RetireJapan

We should probably have a wiki page about Rakuten naming issues, the same thing comes up here a lot and we tend to go in circles. Exactly the kind of thing that would benefit from a community edited page.

Luckily for me I am LASTNAME FIRSTNAME and it fits in most forms (but not Rakuten Securities' nickname) so I haven't lived the pain to document it.

A wiki page about Zairyu Cards is probably not a bad idea too, I noticed the top search results are from financial institutions trying to attract clicks.

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2023 1:18 am

Deep Blue wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2023 12:35 am Zairyu cards not accepting hyphens is completely shocking to me, this is quite a modern system and amazing they made such a basic fuck-up. Oh Japan....

It was funny because Alien Registration Cards DID accept hyphens

I remember arguing with the immigration office when I got my first zairyu card because the name was wrong.

Reader, they did not care one bit.

I got issued mine at the airport when I landed in Japan this time around, I thought that was a nice touch. But I didn't realise they messed up the name thing, such a basic requirement too. Clearly they don't have any non-Japanese involved in the system design/specification, why would they need foreigners for a foreign resident registration system...

Just uploaded my zairyu card details to Rakuten (why do they ask for furigana, something that is not written on the zairyu card????????)

System error in 3... 2...

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2023 1:38 am Just uploaded my zairyu card details to Rakuten (why do they ask for furigana, something that is not written on the zairyu card????????)

System error in 3... 2...

Round 1 - rejected as I didn't realize I needed to include my middle name (there was no space for it). Round 2 (the furigana odyssey) now begins. I hate this stuff so much.

I hate this stuff so much.

Just remember, troubling people with foreign names about that is going to disincentivize us from money laundering and terrorist activities

What? I don't get it.



Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Seems they have created a new section for the zairyu card name that *can* be different from the account name.

So far so good.

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2023 2:04 am For me the huge issue is the name change. The exact name on my zairyu card is not the name on my Rakuten Securities account, Rakuten Bank account, Rakuten credit card, Shinsei Bank account...

I underwent name changes on all Rakuten group services over the past 2 years - not fun, but just a few paper forms and actually workable. Just do it and you will be clean & set.

Here is the background story for why banks have become so cautious on the subject of foreigner held accounts and potential residence expirations:
Fraudsters in Japan use foreigners' bank accounts in cash grab: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news ... ries/2860/

Telebroker wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2023 3:28 pm Here is the background story for why banks have become so cautious on the subject of foreigner held accounts and potential residence expirations:
Fraudsters in Japan use foreigners' bank accounts in cash grab: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news ... ries/2860/

So 80% of the accounts the scammers use are Japanese names… makes very good sense they are cracking down on foreigners then.