“Thrive on the global stage!”
This is the seductive message Japanese mega-banks and securities firms market to university students.
Yet, to a seasoned professional who has fought for nearly three decades on the front lines of global investment banking, this slogan is a tragically hollow promise.
Let’s cut straight to the chase:
The international reality for Japanese financial institutions is simply an extension of a sakoku (closed-country) state that has persisted for over 50 years—one where “Japanese staff exploit Japanese resources, in Japanese, on Japan time.”
In the global market, they don’t stand alongside the giant Western financial houses; they are, for the most part, simply ignored.
Why do Japanese financial institutions continue to fade into obscurity globally?
The answer lies in decades of structural problems combined with seven structurally fatal flaws that become painfully apparent in their overseas operations.
This first part dissects these structural issues, focusing on the critical deficiencies in their global talent and strategic execution, delivering a harsh critique from the perspective of an industry insider.
