JJapan Finance

Indian living in Japan – How should I invest my savings? Need beginner advice.

  • October 11, 2025

Hi everyone,

I’m an Indian citizen living in Japan for the past 1 year. I came here as a new graduate and started working in Japan. I’m completely new to personal finance and investing, and I’m looking for some beginner-friendly advice, especially from other Indians living in Japan or NRIs.

I have a regular Indian savings account back home and almost all my savings are in a Japanese bank account , but I’ve heard that since I’m now a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), I may need to convert my Indian SBI account into an NRO account.

I’d really appreciate it if you could help me understand a few things:

  1. What’s the process to convert a normal Indian savings account into an NRO account? Also, What amount of my savings can I transfer to my indian account as I would like to keep some of it there. Are there any restrictions.
  2. Should I also open an NRE account? What are the benefits of NRE vs NRO?
  3. Can I invest in Indian mutual funds, stocks, or fixed deposits from Japan? What are the best platforms or brokers for this as an NRI?
  4. Can I invest in Japan as a foreigner? If so, what’s the process like? Any English-friendly platforms?
  5. What are the tax implications if I invest in India while living in Japan? Will I be taxed in both countries? How do I handle double taxation?

I want to make sure I’m doing things the right way from the beginning. Please explain things like I’m totally new to this — because I am 😅

Thanks in advance for your help 🙏

by pandu_uwu