Hokuriku Bank Co., Ltd.

Hokuriku Bank, Ltd. (English: THE HOKURIKU BANK, LTD.) is a local bank in Japan and its head office is located in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. It is under the umbrella of Hokuhoku Financial Group along with Hokkaido Bank, and its main sales base is in the Hokuriku region (Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui prefectures) and Hokkaido.

overview

Hokuriku Bank was predecessored by Kanazawa No. 12 National Bank, which was established in 1877 (Meiji 10), and moved its main store to Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture in 1884 (Meiji 17). Since then, it has grown as a regional regional bank and has expanded its business mainly in the Hokuriku region. In 2004 (Heisei 16), the company merged with Hokkaido Bank and established the Hokuhoku Financial Group. In addition to the Hokuriku region (including Niigata Prefecture) and Hokkaido, which are named after the bank, it also has stores in the three major metropolitan areas, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, and Nagano City, Nagano City, and also has representative offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Singapore, and Thailand.

Management philosophy

Hokuriku Bank holds the following management philosophy:

• Regional coexistence
• Fair and solid
• Entertainment creation

Relationship with Hokkaido

Hokuriku Bank's sales base in Hokkaido began in 1899 (Meiji 32) when Juji Bank (previous to Hokuriku Bank) opened its Otaru branch as the first branch in Hokkaido. This was six months earlier than Hokkaido Takushoku Bank's entry into the market. The bank has expanded into Hokkaido due to the economic and cultural ties between the Hokuriku region and Hokkaido through Kitamae Ship, which have been in operation since the Edo period. In 1910 (Meiji 43), a store was opened in Sapporo, establishing a business base with companies and local governments in Hokkaido.

In particular, many of the people who immigrated to Hokkaido were from Toyama Prefecture, so many companies in Hokkaido have major transactions with Hokuriku Bank, and are still designated financial institutions by some local governments in Hokkaido (such as Kushiro Town).

Sales Foundation

Hokuriku Bank is under contract with designated financial institutions in Toyama Prefecture, including its prefectural capital, Toyama City, and Takaoka City. Furthermore, by taking over most of the business operations of Ishikawa Bank, which went bankrupt in 2002, it also has a branch network in Ishikawa Prefecture, second only to Hokukoku Bank, and has become a local bank. Furthermore, in Fukui Prefecture, its predecessors are Takefu National Bank and Fukui National Bank 91, so it has a strong business base.

Main Bank Share

According to the National Main Bank Survey conducted by Teikoku Databank in 2016, 6,791 companies have Hokuriku Bank as their main bank, with a share of 15.32% in the Hokuriku region (first place), and the sixth in Hokkaido (2,903 companies) showing a certain strength.

Recent trends

Hokuriku Bank's financial situation temporarily deteriorated due to the collapse of the bubble economy and the Heisei recession, but in 2004 its management base was strengthened by merging its business with Hokkaido Bank and establishing the Hokuhoku Financial Group. In recent years, while playing a role as a local bank, it has been working to digitalize and revitalize the local economy.

As the largest shareholder of Toyama Bank, it is also working to improve regional finance efficiency, strengthening its collaboration with the bank and jointly establishing ATMs at some stores.

Character design

Moomin was once used in Hokuriku Bank's deposit bankbook, but since 2005 (Heisei 17), only general design bankbooks have been available. Starting in June 2016, bankbooks and cash cards designed with Hokuriku Bank's mascot characters, "Hokumaru" and "Rikuhime," have resumed issuance.

Future outlook

Under the management philosophy of "regional co-prosperity, fairness, and entry-level creation," Hokuriku Bank aims to achieve sustainable growth while playing a role as a bank rooted in the community. As a member of the Hokuhoku Financial Group, we are pursuing further growth as a wide-area regional bank, whilst contributing to the economic development of Hokkaido and the Hokuriku region.