As Japan Emerges From 'The Lost Decade' Its De-Regulating Finance Sector Offers Vast Opportunities for Newcomers and Existing Players Alike.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c94283) has announced the addition of Retail Finance in Japan to their offering.

This report, written by a 20 year veteran of Japan's financial sector answers the following questions:

- Will we be able to set up a retail banking operation in Japan?

- How to create successful product differentiation? Examples include Bancassurance, Cards and payments and e-Money.

- Are Japanese banks a sound investment?

- Is partnership and alliance the best way into the market?

Also includes:

- Breaking news and careful analysis on the changing FSA regulatory guidelines and the recently-privatised Japan Post Bank.

- A comprehensive profile of players and products including 'the second tier' of banks, largely unknown to the West, but a huge source of product marketing opportunities.

- Collected material from Japanese-language sources plus a comprehensive overview of statistics and exclusive interviews with industry experts.

Who should read this?

Executives within Retail and Investment Banking with responsibility for International marketing, Human resources international staffing issues, Risk management and Japan-specific risk assessment, and Japan-related IT issues.

What are they looking for?

Information on how to break into Japan, in particular risk, compliance, staffing, IT and an overview of Japanese banking institutions.

About the Author

Hugh Ashton graduated from the University of Cambridge 1977 and moved to Japan in 1988. He has worked with major international investment banks and Japanese retail banks for business continuity planning, internal policy and procedure documentation and internal audit reports. Hugh has assisted in the implementation of a special foreign-designed retail financial outlet for a major Japanese non-bank entity together with the marketing subsidiary of a Japanese retail bank.

Content Outline:

1. Executive Summary

2. Introduction: The Structure of Japanese Banking

3. Japanese Banking: A Brief Historical Introduction

4. The Influence of Regulation

5. Some Aspects of Japanese Society

6. Is Japan Overbanked?

7. I Want to Be a Loan

8. Payment Instruments

9. Other Products

10. Retail Bank-related Crime and Fraud in Japan

11. Staffing Issues

12. IT Considerations

13. Case Studies

14. Japanese Terms (Appendix)

Summary:

An Underdeveloped Market

Japan has a population of over 128 million people and is the world's second largest economy. The development of its financial sector however has not matched the nation's industrial achievements. Owing to government regulations, traditional practices and idiosyncratic habits, many aspects of retail finance that are considered commonplace in the West, remain unavailable or under-used in Japan. One estimate suggests 'tansu yokin' (cash under the mattress) accounts for over 30% of money in circulation, equating to about a quarter of a million yen for every man, woman and child in Japan!

A Market Opening Up

Recent moves by the regulatory authorities indicate a welcoming of foreign capital and expertise from overseas to revitalise the Japanese financial landscape. At the end of 2007, foreign investors had over 5% holdings in 11 regional banks, a doubling of the figure from 2006.

Companies Mentioned:

- Japan Post Bank

- Bank of Yokohama

- Citibank Japan

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c94283.