January 15, 2008
Financial Research and Training Center

Notice of International Conference on
Regional Finance in Recent Period and the Way Forward

The Financial Research and Training Center (FRTC) of the Financial Services Agency (FSA) will co-host an international conference on ''Regional Finance in Recent Period and the Way Forward'' with 21 century COE-Market Quality project of Keio University on January 18, 2008, at The Central Common Government Offices No. 7 in Tokyo.

With a view to exploring ways to enhance the function of relationship-based banking, this conference will compare and consider Japan’s regional finance that is promoting various activities to revitalise small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and the regional economy with the situation in Germany (where regional finance is said to have revitalised the regional economy) or that in Asia (where regional SMEs and local communications are being funded extensively by banks). Then the panel sessions will discuss how to move forward regarding regional finance in Japan.

The summary and reference material of the conference will be posted on the FRTC website in due course.

• Program