu: 505-0041 Gifu-ken,
Minokamo-shi, Ota-cho 2591-1, Asahi Plaza Minokamo Station Core Office 101
Tel: (0574) 24-5568, Fax: (0574) 24-5569

Gunma: 373-0851 Gunma-ken,
Ota-shi, Iida-cho, Bandou Bldg. 1319 -1
Tel: (0276)46-6511, Fax: (0276) 46-6846

Hamamatsu: 430-0939 Shizuoka-ken,
Hamamatsu-shi, Renraku-cho 307-14, AXA Hamamatsu Bldg.
Tel: (053) 452-6511, Fax: (053) 452-6665

Nagoya: 460-0003 Aichi-ken,
Nagoya-shi, Naka-ku, Nishiki 1-3-2, Chuo Fushimi Bldg.
Tel: (052) 202-4611, Fax: (052) 202-4619

Can anyone please suggest a bank for retail banking other than Japanese banks, Citibank and Banco do Brasil , located in Tokyo?

There is BANESPA (Banco do Estado de Sao Paulo). The unconfirmed details I have are: Yurakucho Denki Bldg., N 16th Fl, 7-1,Yuraku-cho 1-chome
Chiyoda-ku TOKYO 100, Phone 03-3214-0608; Fax 3214-7062

I had a similar problem. I mailed it back home to family. They "ahemed" my signature on the back of the cheque and went to the bank that has my credit card and gave it to them as if it were a payment on the card.

Hope this helps...
Lea Watson
www.scooterwally.com