Welcome to the one hundred fifth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Happy new fiscal year! There were a few deals that still had to get done before the end of March, with insurance and regional banking being especially busy. Congratulations and best of luck to anyone who started a
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI), a subsidiary of MS&AD Insurance Group, is entering into agreements with the founding family of W. R. Berkley (WRB) which entail an investment by MSI in shares of outstanding WRB common stock. WRB is a Fortune 500 Company and a leader in specialty insurance
Shizuoka Bank, Yamanashi Chuo Bank, and Hachijuni Bank have concluded a comprehensive business alliance and launched the "Mt. Fuji & Alps Alliance." Shizuoka Bank and Yamanashi Chuo Bank launched the "Shizuoka-Yamanashi Alliance" in October 2020, and have been working to achieve sustainable growth in their regions
Chiba Bank has determined, through a resolution of the Board of Directors las week, to acquire the shares of Chiba Kogyo Bank from Ariake Master Fund, and it has entered into a share purchase agreement with Ariake in connection with the Share Acquisition. Chiba Bank also announced that the Share
INCJ was established in September 2018 via company split from Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ). INCJ was established in July 2009 with the aim of overcoming boundaries between companies and industries, creating and nurturing key industries via open innovation for the prosperity of future generations, and providing risk capital
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) has issued business improvement orders to four non-life insurance companies, namely Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Sompo Japan Insurance, and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, pursuant to Article 132, Paragraph 1 of the Insurance Business Act concerning incidents of customer information leakage.
The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) establishes the target weights of different assets as a policy asset mix and makes an investment based on it. GPIF has formulated the policy asset mix for the fifth medium-term objectives (5-year plan) starting from fiscal 2025. The new policy asset mix was decided
JR Shikoku, Toyo Denki Seizo, and DG Financial Technology have equipped the "On-board Supplementary Ticket Issuance App" used by conductors with QR code payment functionality starting April 1, 2025. This will allow passengers to pay for tickets purchased from conductors on JR Shikoku trains using QR code payment
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company announced that the number of accounts opened for "Olive," a comprehensive financial service for individual customers, has surpassed 5 million. Olive is a completely new service that seamlessly combines bank accounts, card payments, financing, online securities, online insurance, and
Open House Group, which in February had started accepting cryptocurrency for real estate purchases, has made significant updates to their "Open House Global" portal, designed to enhance convenience for the real estate purchasing experience in Japan for international clients. * Expanded Cryptocurrency Payment Options: In addition to Bitcoin and
MS&AD Insurance Group announced that at the Board of Directors meeting held on March 28, 2025, it was decided to proceed with specific discussions and preparations for the merger of two core non-life insurance companies within the group, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance. The target
European credit specialist AlbaCore Capital Group, a consolidated subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation (MUTB), has launched a new Senior Direct Lending Strategy, having secured anchor investments from a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and MUTB. MUFG aims to strengthen its strategic investments
economics
The SOMPO Institute Plus, the think tank of SOMPO Group, has published its quarterly outlook for the Japanese economy today. The report anticipates a continuation of moderate economic growth, driven by gradually improving real wages and solid corporate performance supporting business investment. However, external demand is expected to remain weak
secure computation
NTT Communications, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Nomura Research Institute, NRI Secure Technologies, and GMO CyberSecurity by Ierae have published the interim report on the "Guidelines for Data Utilization Using Secure Computation." The aim is to promote the understanding and utilization of secure
venture capital
Lazarus AI has successfully secured participation from AllegisNL Capital into its convertible note financing. AllegisNL Capital is a venture capital fund supported by Nippon Life Group, investing in innovative companies at the intersection of technology and insurance or adjacent industries. AllegisNL Capital expects Lazarus AI's technology to further
stablecoin
OwlTing Group partners with GMO-Z.com Trust Company to enhance the accessibility to GYEN, the first regulated Japanese Yen stablecoin. This strategic move aims to provide users with diversified cross-border transaction options in one of the world’s major reserve currencies. By integrating GYEN and ZUSD (USD stablecoin) into the
innovation
SBI Holdings will open the "SBI FinTech Center OSAKA" at the innovation support facility "JAM BASE" in the Umekita district on April 1st. SBI Holdings has been collaborating with Osaka Prefecture and City to realize the International Financial City concept through various initiatives, including: * Providing advisory
payments
Revolut Technologies Japan has launched a new service targeting children and teenagers aged 6 to 17, designed to help them learn financial literacy in a gamified way through daily life experiences. By using separate apps for parents and children, the service provides features that allow learning about money management through
reinsurance
This "Standard Formula" podcast episode by Skadden delves into the intricate landscape of prudential insurance regulation in Japan, a topic gaining traction due to its significant impact on the burgeoning reinsurance market. As part of a year-long series exploring global solvency requirements, the discussion is anchored by Japan&
stablecoin
Circle today announced its deepened commitment to Japan by leveraging its Japanese entity, Circle Japan KK, and local partnerships to drive the adoption of Circle platforms and technologies in Japan. Circle’s partners in Japan will leverage Circle’s platforms to enable the adoption of USDC in Japan. These partnerships
payments
Plug and Play Japan has invested in Tokenz, a company providing next-generation payment gateway solutions. Tokenz supports digital content businesses such as games, e-books, software, and streaming platforms by offering a Merchant of Record (MoR) solution that enables seamless and flexible global expansion, supporting over 200 payment methods across 170
weekly
Welcome to the one hundred fourth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Happy second birthday to us! What started as a personal effort to keep our fingers on the pulse of the Finance & FinTech ecosystem is now being shared with more than 15,000 subscribers (12,500 on LinkedIn
reinsurance
Fortitude Re (that is, FGH Parent LP together with its subsidiaries) announced the signing and closing of a $4 billion reinsurance transaction between its subsidiary, Fortitude International Reinsurance Company (FIRL) and Taiyo Life Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of T&D Holdings. Under the transaction Taiyo Life has reinsured
security token
Mitsui Digital Asset Management (MDM), Shinsei Trust & Banking, SBI Shinsei Bank, and BOOSTRY have collaborated on the public offering of security tokens backed by real estate assets, utilizing the consortium-type blockchain platform "ibet for Fin" developed primarily by BOOSTRY, and have now completed the offering and issuance.