Financial Measures for Ishikawa Heavy Rain Disaster

The Director-General of the Hokuriku Local Finance Bureau of the Ministry of Finance and the General Manager of the Bank of Japan’s Kanazawa Branch requested that relevant financial institutions and similar entities implement financial measures for disaster victims and others in Ishikawa Prefecture concerning disasters caused by heavy rain beginning August 27, 2026, to which the Disaster Relief Act was applied. The targets are deposit-taking financial institutions, securities companies and similar entities, life insurance companies, non-life insurance companies, small-amount and short-term insurance providers, and electronic receivables recordation organizations.

The request calls for adequate consideration of the safety of customers and employees and appropriate financial measures suited to the circumstances of the disaster and the damage suffered by victims and others. It also calls for thorough notification of the request’s contents to operating branches and efforts to provide detailed, flexible, and prompt responses.

The request calls for customer-oriented measures concerning withdrawals from deposits and savings, lending consultations and repayment deferrals, reissuance of securities and refunds of sale proceeds, insurance claims and deferrals of premium payments, and similar matters. It also requests that customers be informed through branch postings, newspapers, websites, and other means about branches whose operations are suspended and information on automated teller machines and similar facilities that remain operational.

Financial institutions and similar entities are asked to implement customer-oriented measures, including operating on holidays and outside normal business hours and allowing withdrawals from deposits through automated teller machines and similar facilities when counter services cannot operate.

Deposit-taking financial institutions were asked to process withdrawals after verifying the customer’s identity in light of the damage, even when deposit certificates, passbooks, registered seals, or similar items have been lost, and to accommodate early withdrawals from time deposits and installment savings and loans secured by deposits. The request also includes, in consultation with the relevant financial institutions, consideration for collecting bills whose payment dates have passed due to obstacles caused by this disaster or similar circumstances; consideration regarding the listing in dishonored reports and suspension-of-transactions measures for bills and checks that cannot be paid because of the disaster or similar circumstances; similar consideration regarding suspension-of-transactions measures for electronically recorded receivables or termination of usage agreements; exchanging damaged banknotes and coins; and providing consultation services for lost government bonds.

Deposit-taking financial institutions were asked to establish lending consultation offices, simplify procedures by reducing required documents to the minimum necessary, expedite lending, and change lending conditions, including deferrals of repayments on existing loans. They were also asked to provide consultations on using the Guidelines for Debt Adjustment for Victims of Natural Disasters, verify the damage using photographs or similar materials and accept disaster certificates at a later date, operate on holidays and outside normal business hours, and publicize the measures and information on operating branches.

Securities companies and similar entities were asked to process withdrawals based on identity verification when registered seals or similar items have been lost, cooperate with procedures for reissuing lost securities, and make same-day payments whenever possible for sale or cancellation proceeds from entrusted securities and similar assets when disaster victims and others request such payment. They were also asked to post and announce the names and other information of branches where operations are suspended and to publicize it through newspapers and websites.

Life insurance companies, non-life insurance companies, and small-amount and short-term insurance providers were asked to offer customer-oriented measures, such as explaining how to claim insurance benefits when the policyholder’s contract details can be confirmed even if insurance certificates, registered seals, or similar items have been lost; make prompt payments of life and non-life insurance benefits; and extend the grace period for paying premiums. Electronic receivables recordation organizations were asked to show consideration regarding suspension-of-transactions measures for electronically recorded receivables and termination of usage agreements, operate on holidays and outside normal business hours, and post and publicize the measures and information on closed branches.