01The best crypto exchanges in Japan for 2026
Search for the best crypto exchange in Japan and you are buried in "zero fee" ads. In practice, what you pay in Japan is rarely the headline trading fee. It is the dealer-desk spread and the yen withdrawal fee. We went through the retail exchanges actually operating on the JFSA register, picked ten and scored them, ranked here by overall score.
How we score: real costs (order-book fees, deposits and withdrawals) 35%, coin and order-book coverage 20%, app and website experience 20%, security and compliance record 15%, yen rails and special features 10%. Details in how we rate. If you have never opened an account in Japan, start with how to buy bitcoin in Japan, which covers sign-up and deposits step by step.
- Best overall · lowest costs
GMO CoinGMO Internet Group · Kanto 00006
Free instant yen deposits, free withdrawals (¥400 for large ones) and an order book charging -0.01% maker and 0.05% taker on BTC, ETH and XRP, so makers actually earn a rebate. With 24 coins the list is short, but if you mainly want majors cheaply, no Japanese exchange beats this combination.
- Order book -0.01% / 0.05%
- Instant deposit free
- JPY withdrawal free
- 24 coins
9.0/10Official site ↗ - Most altcoin order books
bitbankKanto 00004
44 coins, nearly all with an order book, which makes it Japan’s best place to buy altcoins without touching a dealer desk. Its 4.53★ App Store rating is the highest of any domestic exchange. Published figures put standard fees at -0.02% maker / 0.12% taker; yen withdrawals cost ¥550 under ¥30,000 and ¥770 above.
- Order book -0.02% / 0.12%
- App 4.53★
- 44 coins
- Withdrawal ¥550 / ¥770
8.9/10Official site ↗ - Veteran · deep BTC liquidity
bitFlyerKanto 00003
One of Japan’s best-known exchanges, with strong bitcoin liquidity on its pro interface, bitFlyer Lightning. Published figures put Lightning spot fees at 0.01–0.15% depending on 30-day volume; yen withdrawals cost ¥220/¥440 to SMBC and ¥550/¥770 to other banks. It lists 40 coins, but most altcoins are dealer-desk only.
- Lightning 0.01–0.15%
- App 4.35★ (133k ratings)
- 40 coins
- Withdrawal ¥220–¥770
8.7/10Official site ↗ - Beginner on-ramp · konbini deposits
CoincheckKanto 00014
Zero maker and taker fees on BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, DOGE and most other order-book pairs, plus convenience-store deposits (¥770–¥1,018) for people without online banking. The catch is the dealer desk: Coincheck itself discloses spreads of 0.1–5.0%, and 1.7–7.0% on some coins. Yen withdrawals cost ¥407.
- Order book majors 0% / 0%
- Dealer spread 0.1–5.0%
- Konbini deposits
- Withdrawal ¥407
8.6/10Official site ↗ - Free in and out · USDC
SBI VC TradeSBI Group · Kanto 00011
According to published figures, yen deposits, yen withdrawals and crypto withdrawals are all free, and it offers USDC as a regulated electronic payment instrument. DMM Bitcoin’s accounts moved here when DMM closed. The weak spot is the app, rated just 1.82★ in the App Store.
- Order book -0.01% / 0.05%
- Deposits & withdrawals free
- USDC
- App 1.82★
8.3/10Official site ↗ - Most coins · PayPay deposits
Binance JapanKanto 00031
66 coins, the most in Japan, and reportedly PayPay Money deposits from ¥1,000 since November 2025. Spot trading is about 0.1%; "Convert" carries no fee but includes a spread. It is the only legal way to use Binance from Japan: the global site does not accept residents.
- Spot ≈ 0.1% / 0.1%
- 66 coins
- PayPay deposits
- App 4.64★
8.2/10Official site ↗ - Wide list · tiered fees
OKJformerly OKCoin Japan · Kanto 00020
OKX’s Japanese affiliate, with 54 coins. Level 1 order-book fees (under ¥1m per 30 days) are 0.07% maker / 0.14% taker, falling to 0.02% / 0.06% at higher volume. Yen deposits are free; withdrawals start at ¥400 below ¥1m.
- Order book 0.07% / 0.14%
- 54 coins
- Free deposits
- Withdrawal from ¥400
7.9/10Official site ↗ - Free maker · 0.1% taker
BitTradeHuobi Japan lineage · Kanto 00007
47 coins, with 0% maker and 0.1% taker fees on BTC, ETH, XRP and other order-book pairs. Its 4.36★ app is solid if unremarkable. A good pick if you want more coins than the big names offer without relying on a dealer desk.
