This report analyzes the factors that are driving change in the Japanese financial services industry. The report examines the business strategies followed by the leading firms in all the three segments of the financial services industry - banking, insurance and securities. It studies the competitive landscape of Japanese banks, insurance companies and securities firms.
The report also captures important trends and key issues facing the industry and finally provides an outlook for the sector.
The banking industry as a whole recovered in 2004, as net income grew to US$12 billion. The recovery in net income has been mainly due to the decline in credit costs. With a recovering stock market, the Japanese securities firms started making profits in 2004. The financial situation of the Japanese life insurance sector has deteriorated rapidly between 1996 and the beginning of 2005. Securities companies were hit hard by the poor performance of the local stock markets in the early 1990s.
The privatization of postal services in October 2005 and life insurance business by 2017 will bring about significant changes in the Japanese financial sector.
