Japanese real wages contracted for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, though recent data signals that the country’s prolonged struggle with eroding purchasing power may be nearing an end, according to a recent report published by the Itochu Research Institute. Monthly Labor Survey data released by the Ministry of
On February 6, 2026, the NLI Research Institute hosted a webinar focused on why home purchases continue to be made despite rising housing prices, interest rates, and inflation. They used various published data on the mortgage market to summarize and explain households' adaptive behavior, incorporating a financial theory perspective.
The entry of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), operating through its subsidiary JASM, is a systemic catalyst for the resurgence of Kyushu’s "Silicon Island." This transition marks a pivot from the region’s historical identity as a domestic manufacturing base toward its emergence as a high-value node
Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri) and its parent company, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), have formalized a four-way strategic partnership with the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Security Bank Corporation. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), executed in Manila, aims to stimulate the regional digital economy by creating a
Kyndryl and IBM Japan have been selected to lead a major modernization of Yamaguchi Financial Group’s (Yamaguchi FG) core banking systems, a move designed to consolidate the regional lender’s IT operations into a single, unified platform. The modernization effort is targeted for completion by January 2029. According to
Japanese financial services giant SBI Holdings is set to significantly expand its footprint in the Southeast Asian crypto market, announcing its intention to acquire a majority stake in Coinhako, a leading Singapore-based digital asset platform. SBI confirmed that its subsidiary, SBI Ventures Asset, has signed a letter of intent with
PayPay Corporation, Japan’s dominant QR code payment provider, has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Visa to spearhead its international expansion, beginning with a significant entry into the United States market. The deal outlines a roadmap for PayPay’s first major global venture. The companies plan to establish
Standard Chartered has entered a strategic partnership with digital asset market maker B2C2, a move designed to bridge the gap between traditional banking infrastructure and the cryptocurrency markets for institutional clients. The collaboration aims to integrate Standard Chartered’s extensive global banking and settlement "rails" with B2C2’s
Olyv, the tech-driven FinTech platform formerly known as SmartCoin, has successfully closed a USD 23 million Series B funding round. The investment was led by The Fundamentum Partnership, with significant participation from the Singapore-based SMBC Asia Rising Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. The capital
Digital Garage (TSE Prime: 4819) and its payment subsidiary, DG Financial Technology (DGFT), announced today the full-scale operational launch of "NESTA," a next-generation payment platform developed in joint partnership with au Financial Service. The system has officially begun handling billing & settlement processing for the telecommunications charges of
Sumitomo Life Insurance Company has released the findings of an internal investigation, confirming that employees seconded to independent insurance agencies engaged in the improper acquisition of sensitive business information. The investigation, which spanned operations from April 2022 through October 2025, revealed that seconded staff transmitted proprietary data back to Sumitomo
Welcome to the one hundred fiftieth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. The Japanese election completely overshadowed our monumental achievement of the 150th edition of the Japan FinTech Observer, while crossing 15,000 subscriber (on LinkedIn alone, ~20,000 across platforms) 😀 we remain humble, and truly appreciate your spending time