What exists in Sendai and Tohoku
Let's be direct. None of Japan's 27 FSA-registered exchanges is based in Tohoku; all are in Tokyo or Osaka, and none is registered with the Tohoku Local Finance Bureau. We found no crypto ATM in any of the six prefectures. BTC Map, the community map of bitcoin-accepting businesses, had no entries for Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata or Fukushima when we pulled the data in October 2026. If you were hoping to pay for gyutan with sats, not yet.
That doesn't mean nothing is happening. Sendai City runs a pilot programme that explicitly includes blockchainA shared, tamper-resistant ledger copied across many computers. Bitcoin and other crypto-assets run on blockchains., a non-profit developer community ran a hands-on workshop in the city in late 2025, and Kesennuma co-hosted an international hackathon residency in 2026. Tohoku's crypto scene is about building, not buying. For buying, you use the same online exchanges as everyone else in Japan, and the local details to get right are your bank and your tax office.
Map: svg-maps/japan, CC BY 4.0
- Covers
- Miyagi, Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Fukushima
- Exchange offices
- None
- Crypto ATMs
- None
- BTC Map merchants
- 0
- Tax bureau
- Sendai RTB, Honcho 3-3-1, Aoba-ku
- Bank rule
- 77 Bank blocks mismatched-name transfers to exchanges
Sendai's blockchain pilot grants
Sendai City's Innovation Planning Division runs the "advanced digital technology use-case creation support programme" (先端デジタル技術ユースケース創出支援事業) as part of its X-TECH policy. The aim is to create real use cases for products and services built on AI, blockchain and quantum computing so that new businesses keep emerging in the region. Blockchain is named in the eligible technologies, which is what makes it relevant here.
According to the city's call-for-applications flyers, the terms were the same two years running:
| FY2025 | FY2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Application window | 1 May to 10 June 2025 | 24 April to 17 June 2026 (pre-consultation by 10 June) |
| Grant | Up to ¥3 million per project | Up to ¥3 million per project |
| Projects | About 4 | About 4 |
| Who can apply | Companies with an office in Sendai | Companies with an office in Sendai |
| Project period | See the FY2025 guidelines | Until 28 February 2027 |
City budget documents put the FY2025 allocation at ¥12 million, which matches four grants of ¥3 million. One honest caveat: we could not find a published list of selected projects, so we can't say whether any blockchain pilot was actually funded. The accurate claim is that Sendai offers a grant that blockchain projects can apply for. If you run a company with a Sendai office and have a blockchain idea, watch the city's page for the next round. The city's separate X-TECH Innovation Award (27 February 2026, at CROSS B PLUS) focused on AI and data rather than Web3.
Meetups and the Kesennuma hackathon
Developer events in Tohoku are occasional rather than regular, but they exist:
- 29 Nov 2025NEMTUS hands-on workshop in Sendai The non-profit NEMTUS ran a blockchain app-development session at a venue in Kakyoin, Aoba-ku, from 14:00 to 18:00. Topics included Web3 for regional revitalisation (DAOsDecentralized autonomous organisation: a group that makes decisions through on-chain votes under shared rules., stablecoins, tokenised real-world assets) and a hands-on build connecting a LINE bot to the Symbol chain. Eleven people registered.
- 28 Sep – 11 Oct 2026Hackatsuon 2026, Kesennuma A residency and hackathon co-hosted with Kesennuma City as part of the ETHTokyo 2026 programme, open to builders from Japan and abroad.
Kesennuma is the standout: a coastal city in Miyagi teaming up directly with an international Ethereum community. Workshops like the NEMTUS one are announced on Connpass and are mostly in Japanese. For the big conferences you'll head to Tokyo; our events calendar has the dates and the Tokyo guide covers the community spaces.
International students and foreign residents
Miyagi had 32,903 foreign residents at the end of 2025, and the largest single group is students: 7,478 people on student visas, according to the Immigration Services Agency. That fits a city with several universities. If you hold a residence cardZairyu card (在留カード): the ID card for foreign mid- to long-term residents. Japanese exchanges commonly accept it for identity checks. and a registered address, most Japanese exchanges will let you open an account.
A few things trip students up. You need a Japanese phone number. The apps are mostly in Japanese. Since 1 January 2026 exchanges ask you to self-certify your tax residence and any foreign tax ID under CARFThe OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework: exchanges collect your tax residence and foreign tax ID for exchange between tax authorities.. And the name on your exchange account, your bank account and your residence card should match exactly, or deposits can be refused (see the bank rule below).
Graduating and leaving Japan?
Japanese exchanges are built for residents, so don't wait until your last week. Decide whether to sell, or move coins to a wallet you control, while you still have your residence status and Japanese bank account. Any gain you realise while resident belongs on a Japanese tax return. Our guide to moving to or leaving Japan with crypto and the wallets guide walk through the options.
