Japan's Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki urged regional banks to take more measures to promote local economic development in an environment where interest rates are rising. If local financial institutions do not issue loans to support local development, rural areas “will have no future,” Katayama Satsuki said in an interview. “It's going to have a huge impact.” Katayama said, “To make Japan an excellent country through the region. Katayama also discussed possible integration problems faced by about 100 local banks in Japan. She said the government “will never” force regional banks to merge. “To be profitable, you need to invest well in the system. If a merger is considered, the core is to assess whether it would benefit from it.” Katayama emphasized that the key is not only to absorb deposits, but also how to use these deposits for loans and investments to promote regional development. She said, “The economic fate of the region will depend to a certain extent” on each bank's response.

Japan's Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki urged regional banks to take more measures to promote local economic development in an environment where interest rates are rising. If local financial institutions do not issue loans to support local development, rural areas “will have no future,” Katayama Satsuki said in an interview. “It's going to have a huge impact.” Katayama said, “To make Japan an excellent country through the region. Katayama also discussed possible integration problems faced by about 100 local banks in Japan. She said the government “will never” force regional banks to merge. “To be profitable, you need to invest well in the system. If a merger is considered, the core is to assess whether it would benefit from it.” Katayama emphasized that the key is not only to absorb deposits, but also how to use these deposits for loans and investments to promote regional development. She said, “The economic fate of the region will depend to a certain extent” on each bank's response.