How to buy bitcoin in Japan
- Status
- Legal
- Currency
- Japanese yen (JPY)
- Recommended
- 5 exchanges
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-23
Japan runs a closed register, and that single fact decides where you can buy: only platforms registered with the Financial Services Agency under the Payment Services Act may lawfully serve Japanese residents, and the FSA publicly warns unregistered ones off. bitbank, GMO Coin, bitFlyer and Coincheck are all on it, as is Binance Japan. The cheap-versus-convenient split is unusually stark here: bitbank pays makers a 0.02 percent rebate and GMO Coin charges takers 0.05 percent, while bitFlyer's beginner Sales Office screen shows no fee and prices through a wide spread instead. Gains are taxed as miscellaneous income, not capital gains, which can bite hard on a large profit.
Best exchanges in Japan
Ranked by our editorial review of fees, security record, and local payment support. Rankings are never sold.
| # | Exchange | Rating | Fees | ID check | Pay with | Visit or read the review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | bitbank | 4.4 | Maker rebate of 0.02% | Required | Visit | |
| 2 | GMO Coin | 4.3 | 0.05% taker, free withdrawals | Required | Visit | |
| 3 | bitFlyer | 4.2 | Lightning 0.01% to 0.15% | Required | Visit | |
| 4 | Coincheck | 4.0 | Free yen bank transfers | Required | Visit | |
| 5 | Binance | 4.2 | From 0.1% spot, maker and taker | Required | Visit |
Some Visit buttons above are referral links: signing up through them is credited to us and may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Which platforms pay makes no difference to the ranking.
Why these picks
1. bitbank FSA-registered Japanese order book that pays makers a rebate rather than charging them, with full yen deposits and withdrawals.
Furikomi bank transfer: full yen deposits and withdrawals
2. GMO Coin FSA-registered exchange backed by a listed Japanese internet group, with a 0.05 percent taker fee and free crypto withdrawals up to a monthly threshold.
3. bitFlyer Japan's most established exchange, deeply wired into the domestic banking system, with a beginner screen whose spread costs far more than its order book.
Furikomi bank transfer: plus Pay-easy and convenience store deposits
4. Coincheck Nasdaq-listed Japanese exchange with free yen transfers and the country's most-downloaded app, rebuilt after the largest crypto theft of its era.
Furikomi bank transfer: free yen bank transfers
5. Binance The largest crypto exchange by volume: the deepest bitcoin liquidity anywhere, the lowest headline spot fee of any major platform, and quarterly proof of reserves, under a settled US case and an independent monitor.
Payment methods in Japan
The rails local buyers actually use, under their local names. Support varies by exchange; the list above shows exactly which methods each one takes here.
- Furikomi bank transferPrimary
Crypto cards available in Japan
These spend money at ordinary shops and pay you back in crypto, which is the opposite of the exchanges above: those buy bitcoin, these do not. Availability is the issuer's own published coverage.
- Bitget Wallet Card2% base assetback on every cardholder, rising to 3% once monthly spend clears a $200-$400 threshold depending on region and card type; paid in a choice of BTC, gold, US stocks, and other assets.
- ether.fi Cash3% cashback on the first $2,000 (Core), $10,000 (Luxe), or $50,000 (Pinnacle) of monthly spend, stepping down to 1% then 0.5% beyond that band; invitation-only VIP pays 4% on its first $50,000.
- RedotPay CardRoughly 3% cashback on Apple Pay/Google Pay transactions is available to RedotPay Pro subscribers ($12.90/month or $129/year); the base card has no broad percentage-back cashback program.
Bitcoin wallets available in Japan
A wallet is where bitcoin lives after you buy it, which is the opposite of the exchanges above: those sell it, these hold it. Availability below is the maker's own published shipping or eligibility policy.
Hardware devices
- Keystone 3 Pro$149Air-gapped signing on a 4 inch touchscreen, with three security chips and a fingerprint reader, at $149.
- Ledger Flex$249The Ledger to buy if you want a touchscreen: $249, the same certified chip as the Stax, and more screen pixels than it.
- Ledger Nano S Plus$59Ledger's $59 entry device: the same certified secure element as the $399 Stax, no Bluetooth, and no iPhone support at all.
