Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twenty-fourth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. The TOPIX reached a record high on August 8, 2025, hitting 3038.84 points during the regular session and closing at 3024.21. This was the first time TOPIX has broken 3000 points in its history. It closed
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twenty-third edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Earnings season is in full swing, and there were plenty of announcements last week, so we would just like to draw your attention to the Japan Fair Trade Commission's guidelines for smartphone apps - coming into
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twenty-second edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. We have implemented our own, very personal "Don't buy American" policy, which might seem ironic, given that you are most likely to read this newsletter on LinkedIn, but we do offer a self-hosted version
broker/dealer
Following the announcement of their strategic partnership in November 2024, BridgeWise and Rakuten Securities are launching their advanced StockWise equity analysis solution on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Rakuten Securities will provide its over 12 million customers with free access to cutting-edge investment insights for Japanese and U.S. equities, powered
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twenty-first edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. In Japan’s Upper House Elections, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party along with partner New Komeito lost its majority in the chamber. This marks the first since 1955 that the LDP-led government has fallen below a majority in
bank of japan
As the Bank of Japan has now completed the sale of single stocks it purchased from banks as part of its financial system stabilization measures, the focus is shifting towards an exit strategy for the holdings of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) purchased under the large-scale monetary easing. For this discussion, we
settlement
Regarding the settlement period for stock transactions, Japan migrated from T+3 to T+2 in July 2019, and currently settlement takes place two business days (T+2) after the transaction date (T day) when stock trading occurs. Regarding this stock settlement period, major countries and regions are implementing or
mergers & acquisitions
In a report published on July 11, 2025, the Daiwa Institute of Research (DIR) analyzes the significant increase in Tender Offer (TOB) activity in Japan from 2020 to mid-2025, highlighting a new phase in corporate strategy. 1. TOB Activity is Surging to Record Levels The report's primary finding
broker/dealer
The Financial Services Agency (FSA) has compiled a draft partial revision to the Comprehensive Guidelines for Supervision of Financial Instruments Business Operators (and others), and released it for public comment until Monday, August 18, 2025. This amendment is being made in light of the frequent cases of unauthorized access to
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twentieth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. There is a new chief in town. In a management roster published on July 8, the FSA lists Hiroyuki Natori as the Director of the Innovation Promotion Office and Chief FinTech Officer. In addition, the new position of
broker/dealer
Alpaca, a self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure API, intends to acquire WealthKernel, a wealthtech firm specializing in digital investment infrastructure and tax-advantaged products. This strategic acquisition will bring WealthKernel’s UK and EU licensed brokerage infrastructure to Alpaca, supporting their rapid global expansion to achieve its mission of opening financial
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred nineteenth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. With the last update on the Shunto wage negotiations behind, and the Upper House elections ahead of us, it is worth taking another look at the situation the average Japanese consumer finds herself in. In September 2022, we