The 77 Bank transfer rule
The 77 Bank, the main regional bank in Miyagi, restricts transfers to crypto exchanges when the sender name differs from the account holder's name, and according to its notice it extended the restriction to funds-transfer providers from 21 September 2026. This follows the National Police Agency and FSA's February 2024 request to bank associations nationwide, after scammers routed victims' money into exchange accounts under other people's names. Japan Post Bank has also warned that accounts can be restricted after suspicious exchange transfers.
- Send only from an account in your own name.
- Type your name exactly as the bank holds it; don't switch between katakana and the alphabet.
- Adding the numeric code the exchange gives you is fine.
- If anyone online asks you to "deposit to this account", stop. See our crypto scams guide.
Buying crypto from Sendai, step by step
Pick an FSA-registered exchange
Check it on our FSA-registered exchanges list and compare costs on the fee comparison.
Verify your identity
eKYCElectronic know-your-customer: you scan your ID and your face in the app instead of mailing documents. with a My Number card is quickest; a residence card works at most exchanges.
Fund it
From 77 Bank or another regional bank it's an ordinary transfer with a bank fee. GMO Coin's free instant deposits work from Japan Post Bank, PayPay Bank and docomo SMTB Net Bank.
Buy small first
The dealer desk (販売所, hanbaijo)Hanbaijo (販売所): the exchange sells to you at a quoted price. Simple, but the spread is the hidden cost. is easiest; the order book is cheaper for larger amounts.
Screens and wording are explained in our bitcoin buying guide, and the crypto for foreigners guide covers visa types and documents.
Tax: the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau
The National Tax Agency places all tax offices in Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima under the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau, at the Sendai Joint Government Building, Honcho 3-3-1, Aoba-ku (tel. 022-263-1111). You file with the tax office for your own address, usually online through e-Tax.
| Prefecture | Foreign residents (end 2025) | Tax bureau |
|---|---|---|
| Miyagi | 32,903 | Sendai RTB |
| Fukushima | 21,598 | Sendai RTB |
| Iwate | 12,526 | Sendai RTB |
| Yamagata | 11,111 | Sendai RTB |
| Aomori | 9,419 | Sendai RTB |
| Akita | 6,333 | Sendai RTB |
The rules are national. Crypto gains are generally miscellaneous incomeZatsu shotoku (雑所得): the catch-all income category, added to your salary and taxed at progressive rates up to about 55% with resident tax., taxed together with other income at 5–45% plus 10% resident tax. Swapping coins and paying with crypto are taxable events. Salaried workers with one employer and no more than ¥200,000 of other income don't file a national return for it, though resident tax still needs a declaration. Students with part-time jobs should check whether they need to file. A flat 20.315% rate is law but starts in 2028 at the earliest; see our Japan crypto tax guide and tax reform explainer.
Visiting Tohoku
Short-term visitors can't open Japanese exchange accounts, and there's no crypto ATM in the region to turn coins into yen. A crypto-linked Visa or Mastercard from your home country works wherever cards are accepted. Overseas Binance Pay users can also pay at participating PayPay merchants through a cross-border QR scheme that started on 30 September 2026 (not available to Japan residents). If your route passes through Tokyo, the crypto ATM guide lists the working machines, and where to spend crypto covers the rest.
Crypto in Sendai and Tohoku: FAQ
Is there a bitcoin ATM in Sendai?
No. We found no crypto ATM anywhere in the six Tohoku prefectures. The verified machines in Japan are in Akihabara (Tokyo) and Osaka.
Does Sendai City fund blockchain projects?
Sendai's advanced digital technology use-case programme lists blockchain, alongside AI and quantum, as eligible technology. In FY2025 and FY2026 it offered up to ¥3 million per project for about four projects, open to companies with an office in Sendai. We could not find a published list of winners.
Can international students in Sendai open a crypto exchange account?
Generally yes, if you hold a residence card and have a registered address and a Japanese phone number. Exchanges also ask for your tax residence and foreign tax ID. Plan ahead before you graduate and leave Japan, because exchanges serve residents.
Why did 77 Bank refuse my transfer to an exchange?
77 Bank restricts transfers to crypto exchanges when the sender name differs from the account holder, and extended the rule to funds-transfer providers from 21 September 2026. Send from your own account, with your name exactly as the bank holds it.
Where do I file crypto taxes in Tohoku?
At the tax office for your home address, usually online through e-Tax. All tax offices in Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima sit under the Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau.
Sources
- Sendai City: advanced digital technology use-case programme, FY2026 (JA)
- Sendai City: call-for-applications flyer, FY2026 (JA)
- NEMTUS: Sendai blockchain app hands-on workshop (Connpass, JA)
- ETHTokyo 2026 programme (Hackatsuon, Kesennuma)
- 77 Bank: notice on restricted transfers (JA)
- National Police Agency: request to banks on transfers to crypto exchanges (6 Feb 2024, JA)
- Immigration Services Agency: foreign residents at end of 2025 (JA)
- Sendai Regional Taxation Bureau (JA)
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