SWIFT problems, cash, crypto, and other transfer methods

Direct SWIFT transfers to Japanese banks often come with demands for a full document package on every transfer, delays (one case: SBI Shinsei froze an incoming SWIFT transfer for almost six months), or an account block due to the sender's country being on a "blacklist" (e.g., a payment from the UAE). A recommended workaround is to route the transfer through Wise into a personal or Yucho account first, then make a domestic transfer to the corporate account — this minimizes AML review on the Japanese bank's side (AML review still happens on Wise's side). SWIFT from Russia is now almost unworkable for business (individual payments sometimes go through for private individuals). As of November 19, 2025, banks in Russia through which SWIFT transfers to Japan reportedly still worked included ATB and Solid (subject to change). A scheme that sometimes worked for sending money from Russia to individuals: SBI Bank (Russia) → SMBC Prestia (Japan); it doesn't always work and isn't always bidirectional (more often Japan-to-Russia, and often only for "living expenses" to relatives). Cash-based methods: withdrawing from a foreign card via ATMs in installments (about $2000/day, the "$2000-a-day method") works but card charge fees can reach 6% (example: a Wise charge on a Kazakhstani card), with overall ATM losses estimated around 3%. Bringing cash into Japan requires declaring it via the "red channel"; the threshold for automatic scrutiny is reportedly around 1 million yen, though in practice people have brought in $200,000-300,000 with a declaration and no issues (before 2022, before crypto became an alternative). Currently no more than $10,000 can officially be taken out of Russia. Taking cash out of Japan is also restricted (a figure of ~100,000 units was mentioned — unclear units, possibly already lifted, unverified). For paying foreign contractors or remote salaries (e.g., to Russia/Kazakhstan/Europe), Wise is typically used; Wise and banks regularly require confirmation that a payment isn't related to paying for Russian software/technology (compliance questionnaires). Paying foreign contractors in cryptocurrency was discussed as a potentially legal option on the payer's side in Japan (legality on the recipient's side is a separate question). Among crypto exchanges used for business, bitFlyer works well with SBI Net Bank (fast deposits/withdrawals). Opening a corporate crypto account can take several months with multiple refusals/re-verifications. A scheme for bringing in funds via crypto: yen → SBI Net → buy ETH via bitFlyer Lightning with limit orders (market orders can lose 5%+ on the spread) → withdraw ETH to a corporate wallet (fee ~0.05 ETH) → pay out from a personal wallet. Several chat participants successfully opened corporate crypto accounts with a Russian passport at exchanges such as Bitflyer, Binance, Bitget, Coincheck, and BitTrade, though the process takes several weeks; the first incoming crypto payment may require explaining the source of funds, after which questions usually stop. There are complaints about a drawn-out KYC process with repeated requests for the same document (a tip is to scan at high DPI, e.g., 1200 DPI). Payoneer is described by one participant as one of the worst fintech services in Japan, with large hidden processing fees and high fees plus complicated verification for companies. PayPal combined with PayPay Bank for receiving payments is likely a problematic pairing due to PayPal's strict KYC (unverified in practice). For SWIFT beneficiary names, a romaji transliteration of the company name is often needed instead of kanji/katakana (check with the bank); kanji in a name can sometimes break foreign counterparties' compliance-form software. For foreign clients, the legal entity suffix is typically rendered as "Inc." or "Co., Ltd." (both are loose translations, not the only valid options).