- Ledger Nano X$79The cheapest Ledger with Bluetooth, now $79 on Ledger's own store, and the one to buy if you want to sign from a phone.
- Ledger Stax$399Ledger's $399 flagship, with the biggest screen it sells and exactly the same secure element as the $59 Nano S Plus.
- Tangem Wallet$59.9A smart card you tap against your phone, sold only in sets of two or three so your backup is another card rather than a written seed.
Desktop and browser
Compare every wallet, including the ones we tell you not to buy
Watch: how to choose an exchange
This is our general video rather than a walkthrough for Japan. It shows the method in two steps: first the country you are buying in, then the exchange. You have done step one by being here, so start from the exchanges ranked above.
We have not filmed a walkthrough for Japan yet, so this is our general one, from our YouTube channel @dontgetrekt. It also sits on the home page, next to the country search it starts from.
Do you need a VPN?
A VPN hides which sites you visit from the network you are on and from your internet provider, which is worth having when you move money over a connection you do not control. It does not get you past an exchange's identity checks: every platform we list verifies who you are no matter where you connect from.
If you want one, the strongest records on our list belong to NordVPN (6 independent no-logs audits, the most of any service we review), Windscribe (its no-logs claim tested in the real world 3 times) and Proton VPN (the most audited service with a free tier).
Buying bitcoin in Japan, start to finish
Pick a platform and verify your identity
Choose from the table above and complete KYC verification with a photo ID. Regulated platforms in Japan require this before you can deposit.
Fund your account with Furikomi bank transfer
Common options here: Furikomi bank transfer, credit or debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Bank transfers are usually the cheapest; cards are faster but add fees.
Buy, then decide where to keep it
Place your order, and for anything more than pocket money consider moving it to a hardware wallet you control. Our security guide covers the habits that keep coins safe.
Legal status and regulation in Japan
Bitcoin is fully legal in Japan and the market is among the world's most strictly supervised. Crypto exchanges must register with the Financial Services Agency (JFSA), which has overseen the sector under the Payment Services Act since 2017, and legislation passed in 2026 reclassifies crypto assets as financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, adding insider trading rules and heavier penalties for unregistered operators. Foreign platforms without Japanese registration cannot legally solicit Japanese residents.
Words worth knowing before you buy in Japan
Picked from what this page already says about Japan, not from a standard list.
- Recurring buyDomestic bank transfer (furikomi)A recurring buy is the exchange feature that executes a purchase for you on a schedule, pulling money from your bank on the day you picked without you logging in.
- Maker and taker fees5 venues to compareMaker and taker fees are the two prices an exchange charges for a trade: less if your order waits in the book, more if it takes an existing order out.
- Bid-ask spreadApple Pay and Google PayThe bid-ask spread is the gap between the highest price a buyer will pay and the lowest price a seller will accept, and you pay half of it every time you cross.
Frequently asked questions
Is bitcoin legal in Japan?
Yes. Japan has recognized crypto assets under the Payment Services Act since 2017, exchanges must register with the JFSA, and legislation passed in 2026 brings crypto under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act as financial products.
Can I use a foreign exchange in Japan?
Only if it holds FSA registration. Japan operates a closed register under the Payment Services Act, and the FSA has issued public warnings against platforms operating without it. Check the register before funding any account: the domestic platforms we rank are all on it, as is Binance's Japanese entity.
Which exchanges are actually licensed in Japan?
All four domestic platforms we rank are on the FSA register: bitbank, GMO Coin, bitFlyer and Coincheck, alongside Binance's registered Japanese entity. Coinmama and itez are card on-ramps that do not appear on the register, which is why they no longer appear in our Japanese ranking either.
How are bitcoin profits taxed in Japan?
Gains are currently taxed as miscellaneous income at progressive rates that can reach about 55 percent. A government tax reform outline tied to the reclassification of crypto as financial products targets a move to a flat rate of roughly 20 percent, but the progressive regime applies until that change takes effect.
Companies in Japan that hold bitcoin
Publicly listed companies headquartered here with bitcoin on the balance sheet. Holdings come from company disclosures and are dated on each page.
