What do we base our reviews on?
Everything we score can be checked by you. Our sources are the Financial Services Agency's register of crypto-asset exchange service providers, each company's official fee page, help centre and terms, public ratings on the Japanese app stores, National Tax Agency material, statistics from the industry body JVCEA, and press releases from companies and regulators.
Forum posts, social media screenshots and unsourced listicles don't count as evidence. We cite the source next to the number, and if a figure can't be confirmed, it stays off the page or is marked as unconfirmed.
The 8 criteria we compare
No single criterion decides a verdict. A newcomer buying ¥5,000 of Bitcoin and an altcoin trader care about different things, so we explain which criteria matter for which reader.
| Criterion | What we check | Where we check it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. FSA registration | Registered or not, registration number, supervising finance bureau | FSA register (Japanese PDF) |
| 2. Fees | Maker/taker fees, dealer-desk spreads, yen deposit and withdrawal fees, crypto withdrawal fees | Official fee pages |
| 3. Funding options | Bank transfer, instant deposit, konbini, PayPay, points; minimum amounts | Official help centres |
| 4. Coin coverage | Number and type of coins on the dealer desk and on the order book | Official sites, FSA register |
| 5. Products | Recurring buys, lending, staking, leveraged trading and their terms | Official sites, terms of service |
| 6. Security record | Past hacks, how customers were made whole, account transfers, regulatory orders | Company notices, FSA releases |
| 7. App usability | Score and number of ratings on the Japanese App Store and Google Play | Public app-store data |
| 8. Foreigner access | Residence card in eKYC, English support, limits by residence or nationality | Official help and FAQ pages |
Why spreads count as fees
Japanese apps often advertise "zero fees" on their dealer deskDealer desk (販売所, hanbaijo): the exchange sells to you directly at its own quoted price. Easy, but the price gap is the real cost.. The real cost is the spreadThe gap between the buy and sell price at the same moment. On dealer desks it can be several percent., so we treat it as part of the fee. Where a company publishes its spread range we quote it; where it doesn't, we write "not published" rather than guess. On the order bookOrder book (板, ita): buyers and sellers trade with each other at prices they set. Fees are low, but you need to place orders yourself. we list maker and takerMaker: you place a resting limit order and add liquidity, often at a lower or negative fee. Taker: you fill an existing order. fees, and we weigh yen withdrawal fees just as heavily, because they hit small, frequent users hardest. The numbers live on our fee comparison.
Security: what happened after the hack
"Secure" is not a criterion; a track record is. We state past incidents as facts and describe what the company did next. In May 2024 about ¥48.2 billion of Bitcoin was stolen from DMM Bitcoin, and its customer accounts were moved to SBI VC Trade in March 2025. We also note what each company publishes about legally required safeguards such as segregated customer assetsSegregated management (分別管理): customer assets are kept separate from the company's own money and coins. and cold walletsCoins kept on systems disconnected from the internet, which lowers the risk of online theft..
App ratings and foreigner access
App usability is shown as the public score and rating count on the Japanese app stores: what users report, not our own score, so we flag small rating counts and recent relaunches. For foreigner access we check whether the eKYCOnline identity check: you photograph your ID and your face in the app instead of mailing documents. flow accepts a residence card, whether there is any English support, and whether residence or nationality limits who can sign up. Short-term visitors generally can't pass Japanese KYC at all, which our guide for foreigners covers in detail.
Why does FSA registration come first?
Under Japan's Payment Services Act, running a crypto exchange for Japanese residents requires FSA registration. Doing it without registration is illegal, the FSA publishes a list of unregistered operators it has warned, and tougher penalties for unregistered business took effect on 12 August 2026. As of 30 September 2026 the register listed 27 exchanges.
Registration is the floor, not a guarantee: prices fall on every platform, and registered exchanges have been hacked. Hence the other seven criteria. See every registered company on our FSA-registered exchanges list and the wider rules on our regulation explainer.
Why are international platforms labelled separately?
Some comparison tables also show an international platform. Its legal status and its audience are different from a Japanese exchange's, so we don't score it on the same scale. Domestic exchanges carry an FSA-registered label and their registration number; international platforms carry an International label and the licences they actually hold.
The platform behind our buy buttons, CEX.IO, holds a US FinCEN money services business registration and a UK FCA cryptoasset registration. It is not registered with Japan's FSA, does not support yen, and lists Japan among its unsupported countries. So we present it only as an option for visitors and non-residents paying with a foreign card, and point residents to FSA-registered exchanges. Our page on offshore exchanges and Japan explains why.
How are buttons and links labelled?
Every buy button on the site (in the page header, in banners and in the sidebar) leads to that international platform, for visitors and non-residents paying with foreign cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Button text stays neutral, such as "Get started" or "Start buying"; we never use words like "best", "No.1" or "exclusive".
All outbound links, including the buttons, exchanges' official sites and sources, carry rel="nofollow" and open in a new tab.
When do we re-check facts?
Not on a fixed calendar. We re-check a page when the official pages or laws behind it change: a fee revision, a new coin listing, a closure, an FSA register update or a tax law change. Facts that need a date, such as when a law was enacted, carry it in the text.
Spot the change
Company notices, FSA and NTA releases, reader emails.
Confirm it at the source
The official fee page, law or release, never a news story alone.
Fix the page
Text, tables and source links are updated together.
Fix everything that repeats it
Reviews and the Japanese edition get the same correction.
How do I report an error?
Email contact@cryptojapan.asia with the page URL, the sentence that is wrong, and the correct information with a link to its official source. We check it and correct the page.
Before you write
We can't give personal investment or tax advice. For tax, ask your tax office or a licensed tax accountant (zeirishi); for account problems, contact the exchange directly. Details are on our contact page.
Methodology FAQ
Does FSA registration mean an exchange is safe?
It means the FSA accepted that the company has the systems the law requires, such as keeping customer assets separate from its own and verifying identities. It is not a promise you won't lose money: registered exchanges have been hacked, and price risk is the same everywhere. Treat registration as the entry ticket, then compare the rest.
Why don't you recommend offshore exchanges to people living in Japan?
Under the Payment Services Act, serving Japanese residents without FSA registration is illegal. The FSA names unregistered overseas operators in public warnings, and if something goes wrong with one of them, Japanese protections are unlikely to help you.
Where do the app ratings come from?
From the public score and number of ratings on the Japanese App Store and Google Play. They are a summary of what users say, not our own score, so we treat apps with few ratings or freshly relaunched apps with extra caution.
Can I open an account at a Japanese exchange as a foreigner?
Usually yes if you are a mid- to long-term resident with a residence card and a Japanese address. Short-term visitors generally can't pass Japanese identity checks, which is why we flag foreigner access as a separate criterion in every comparison.
How often do you update the numbers?
Whenever the official page or law behind them changes, rather than on a fixed calendar. Fee revisions, new coin listings, closures, FSA register updates and tax law changes all trigger a review of the affected pages.
Sources
Keep reading
FSA-registered exchanges list
Every licensed operator with registration number and what it offers
Read more →
Exchange fees compared
Maker/taker, spreads, deposits and withdrawals side by side
Read more →
Exchange and app reviews
Japanese services tested against one checklist
Read more →
Crypto for foreigners in Japan
Visas, residence cards, US persons and tourists
Read more →
About us
Read more →