- Order book 0% / 0.1%
- 47 coins
- App 4.36★
7.7/10Official site ↗ - Buy with Rakuten Points
Rakuten Wallet楽天ウォレット · Kanto 00015
The on-ramp for the Rakuten ecosystem: you can buy with Rakuten Points or Rakuten Cash. It works mainly as a dealer desk and lists 14 coins. Good for trying crypto with points, not for frequent trading.
- Mainly dealer desk
- Rakuten Points
- 14 coins
7.4/10Official site ↗ - Inside the Mercari app
MercoinMercari group · Kanto 00030
Built into the Mercari marketplace app, so you can buy with your sales proceeds, reportedly from ¥1. It lists 16 coins on a dealer-desk model. The lowest barrier to entry in Japan, but you pay through the spread.
- Dealer desk
- Mercari proceeds
- 16 coins
7.2/10Official site ↗
Fees for GMO Coin, Coincheck, OKJ and BitTrade come from their official fee pages (checked October 2026). Fees for bitbank, bitFlyer, SBI VC Trade and Binance Japan come from published secondary sources and can change with promotions or tiers, so confirm on the official site. App ratings are from the Japanese App Store (1 October 2026).
02Registration numbers, coins and order-book availability
The single most useful check before you sign up is to find the company's full name and registration number on the JFSA register. Phishing sites posing as Japanese exchanges are common, and the number is the fastest way to tell. Coin counts below are what each exchange reported to the JFSA (1 September 2026); the number actually tradable may differ slightly.
| Exchange | Registration | Coins | Dealer desk / order book | Official site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMO Coin | Kanto LFB No. 00006 | 24 | Both | coin.z.com |
| bitbank | Kanto LFB No. 00004 | 44 | Both (widest order books) | bitbank.cc |
| bitFlyer | Kanto LFB No. 00003 | 40 | Both (Lightning) | bitflyer.com |
| Coincheck | Kanto LFB No. 00014 | 37 | Both | coincheck.com |
| SBI VC Trade | Kanto LFB No. 00011 | 37 + USDC | Both | sbivc.co.jp |
| Binance Japan | Kanto LFB No. 00031 | 66 | Convert + spot order book | binance.com/ja |
| OKJ | Kanto LFB No. 00020 | 54 | Both | okj.com |
| BitTrade | Kanto LFB No. 00007 | 47 | Both | bittrade.co.jp |
| Rakuten Wallet | Kanto LFB No. 00015 | 14 | Mainly dealer desk | rakuten-wallet.co.jp |
| Mercoin | Kanto LFB No. 00030 | 16 | Dealer desk | mercoin.com |
Other registered providers include Zaif (Kinki 00001), BTCBOX, OSL Japan, HashKey Japan and Laser Digital Japan (newly registered 21 Aug 2026).
03Fees compared: order-book taker fees and yen withdrawals
Most people buying bitcoin pay the taker fee, because they fill immediately at the market price. The chart shows each exchange's order-book taker fee for BTC. Maker orders are cheaper still, and GMO Coin, bitbank and SBI VC Trade actually pay makers a small rebate.
Don't stop at trading fees, though. If you buy every month and cash out regularly, yen withdrawal fees can exceed what you pay to trade. GMO Coin and SBI VC Trade charge nothing; Coincheck charges ¥407, OKJ from ¥400, bitbank ¥550/¥770 and bitFlyer ¥220–¥770 depending on bank and amount. On deposits, GMO Coin's instant net-bank deposit is free, while Coincheck's instant and konbini deposits start at ¥770.
04App and website experience
We score apps on three things: whether the website works well for placing limit orders, whether the mobile app clearly separates the dealer desk from the order book, and how smoothly a beginner gets from sign-up to first order. App Store ratings are a useful signal, not the whole story: SBI VC Trade's 1.82★ reflects its interface, not its low fees.
bitbankbitbank.cc ↗
App Store 4.53★ (56k ratings), the best among domestic exchanges. Clear order book and charts; the order-book entry is easy to find.
GMO Coincoin.z.com ↗
App Store 4.29★. "Normal" and "Trader" modes; you need Trader mode to see the full order book.
Coincheckcoincheck.com ↗
App Store 4.33★ (110k ratings). The friendliest for beginners, but the home-screen "buy" button goes to the dealer desk.
bitFlyerbitflyer.com ↗
App Store 4.35★ (133k ratings). The Lightning web platform is pro-grade; the simple app mode leans on the dealer desk.
