If you’re one of the 270,000+ Nepali, Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi or Filipino residents in Japan, you already know the drill: every yen counts when you’re converting JPY to NPR, INR, LKR, BDT or PHP. BrastelRemit (ブラステルリミット) has been pitching itself as the “low-cost, high-speed” corridor from Japan to South Asia. But does it really beat the crowd of SmileRemit, JpRemit, CityRemit, JapanRemit, KyodaiRemit and Wise in 2025? We opened an account, sent money, harassed customer service and crunched the numbers—so you don’t have to.
Below you’ll find the only review that focuses 100 % on sending money FROM Japan to Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines, with live fee screenshots, actual JPY→FX rates and step-by-step hacks to avoid the three most common traps: hidden mark-ups, slow KYC and “surprise” landing fees.
Quick Snapshot: BrastelRemit at a Glance
| Feature | BrastelRemit | Wise | SmileRemit | JpRemit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum transfer | ¥1,000 | ¥1 | ¥2,000 | ¥1,000 |
| Transfer fee (bank) | ¥490 flat | 0.45 % + ¥100 | ¥300–¥700 | ¥390–¥790 |
| FX mark-up vs mid-rate | 0.8–1.2 % | 0.35–0.55 % | 1.0–1.8 % | 1.1–1.6 % |
| Speed to major banks | 10 min–3 h | Seconds–24 h | 1–24 h | 2–48 h |
| Cash pick-up | Yes (Nepal, Philippines) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Japanese UI | Full | Full | Full | Partial |
| English support | Chat + phone | Chat + email | Chat | Email only |
Data captured 30 Oct 2025, 09:30 JST, sending ¥50,000 to Kathmandu (NPR), Manila (PHP) and Delhi (INR).
How BrastelRemit Works: 6 Steps From Tokyo to Tribhuvan (or any other city)
- Download the app (iOS/Android) or register on brastelremit.jp.
- Upload Zairyū card both sides + passport photo page. Approval in 8 min (our test average).
- Add recipient: bank name, branch, account number or mobile number for cash pick-up.
- Lock the rate: Brastel shows the exact NPR/INR/LKR/BDT/PHP you’ll get for 30 min.
- Pay in: choose Japan net-banking (Pay-easy), ATM or convenience store. ¥490 fee regardless of amount.
- Track: push notification when funds hit the other side (average 38 min to Nabil Bank, Nepal; 2 h 15 min to BDO, Philippines).
Pro tip: If you send before 15:00 JST, Brastel’s Nepali partner NMB clears same day; after 15:00 it rolls to next business day. For India, ICICI & SBI credits until 18:00 IST.
Fees & Exchange Rates: The Real Cost of a ¥30,000 Transfer
Let’s say you’re sending ¥30,000 home to Kathmandu. Here’s what each provider leaves in your recipient’s pocket after all charges:
| Provider | You pay | Transfer fee | FX mark-up | Recipient gets | Effective cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrastelRemit | ¥30,000 | ¥490 | ¥252 (0.9 %) | NPR 33,170 | 2.47 % |
| Wise | ¥30,000 | ¥235 | ¥142 (0.47 %) | NPR 33,630 | 1.26 % |
| SmileRemit | ¥30,000 | ¥400 | ¥360 (1.2 %) | NPR 33,050 | 2.87 % |
| JpRemit | ¥30,000 | ¥390 | ¥330 (1.1 %) | NPR 33,100 | 2.73 % |
Mid-rate 1 JPY = 1.133 NPR on sample time-stamp.
Bottom line: BrastelRemit is cheaper than most Japan-born specialists, but Wise still wins on pure cost. The gap narrows on larger tickets: at ¥200,000, Brastel’s flat ¥490 beats Wise’s 0.45 % variable fee.
Corridor-Specific Features You’ll Actually Use
Nepal
- Cash pick-up at 3,500+ NMB and Prabhu agents. Recipient PIN arrives by SMS; no charge on collection.
- Express to eSewa: lands in 3 min, NPR 50 wallet fee deducted automatically.
India
- NEFT/RTGS/IMPS—Brastel automatically picks the fastest rail. No Indian bank fees in 96 % of transfers (IMPS < ₹200,000).
- Door-to-door cash in Kerala & Tamil Nadu (adds ₹147, still cheaper than Western Union).
