RetireJapan

I created a wiki page to document some common name issues:
https://retirewiki.jp/wiki/Names

However, having a relatively simple name, I don't often run into these issues so don't have any concrete examples to add.

If there are any big gotchas and common resolution paths (e.g. Rakuten), edits to the page, or comments here that other people can add to the page, will be helpful.

• The most common example is trying to link the Rakuten triumvirate of Bank, Card and Securities. Card allows for onlyn 1 space in the name (LASTNAME<space>FIRSTNAME) but Bank and Securities allow you to have more. This will cause misalignments on their backend when you try to link things up so the easiest way would be merge your names when opening the card account (on the katakana portion). If that doesn't work you need to ask for a form to "fix" your name. I actually listed out the steps here:

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Sat Aug 07, 2021 2:18 pm I will say that I had the exact same situation (no middle name on Rakuten Card, forced middle name on Rakuten Bank and Securities) and I resolved it by calling Rakuten Card and asking them to give me a name change application form. I filled up the form and sent it to them with a copy of my mynumber/zairyu card. This changed the name on Rakuten Card but it still had the spaces issue so I then called Rakuten Securities and got them to match up the name on their back end.

No Karen-ing involved but it took a few steps and alot of Japanese speaking:
1. Call Rakuten Card and ask for a name change. Tell them your name doesn't match your MyNumber card. They should understand this.
2. Send it back and wait.
3. After the name change, pray it works with Securities.
4. If it didn't work, call Securities and tell them you have a middle name space issue. They're used to this.
5. Wait for them to fix this (it took me half a day for them to call me and tell me it was fixed)

As a side note, my experience with Rakuten Bank is that they ignore spaces so just getting the name right on Rakuten Card should be enough for Rakuten Bank.

• Most webforms have a length limit when trying to sign up for stuff (like the Monex credit card). The only way to resolve this is to call them and ask for a paper application and even then there's a 50/50 chance that's not possible

About rakuten securities, I called them about two weeks ago trying to link my card (which ended up in failure due to my residence card expiry coming up and I'm still waiting for my PR application result 9 months and counting), they claimed the whitespace doesn't matter (anymore?) when I asked how to enter my middle+last name. Either they have fixed the space check since or the support didn't quite know what they're talking about.

Also for some countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia, the name on zairyu card (and everything else) is written with "FirstName LastName" order as they appear on the single Name field on the passport. I learned recently the zairyu card name is actually assumed to be LastName FirstName so practically for people from those countries have their name flipped around and need to fill in forms in such order. I managed to convince rakuten securities to use my correct name order few years ago but it ended up failing to link with rakuten card so I don't even care about my name order anymore (there are worse problem with single word name and 5+ words name but I don't have experience in that)

Here's an example, given the following name:

• First name: John
• Last name: Smith
• On passport: John Smith
• On zairyu card: John Smith

And thus on japanese forms:

• Last name: John
• First name: Smith

I have heard some people managed to convince immigration to fix their name order but otherwise have fun dealing with that.

Oh yeah, another thing is prolonged sound letter ー, I got a form from rakuten card prefilled with my name and in katakana with the ー missing on where I usually put it (something like ブム instead of ブーム how I filled it in). There are also some cases where the form just outright refused the character.

1) Yes, the prolonged sound letter (長音) has caused issues for me. The problem is that there are many different characters that all look similar, and whether one should use ー, -, −, –, ｰ, or whatever other versions is probably not officially defined, and thus in practice I have encountered name mismatches.

One solution sometimes is to copy-and-paste my bank account name from the bank’s website, to be sure I am getting the same character when registering my name elsewhere and it is required to match. But sometimes there is a character validation that rejects the character registered with the bank. (I recently had a problem with SBI securities versus SBI Sumishin - unresolved, so no business for them from me.)

2) Name order was my original issue. I opened my mega bank bank account with name in natural order. After this caused me issues years later when things became stricter, I had the bank change it to “Last” “First Middle” order.

3) The space in “First Middle” is also a problem some places. I have two bank accounts, one with a space and one without. I use which one I can, when I need to.

I also live with workarounds. For example I think I am doing furikomi transfers of money to Monex, because I cannot get them to accept money from my SBI Sumishin account via “quick nyukin”, which requires names to match. But I can furikomi the money without the name on my bank account exactly matching.

While all of the above is true, it is not only a Rakuten Ecosystem problem.
In my case, my starting point is: FirstName<space>MiddleN<space>LastName on Passport.
This as properly been converted to the Japanese approach on Zairyu Card and MyNumber Card to:
LastName<space>FirstName<space>MiddleN

I didn't have much issues, getting Rakuten Securities, Rakuten Card and Rakuten Bank to get aligned, as they all required the name to recorded in the order and format of the MyNumber Card. Even Rakuten Ichiba followed suite.
However, Rakuten Cos ITs seem to have difficulties recording the space between FirstName and MiddleName, which means that technically they have recorded my as LastName<space>FirstNameMiddleN
(In all fairness, getting only FirstName<space>LastName on the physical Rakuten Card was no problem for me.

