Best Bank For FGs?

[ewraught]

My employer wants me to get an account with the local branch of the Shizuoka bank, but I am leary of a bank with no English ATMs or english speaking employees. Should I bite the bullet, or open a Citi account in Tokyo? Does anyone have any particular thoughts on this matter? Additionally if anyone knows where I can buy size 13 shoes that would be solid...

[Taro Toporific]

My employer wants me to get an account with the local branch of the Shizuoka bank, but I am leary of a bank with no English ATMs or english speaking employees. Should I bite the bullet, or open a Citi account in Tokyo? Does anyone have any particular thoughts on this matter? Additionally if anyone knows where I can buy size 13 shoes that would be solid...

Many Japanese ATMs have an English mode: MIZUHO, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, and ?all? combi kiosks at 7-11. More than likely, you'll be happier talking with CityBank BUT if you don't have a bank near your house or job it's gonna be a pain in the ginko when you need an in-bank service

Shoes? Easy, but your selection is limited.
(You should just buy them in your home country.)

Try Iseten Shinjuku 6th floor. Also check Sports Authority, CostCo Japan, etc.

Washington --- the oldest and most "famous" big shoes store of Japan but not cheap
Varied footwear available in larger sizes
5-7-7 Ginza http://www.wguides.com/city/80/225_89853.cfm

Footlocker
The popular American athletic shoe chain
in Parco http://www.wguides.com/city/80/225_35231.cfm

See my friends' advice at
Metropolis [Tokyo] Looking Good: Big is beautiful
Fun not serious help
http://www.tokyoshoes.com/blog/archives/2003_06.html

Or the thread
http://www.gaijinpot.com/forums/read.php?f=22&i=263&t=26

[Bucky]

CitiBank may be on the verge of collapse. If you have money there it might be worth exploring alternatives. . .

DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Mideast sovereign wealth funds may fail to save troubled U.S. banking giant Citigroup Inc. unless more cash is pumped into the lender, the head of a $13 billion Dubai-owned investment firm said Tuesday.

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/gulf-investors-may-not-save/story.aspx?guid=%7B6C374435%2D5314%2D4A8E%2DB689%2DB8916D529B7B%7D

[Visitor K]

My employer wants me to get an account with the local branch of the Shizuoka bank...

just a note, i had an employer tell me that i had to get a bank account with their bank or they would deduct the transfer fees from my pay check. after joining a union, they informed me that that is not the law in japan and they are not allowed to deduct such fees.
again, this might have nothing to do with you, but just so you are aware of that.

[IkemenTommy]

Shinsei

[Ghost]

Dont go with Citi bank, their charges for an account are way too high unless you are making stupid amounts of money. I would say go with Mizuho bank.

[ttjereth]

[Buraku]

Shizuoka bank are miserable to deal with mostly because of their strict practices and the staff can't even put an Engrish sentence together. In defense of them I would say that their strict rules have paid off, it looks good and overall the bank is very sound, won't charge you crazy rates and like smaller banks it is also doing very well this past years, if you have a wife you can translate the jargon for you then all the better. It's the major banks I would be worried about and I hope it and other small banks are never forced to merge with any of Japan's major banks. As long as Japan's local economies do well these banks should remain great, if you are saving I would be pretty pissed off with J-savings schemes and you should find a way to transfer your asset savings over seas or into some investments (keep any such movements away from the eyes of the J-gov as they will death tax your hard earned money).