Changing name at the bank

[Gareth]

I’ve recently moved. Today, when I went to Mizuho bank to change my address, I decided to change my name too.

I opened this account in 2005 and it had me as FIRST LAST. I changed it to LAST FIRST MIDDLE. There is now a space between my first and middle name.

It took less than 30 mins to do it. I didn’t need my zairyu card - just my driving licence was enough.

There was an option I could select whereby any money sent to my account under the old name would also be accepted.

Not sure exactly why I felt so compelled to do this today but it felt satisfying to have everything named “properly”. Just hoping there are no future complications.

Not sure if this is useful for anyone, but for anyone having name problems, it could be relatively easy to change your name to the “correct” version if you ask nicely and have a spare bit of time on your hands.

[captainspoke]

Gosh, some good news--something that happened easily, well, and as it should!

And a guess/question: there was no problem with overall length? (total number letter of blocks used)

[TokyoBoglehead]

I’ve recently moved. Today, when I went to Mizuho bank to change my address, I decided to change my name too.

I opened this account in 2005 and it had me as FIRST LAST. I changed it to LAST FIRST MIDDLE. There is now a space between my first and middle name.

It took less than 30 mins to do it. I didn’t need my zairyu card - just my driving licence was enough.

There was an option I could select whereby any money sent to my account under the old name would also be accepted.

Not sure exactly why I felt so compelled to do this today but it felt satisfying to have everything named “properly”. Just hoping there are no future complications.

Not sure if this is useful for anyone, but for anyone having name problems, it could be relatively easy to change your name to the “correct” version if you ask nicely and have a spare bit of time on your hands.

Double check that all your bill-payments and sweeps go through this month. Watch your accounts like a hawk! Good job.

[Gareth]

And a guess/question: there was no problem with overall length? (total number letter of blocks used)

That’s a good point. She said the maximum number that can fit on the new bank card was 18. I’m not sure if that includes spaces or not. But fortunately my name is only 11 characters, 13 if you include the spaces.

Whether the name of the account can be longer than what’s on the bank card, I don’t know the answer to that.

[Gareth]

Double check that all your bill-payments and sweeps go through this month. Watch your accounts like a hawk! Good job.

Don’t actually have any bills coming out of this account any longer but I do have money coming in so will be watching for that for sure!

[Wales4rugbyWC23]

Make sure you put that changed name down when you do your tax return if that is where you get tax rebate deposited. I had a friend who had to wait six months down to a mistake with a middle name with his tax return.

[goodandbadjapan]

And a guess/question: there was no problem with overall length? (total number letter of blocks used)

That’s a good point. She said the maximum number that can fit on the new bank card was 18. I’m not sure if that includes spaces or not. But fortunately my name is only 11 characters, 13 if you include the spaces.

Whether the name of the account can be longer than what’s on the bank card, I don’t know the answer to that.

I have just noticed the while my bank books are my name as my name using the alphabet, my cards have my name in katakana. Two different banks and both do this. One doesn't have my middle name on the card but does on my account. Hasn't caused any troubles so far. Never noticed before. And my credit card which is linked to my bank account has my name on it in First Last (no middle) in alphabet but the account has Last First Middle. Again, has been fine so far! Did have trouble when my bank account didn't match my SBI account name, but managed to get that sorted by changing account name at bank but they didn't change it on my card!

[adamu]

As far as I know, the bank transfer system uses half-width katakana by default (as a requirement?). Therefore, banks have a katakana name registered, even if they don't tell you about it (and you need to know it to receive transfers). Shinsei and SBI do this, at least. A foolproof way to find out what it is to send a transfer to another account you own. If you don't have multiple accounts, feel free to use mine.

[eagleyes]

When I first came to Japan, some bureaucrat decided my name in katakana but this was very hard to type on japanese keyboard and on paper even worst. So some day I decided to simplify my name in katakana and I have aligned all my administrative accounts from tax to pension to social security to credit cards and bank accounts. It really simplified my life. Name on credit cards do not really matter. What matters is how your name is registered to the bank or the financial organization managing your card.

[captainspoke]

Make sure you put that changed name down when you do your tax return if that is where you get tax rebate deposited. I had a friend who had to wait six months down to a mistake with a middle name with his tax return.

Some years ago there was that mismatch of what the tax folks had, and what was on my bank acct (names). I didn't change anything, just talked to the bank, which checked something and then said it was okay, that they'd then let those debits/deposits happen as normal.