La solvabilité des banques japonaises : situation actuelle et enjeux

Abstract

Japanese banks solvency : description and challenges Since 1990, Japanese banks have had serious financial problems. The large amounts of non performing loans and the decreasing value of the stock and real estate markets have caused heavy losses that have undermined the financial soundness of Japanese banks. Anyway, under the pressure of the financial authorities, the Japanese banking system has managed to survive without fundamental changes and the current restructuring process in which mega-banks are engaged has not been achieved yet. This article shows that the fiscal year 2003 may be crucial for the Japanese banking system. The level and the quality of its equity capital are getting dramatically lower. Capital adequacy ratios of megabanks are still above 8%, due to the decrease of balance sheets, but the stability of the Japanese banking system mainly relies on the regulations that provide public guaranties and fundings in case of need. JEL classifications : G21, G28, O53