Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred thirty-third edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. What a difference a week makes! For last week's edition, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Takaichi, coming fresh off her victory in the LDP presidential election, would become Japan's first female prime minister.
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred thirty-second edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. What a difference a year makes! After last year's LDP leadership election, which Ishiba won in a run-off against Takaichi, the TOPIX sold off -3.5% and the Japanese Yen strengthened from ¥146 to below ¥142
data
The Snowflake World Tour stopped by in Tokyo on September 11 & 12, with some interesting Finance case studies on the agenda. This presentation details the successful project by Japan Post (Kampo) Life Insurance, one of Japan's largest life insurers, to overhaul its data analytics infrastructure using Snowflake.
reinsurance
Athene, the leading retirement services company and subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, has announced that it intends to enter a block reinsurance transaction with Sony Life Insurance, a top-rated Japanese insurer. As part of this transaction, Athene will reinsure an in-force block of U.S. dollar denominated whole life insurance
Insurance
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (ADI), the core non-life insurance companies of MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, are progressing with merger discussions as announced on March 28, 2025. Now, decisions have been made regarding changes to the company name and related details, as well as
Insurance
Sompo Holdings has established Sompo Wellbeing, a new company that will alleviate the three concerns of health, nursing care, and retirement finances, which arise from the declining birthrate and aging population, and will provide services that support balancing work with nursing care. By working to alleviate these social challenges with
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred thirty-first edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. We tried to have the publication of our weekly report co-incide with quarter-end (at least that is this week's excuse), and follow the first two trading days of the spun-out Sony Financial. After an indicative price
artificial intelligence
Tokio Marine Holdings (TMHD) has initiated a strategic collaboration with OpenAI, aiming to leverage generative AI technologies for the evolution of its business. TMHD aims to further integrate generative AI into various operational areas of Tokio Marine group, including contracts, inquiries, and document processing. This will help to enhance productivity
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred thirtieth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. Last week, the World Athletic Championships took place in Tokyo, putting the Olympic Stadium finally to the grand use it was designed for (including an audience!). Whether inspired by the athletic performances or not, the Bank of Japan
insurance agency
In a move signaling a significant strategic push into the Japanese financial services landscape, U.S. investment giant KKR & Co. has completed the acquisition of Hoken Minaoshi Hompo Group (HMH), a major domestic insurance distributor. The transaction sees KKR acquiring the company from investment funds serviced by Advantage Partners,
Weekly
Welcome to the one hundred twenty-ninth edition of the Japan FinTech Observer. The Bank of Japan will hold its Monetary Policy Meeting on September 18 & 19, following the FOMC in the US. The consensus expectation is for the Bank to keep its policy rate on hold this time; beyond
Insurance
MS&AD Insurance Group's subsidiaries—Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (ANDI)—have submitted their quarterly progress report on executing the business improvement plans mandated by Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA). The plans address root causes of past misconduct, including price-fixing (insurance