The outstanding balance of financial assets held by households stood at 1.499 quadrillion yen as of the end of June, up 4.5 percent year on year and the third-highest ever, according to Bank of Japan data released Friday.
The rise is attributable to higher personal income stemming from ongoing economic improvement and a shift to higher-risk, higher-return investment instruments, BOJ officials said.
Of total financial assets held by consumers, cash and deposits accounted for 51.6 percent, down 2.7 percentage points from a year earlier, and shares and other equities for 10.9 percent, up 2.3 points. The balance of investment trusts climbed to a record high 56 trillion yen.
The total balance was lower than the 1.502 quadrillion yen of March 31.