Monex and Middle Names

[Tony]

When I registered with Monex they told me they couldn't put spaces between my first and middle name, so I had to change my Shinsei katakana to have no space between my first and middle name ... which then created a problem with my work's payroll for some reason, and they weren't happy and asked why I had changed my name ... ahh the joys of shitty Japanese IT.

[Gareth]

One thing I would do is to add a post-it note to your application just confirming which part of your name is the first name, the middle name and the surname. When I applied, they emailed me to confirm this so it may eliminate an extra step for you.

[TokyoWart]

I just took a look at my Monex account registration and it appears as follows (included the "氏名（カナ)" that appears on the screen to label the field as well as the use of parentheses for the katakana):

氏名（カナ） LASTNAME FIRSTANDMIDDLE (ラストネーム　ファストアンドミドル)

I opened my account in the fall of 2020. Last name stands alone but first and middle run together for both the romaji and the katakana.

When you applied by post, did you write your first and middle names without a space between them, or did Monex close them up later?

I can’t recall how I filled out the form

[ToushiTime]

One thing I would do is to add a post-it note to your application just confirming which part of your name is the first name, the middle name and the surname. When I applied, they emailed me to confirm this so it may eliminate an extra step for you.

Thanks, I’ve already made a note to do this, based on advice I read elsewhere, possibly yours. Did you leave a space on the form, between your first and middle name?

[ToushiTime]

... ahh the joys of shitty Japanese IT.

Don’t get me started! The “portfolio” button on SBI Securities only shows Japanese holdings while the My資産 button shows Japanese and foreign holdings but not gold silver or platinum. The site layout, navigation and integration is a mess. It’s like they just added on new bits over time without overhauling it properly. Lack of IT talent, I guess. Rant over.

[Gareth]

One thing I would do is to add a post-it note to your application just confirming which part of your name is the first name, the middle name and the surname. When I applied, they emailed me to confirm this so it may eliminate an extra step for you.

Thanks, I’ve already made a note to do this, based on advice I read elsewhere, possibly yours. Did you leave a space on the form, between your first and middle name?

Yeah. But it wasn’t a big space. An ambiguous space!

I don’t think it matters. You are getting no space no matter what you put.

[sutebayashi]

Don’t get me started! The “portfolio” button on SBI Securities only shows Japanese holdings while the My資産 button shows Japanese and foreign holdings but not gold silver or platinum. The site layout, navigation and integration is a mess. It’s like they just added on new bits over time without overhauling it properly. Lack of IT talent, I guess. Rant over.

The management, funding and development model might be the problem there, more than a lack of IT talent. I have been doing IT for some years now and have lots of thoughts on this myself. The good news is our general incompetence in most of the economy at using IT effectively bodes well for huge economic growth in the future!

[ToushiTime]

Yeah. But it wasn’t a big space. An ambiguous space!

That was what I was thinking of doing

I don’t think it matters. You are getting no space no matter what you put.

Yeah, that seems to be the consensus.

I have one bank with no space between my first and middle name, and I think the other bank has a space, so hopefully I am covered either way.

[ToushiTime]

The good news is our general incompetence in most of the economy at using IT effectively bodes well for huge economic growth in the future!

That's true. Massive room for productivity improvements, as long as there are enough IT engineers to implement them for the next 10, 20 years or so. That is my worry.

[zeroshiki]

My advice is to not add a space into your first and middlename because some systems don't handle spaces well. No need to add to your headaches.