Business / Economy Oct 13, 2020

Japan must revise BOJ law to speed up digital currency, senior LDP official says

Japan has been cautious about moving too quickly on digital currencies given the social disruptions it could cause.

Business / Economy | ANALYSIS Oct 8, 2020

Nagasaki bank merger may expose flaws in Suga’s regional rescue plan

Some in Nagasaki fret the merged bank, which would belong to a financial group based in Fukuoka Prefecture, may shift its focus away from local borrowers.

Business / Economy Sep 23, 2020

Japan's SBI, eyeing shake-up of regional banks, may get a Suga boost

Suga has pledged to strengthen local economies and encourage regional banks to consolidate, a shake-up that many say is long overdue.

National Aug 7, 2020

Pandemic derails Abe's strategy to revive regional Japan with tourism

The plight of Kyoto and other cities in the western Kansai region has exposed a vulnerability of the prime minister's "Abenomics" stimulus policy.

Business / Corporate May 19, 2019

Regional bank in Japan battles ultralow interest rates with wine bar and sea urchins

As years of near-zero interest rates in Japan make traditional lending barely profitable, one regional bank is seeking to drum up business through less conventional enterprises, from opening wine bars to helping fishermen farm sea urchins. The new approach comes as regulators cautiously loosen the ...

Business Aug 23, 2018

'Don't blame BOJ,' FSA chief Toshihide Endo tells struggling regional banks

The nation's top financial regulator said regional banks "should not blame the Bank of Japan" for their woes, urging them to explore ways to survive ultralow interest rates. "They should not just sit and wait for the BOJ to change its policy. Will everything be ...