With too few borrowers, Japan's regional banks are urged to merge

Japan is not traditionally a "borrowing" country. Crazy, considering how low interest rates are here.

On the flipside, not the easiest place to get a loan or even a credit card.

Works both ways!

I applied for a small home loan from a regional bank out here in the sticks and they turned me down due to the fact that I wasn't "sha-in".

My salary is pretty decent and I've been employed by the same company for over 10 years. There are very few "sha-in" out here in the country and their rigid policies prevented them from gaining a new borrower.

Luckily I was able to get the home loan from another regional bank that specialized in doing business with blue collar workers and had more reasonable criteria for loans.

Banks here need to open their eyes and see the real economic conditions of the populace before these banks go out of business. It's not the 80s anymore.

I saw the other day that banks are offering 35 year loans at a fixed rate of 1.7%. If Abe succeeds in getting inflation up to 2% banks will be making a loss on such loans. Perhaps it's time to start borrowing?

LoL, they reject people left and right who wanted to borrow money to buy houses, and complain about too "few" borrowers. What a bunch of idiots.

With too few borrowers, Japan's regional banks are urged to merge

Why not prey on their non-borrowers further, like charging extra for out-of-hours ATM use?

SenseNotSoCommon indeed! The Japanese banks already have some of the highest ATM fees in the world. You are also forgetting that, many of the smaller banks do not even offer after hours ATM service.

This trend of failing banks and loans is a follow on from the effects of Abenomics, which is only gonna get worse once the sales tax increase comes into play. It's not so much that people aren't borrowing any more. It's the fact they can't afford to borrow anymore.

I wish they would stop referring to it as the 'post-bubble economy' and call it what it really is, 'the Japanese economic depression'!

Shinyo ginkos give loans to people who make decent incomes. Banks, like MUFJ, only give loans to "salarymen".

Most big banks will loan if you have the correct visa ( In the case of Foreigners ), stable employment, earn enough to service the loan, track record with the bank, suitable deposit, and some reasonable amount of time here. Many seem to think they can come here renew their visa and go get a loan or a credit card.

It's much like other places you need to establish yourself properly before they throw their money in your direction.

I have no trouble getting credit in this country, but in my own country now they are like who, what, you want to borrow money, no , no way we don't even know who you are, you have no credit history, do you have a phone bill or power bill?

Because I haven't lived there for 20 years it seems I now have become an unknown. I like it !