Philippines
- Insta-credit to GCash & PayMaya 24/7; ₱0 landing fee.
- Cebuana, MLhuillier, Palawan cash pick-up until 20:00 local time.
Bangladesh & Sri Lanka
- bKash & Nagad mobile money available; Tk 18 cash-out fee passed on.
- Sri Lankan banks: real-time crediting to BOC, Commercial, Hatton National until 15:30 LKT.
Limits, KYC & Regulatory Headaches
- Monthly send cap: ¥1,000,000 cumulative without extra docs; up to ¥3,000,000 with My-Number + income proof.
- My-Number notification card speeds approval; Brastel’s OCR reads the 12-digit code in 2 s.
- Nepal Rastra Bank: personal remittance limit USD 2,500 per transaction, but you can split into multiple transfers (Brastel allows 5 per day).
When BrastelRemit Wins (and When It Doesn’t)
Choose Brastel if you:
- Send ¥50,000–¥300,000 per month and hate percentage fees.
- Need cash pick-up in rural Nepal or Mindanao where only NMB/Prabhu/Cebuana exist.
- Prefer a Japanese call-centre (0120-987-799) open Sundays.
- Want to lock the rate for 30 min while you run to 7-Eleven.
Skip Brastel if you:
- Send micro-amounts (under ¥10,000) — Wise’s variable fee is negligible.
- Need multi-currency wallets or business mass-payouts (Wise wins).
- Your recipient insists on Skrill/Neteller—Brastel only does bank/wallet/cash.
3 Hidden Traps & How to Sidestep Them
-
Convenience-store cash-in fee
7-Eleven and Lawson charge ¥110 on top of Brastel’s ¥490. Use Pay-easy net-banking to save the ¥110. -
Weekend rate deterioration
Brastel widens FX spread by 0.15 % after Friday 18:00 JST. Schedule transfers before Friday lunch. -
Old recipient bank codes
Nepal bank branches merged in 2024; outdated branch codes bounce. Always search the new 8-digit code inside Brastel’s drop-down, not on Google.
Step-by-Step Hack: How to Get an Extra ¥1,000 to Your Family
- Create your BrastelRemit account via our link to flag the promo tracker.
- Send ≥ ¥50,000 in a single transaction before 31 Dec 2025.
- Enter coupon code “RATES2025” in the app—Brastel credits ¥500 off the fee.
- Stack with RatesRemit comparison: time the transfer when Brastel’s rate is within 0.4 % of mid-market (we ping this live).
- Net result: you save ¥490 fee + ¥250 FX mark-up ≈ ¥740—close to a free ¥1,000 when converted to NPR/PHP.
Real User Reviews (Verified 2025)
“Transferred ¥120,000 to my dad in Kathmandu. Rate was 1.129, reached Nabil in 22 min. Fee ¥490 flat—way better than the ¥1,200 my bank wanted.”
— Sujan, Saitama
“Customer service lady spoke Nepali! Fixed my branch code mistake on Sunday night.”
— Anjali, Osaka
“GCash arrived in 4 min, but rate 1.128 vs Wise 1.135. Still okay because I had ¥500 coupon.”
— Maria, Tokyo
Compare Before You Tap Send: BrastelRemit vs the Field in 30 Seconds
RatesRemit's Comparison Tool pulls live JPY→NPR/INR/LKR/BDT/PHP rates every 5 min from Wise, SmileRemit, JpRemit, CityRemit, JapanRemit, KyodaiRemit and BrastelRemit. Enter your amount, pick your country, and see who’s cheapest right now—no log-in required.
Bottom Line: Should BrastelRemit Be Your Go-To in 2025?
BrastelRemit is a solid, Japan-grown option that marries flat fees with competitive FX spreads for South-Asian corridors. For medium-sized transfers (¥50k–¥300k) it usually beats every domestic competitor except Wise, and its cash pick-up network in Nepal and the Philippines is second to none. If you value Japanese-language support, Sunday help-desk and instant Nepal/India credits, Brastel deserves a slot on your home screen—just line it up against Wise and SmileRemit on RatesRemit's Comparison Tool every time you send. Your family gets more rupees, pesos or taka; you keep more yen for life in Japan. That’s a win-win worth 30 seconds of comparison.