Into a World With Interest Rates, Japan's Big Banks Court Retail Deposits

As a "world with interest rates" takes hold, Japan's big financial firms are enhancing retail services to win deposits—easing inheritance procedures and raising card-point rewards tied to accounts. It is the same trend as our lead on Mizuho's 2% cashback: when rates return, deposits become valuable again and banks must treat retail customers as prizes to win. In the long zero-rate era, deposits were neglected; the wind has shifted. For readers who use financial services in Japan, comparing deposit rates, points, and services across banks now matters more—worth the time to shop around.