Binance Japanbinance.com ↗
App Store 4.64★ (Binance app). The most features, but a lot to take in for a beginner.
SBI VC Tradesbivc.co.jp ↗
App Store 1.82★ (345 ratings). Very low costs, but the weakest app among the major exchanges.
05Which Japanese exchange for which need
You just want bitcoin or Ethereum cheaply: GMO Coin or SBI VC Trade. Both have free deposits and withdrawals and a 0.05% order-book taker fee; GMO has the better app, SBI has USDC. You want altcoins: bitbank has the broadest order-book coverage, Binance Japan the most coins (66) and OKJ 54. First purchase, no online banking: Coincheck takes konbini deposits and charges 0% on its order book for majors. Just don't buy through its dealer desk.
You use PayPay: Binance Japan reportedly accepts PayPay Money deposits. You want to spend points or Mercari proceeds: Rakuten Wallet and Mercoin have the lowest barriers and suit a few hundred or thousand yen, but both run on a dealer-desk model and are not built for larger sums. XRP: XRP is Japan's third-largest coin by spot volume and almost every major exchange lists it. Check which one offers XRP on an order book before you buy (we don't recommend specific coins).
Plenty of people keep two accounts: a low-cost one for majors and a broad one for altcoins. Accounts are free, so a second one only costs you another KYC. To compare with global platforms, see the best crypto exchanges worldwide; for the neighbours, see the best crypto exchanges in South Korea.
Not living in Japan, just visiting? If you are resident in a supported country, an international platform lets you buy with a card.Not available to residents of Japan · based on your country of residence
Get started06Why offshore exchanges are not in this ranking
Bybit, MEXC, Bitget, KuCoin and other offshore platforms are not registered with the JFSA and have received repeated warnings. Bybit stopped Japanese sign-ups on 31 October 2025 and has been restricting existing resident accounts since January 2026. Binance global and OKX global do not accept Japanese residents, who can only use Binance Japan and OKJ. CEX.IO also lists Japan as an unsupported country.
Beyond legal protection, there is a practical reason too. Japan's planned 20% separate tax is expected to apply only to assets handled by registered exchanges, so offshore gains would likely still be taxed as miscellaneous income at up to about 55%. And when DMM Bitcoin was hacked in 2024, its users were compensated in full, a good illustration of what registration buys you. More in exchange safety and licences.
FAQ
What is the best crypto exchange in Japan?
It depends on what you buy. In our scoring, GMO Coin is the best all-rounder for majors: free deposits and withdrawals and a 0.05% taker fee on its order book. bitbank is best for altcoins on an order book, and Coincheck suits beginners who want convenience-store deposits. Every exchange we rank is on the JFSA register dated 1 September 2026.
How many licensed crypto exchanges are there in Japan?
As of 1 September 2026, the JFSA register lists 27 crypto-asset exchange service providers: 25 under the Kanto Local Finance Bureau and 2 under Kinki. Coinbase’s Japanese entity and Gate Japan are registered but handle no coins. The register is a PDF on the JFSA website; check the company name and registration number before opening an account.
Should I buy on the hanbaijo or the torihikijo?
Use the order book (torihikijo) whenever you can. The dealer desk (hanbaijo) is marketed as fee-free, but spreads are often 1–5%: Coincheck discloses 0.1–5.0%, and up to 7% on some coins. Order-book maker/taker fees run about 0–0.15%. Rakuten Wallet and Mercoin are mainly dealer desks, so pick an order-book exchange if cost matters.
What is the difference between Binance Japan and Binance global?
Binance Japan is a Japanese company registered with the JFSA (Kanto Local Finance Bureau No. 00031). It offers 66 coins and yen deposits, and reportedly PayPay deposits. Binance global does not accept Japanese residents, and the JFSA warned its parent company in 2018 and 2021, so residents can only use Binance Japan.
Sources
- JFSA — Register of crypto-asset exchange service providers (1 Sep 2026) · checked Oct 2026
- GMO Coin — Fees · checked Oct 2026
- Coincheck — Fee schedule · checked Oct 2026
- OKJ — Fees · checked Oct 2026
- BitTrade — Fees · checked Oct 2026
- JVCEA — Member list · checked Oct 2026
Not sure yet? Read the full buying guide
Sign-up, deposits, rules for foreigners and tax are all in how to buy bitcoin in Japan. If you live in Japan, use one of the JFSA-registered exchanges above.
The international platform is not available to residents of Japan