This now prevents me from using automatic sync/connect services with Rakuten. For instance changing the deduction account for Rakuten Card looks like a pretty straight forward process when using any of the ca. 8 pre-suggested banks. In (my) case trying to connect with SMBC however, the handover doesn't work, because "the number of characters" doesn't match! .... why? Because SMBC got it proper with the second space included, thus the number of characters for my name is one digit longer
Workaround is then likewise the paper account change form which needed to be requested via a lengthy phone call with Rakuten Card... workable but cumbersome.

Another example is PayPay App, PayPay Bank, PayPay Card. While all sound like the same family, the services and their ITs have very different legacies. Connecting the PayPay Bank's account with the PP App only worked after a couple of rounds as PP Bank's IT likewise can't register a space between FirstName and MiddleName. Maybe I should frame the paper letter telling me, that PP Bank (which actually evolved out of the renamed SMBC online bank JapanNetBank) can't properly register my name.
Getting the PP Card to only show FirstName<space>LastName also took 3 rounds of card production....

A further example is Sony Bank,
can't cope with space between FirstName and MiddleName either in their IT as they use a single field for it. This thus funnels through to the physical Sony Bank Wallet Card which now bears LastName<space>FirstNameMiddleN making it useless for most online payment services involving any element of sync as name consistency can't be established.

SMBC (Olive) was setup properly from the outset, but in order to connect the SMBC Visa Card via the SMBC ID (which is just an email address) also required introducing& aligning the middle name on the Card's records. Name change, I believe to remember, couldn't be done online, thus triggering a further paper round. Trying to connect SMBC Olive App with the SMBC's V-Point Service App disclosed that the V-Point App only allowed for 4+4 characters in the 2 name fields which completely prevented registering a match with the First+Middle+LastN concept.
I note however that two friendly phone calls with the V-Point service and the bank phone service lead to them sorting it out among themselves. 2 days later it was solved and works smoothly ever since.

Conclusion: Many IT systems don't provide for a proper reflection of the First+Middle+LastN concept requiring two spaces! That seems to be the main flaw. I even heard of people convincing immigration to "delete" their middle name from Zairyu + MyNumber Card to provide for a consistent start.

In essence, a lot can be achieved if time and perseverance are spent. I am optimistic and a bit an admin-nerd and understand that most people would give up earlier!

My issues have all been around my middle name and the total length of my First Middle Last names.

My Zairyu and MyNumber cards match my passport Last<space>First<space>Middle.

But the bank, utilities(elect, gas, internet, water) and pretty much everything else concatenate my First and Middle name. And in most cases they leave off the last "s" in my last name. That was a problem originally when i went to the pension office to set up some things and configure my bank account for when they will actually distribute my benefits. the problem was the pension docs all had the last "s" in my name...and i had to go to the bank and have them re-issue the bank card. It wasn't too painful...but glad that i did it before it was really needed.

douglasxwilliams wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 1:29 pm
But the bank, utilities(elect, gas, internet, water) and pretty much everything else concatenate my First and Middle name.

Learned a new word there. RJ forum, good for your financial future...and your vocabulary.

douglasxwilliams wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 1:29 pm My issues have all been around my middle name and the total length of my First Middle Last names.

That was a problem originally when i went to the pension office to set up some things and configure my bank account for when they will actually distribute my benefits.

This is my great fear with everything - insurance / pension etc - that there will be some name glitch etc and they will say they won't / can't pay out!

goodandbadjapan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:30 am

douglasxwilliams wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 1:29 pm My issues have all been around my middle name and the total length of my First Middle Last names.

That was a problem originally when i went to the pension office to set up some things and configure my bank account for when they will actually distribute my benefits.

This is my great fear with everything - insurance / pension etc - that there will be some name glitch etc and they will say they won't / can't pay out!

You can set it up ahead of time via the my number portal. In fact, they gave me 5000 points for the effort.

Tsumitate Wrestler wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2023 1:15 pm

goodandbadjapan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:30 am

douglasxwilliams wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 1:29 pm My issues have all been around my middle name and the total length of my First Middle Last names.

That was a problem originally when i went to the pension office to set up some things and configure my bank account for when they will actually distribute my benefits.

This is my great fear with everything - insurance / pension etc - that there will be some name glitch etc and they will say they won't / can't pay out!

You can set it up ahead of time via the my number portal. In fact, they gave me 5000 points for the effort.

I'm still a good few years out but that is good to know!