Methodology
How we score and compare
Every comparison on japanhow uses the same written method for its topic. We publish it here in full, so you can check any score against it.
Method as of October 20, 2026
The short version
We score each provider from 0 to 10 on a fixed set of criteria for its topic. Each score comes with a one-line reason and a source. The overall score is the weighted average of the criteria we could score, and a provider gets one only when at least 75% of its criteria have evidence.
Providers never pay for a rating, a ranking or a place in a comparison. If we ever earn from a link, that never changes a score or the order of a list. See our disclosure.
Criterion scales
Scores compare what a foreign resident of Japan can actually get, not an ideal. 10 is the best available option on that criterion for someone without permanent residency or fluent Japanese; 0 means the provider fails it, for example by refusing foreign residents on a short residence-card period.
What a 0, a 5 or a 10 means differs by criterion: a fee in yen, a transfer time in hours, whether English support exists at all. So every comparison article states how the 0 to 10 scale maps for each of its criteria, next to the score table, before any provider is scored.
When there is no evidence
If we can't find a reliable source for a criterion, that score is left empty (shown as n/a), not guessed.
The overall score is the weighted average of the criteria that have evidence, with their weights rescaled to add up to 100%. A provider gets an overall score only when at least 75% of its criteria have evidence (for example 3 of 4, or 5 of 6). Otherwise it is listed as "not scored (too little published evidence)", with the scores we could give, and it isn't ranked against the others.
Criteria and weights by topic
Each topic has its own criteria, written down before its first comparison was published. The weights add up to 100% in every row.
| Topic | Criteria (weight) |
|---|---|
| Money: sending money home | Total cost on a ¥100,000 sample transfer on a stated date (30%); speed (15%); payout options in the destination country (15%); sign-up for foreigners: documents, residence-card rules, My Number (15%); English or home-language support (10%); regulation in Japan: funds transfer service provider (資金移動業) registration with the Financial Services Agency (金融庁) or a bank license (15%) |
| Money: banks and credit cards | Can a newcomer get it: visa, months in Japan, residence-card period (35%); fees (20%); English app and support (20%); features foreigners need, such as overseas transfers and online banking (25%) |
| Housing | Accepts foreign residents without a Japanese guarantor (35%); cost (25%); English support (20%); transparency of terms (20%) |
| Phone & internet | Contract without a Japanese credit card (30%); monthly cost (25%); English support and sign-up (25%); minimum contract and cancellation fees (20%) |
| Driving schools | English instruction available (35%); total cost (25%); length and schedule (20%); location and lodging for live-in camps (合宿) (20%) |
| Visa & residency | Information only. No scores, and no rankings of immigration specialists (行政書士). |
Sample transfers and prices
Cost scores use a stated sample, such as sending ¥100,000 to a named country on a named date. We record the fee, the exchange rate and the amount that arrives, from the provider's own calculator or fee page. Rates change every day, so the sample shows how providers compare on one day, not what you will pay.
For sending money home, total cost is the fee plus the exchange-rate margin against the mid-market rate (as shown by Wise at the moment of the sample), as a share of the ¥100,000 sent. The cost score is 10 minus 3 for every 1% of total cost (so 1% scores 7, 2% scores 4), kept between 0 and 10. Providers whose rate we couldn't capture on the sample date are shown with their published fees but not scored on cost.
Prices include tax where the provider shows it. When a provider has several plans, we score the plan a typical foreign resident would choose and say which one it is.
Sources we accept
Official sources come first: the provider's own fee pages, terms and eligibility rules, and government bodies such as the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁), the Financial Services Agency (金融庁), the National Tax Agency (国税庁), the Japan Pension Service (日本年金機構), prefectural police and city offices. Japanese-language pages are fine, and we cite them as they are.
Reputable news and specialist publications fill gaps and show recent changes. Forum posts and social media can point us to a question, but never count as evidence for a score.
Overall scores and "best for" picks
The overall score is shown to one decimal place. Each comparison ends with "best for" picks, such as "best for sending to a bank account in the Philippines", because the right choice depends on your situation more than on one number.
Keeping scores current
Every comparison shows the date it was last checked. We recheck fees, rates and eligibility when a provider announces a change, when a reader reports one. When a score changes, the article's updated date changes with it.
What we don't do
- We don't accept payment, free products or gifts in exchange for a score or a place in a list.
- We don't score visa or residency services, or rank immigration specialists (行政書士).
- We don't give individual legal, tax, immigration or financial advice. We point you to the official office or a licensed professional when your case needs one.