原文:CashManagementinJapanOVERVIEW:InAugust2005,thegovernmentandtheBankofJapandeclaredthattheJapaneseeconomyhadreboundedfromover10yearsofstagnation.Japanesetraditionalbanksstillcontinuetodominatethecorporatebankingarea,whilethegrowingnumbersofonlinebankshaverapidlycometotheforefrontinconsumerbankingbusiness.ThegovernmentisshowinganinclinationtowardspromotingforeigndirectinvestmentintoJapan,havingshifteditsfocustowardforeigninwardinvestment.WithgrowinginvestmentintoJapan,majorforeignbankshavebeenofferingtheircashmanagementservicesmostlytointernationalnon-Japanesecorporatecustomersonthestrengthoftheirhighercreditratings,globallyconsistentexpertiseandrobustsecuritytechnologies,whilestillsupportingselectedJapanesemultinationalsintheiroffshorecashmanagementrequirements.CashmanagementinAsiaPacificvariesbycountry,notregion.ThisisparticularlytrueofJapan,wherelocalknowledgeandexperienceisofprimeimportance.Marketpractices,thelanguageandthecultureareunique;andthisisaconsiderationwhencontemplatingtheimplementationofcashmanagementsolutionsinJapan,whereaspiritofpracticalityoftentrumpstheoreticalorinternationallyacceptedsolutions.Macroeconomically,theworld'ssecond-largesteconomyintermsofgrossdomesticproduct(GDP)hasbeenshowingsignsofrealrecovery.ThegovernmentandtheBankofJapan(BOJ)havedeclaredinAugust2005thattheJapaneseeconomyhasemergedfromthetemporarylullafterthelongdownturnsknownasthe'lostdecade',howeversomeeconomistshaverefrainedfromsuchoptimisticcommentsbecauseofcontinuinginventorycorrectionsintheinformationtechnologysector.TheNikkeistockindexhasshowedbankstocksrisingtotheirhighestlevelsinmorethanfiveyears.ThegovernmenthasdemonstratedawillingnesstopromoteforeigndirectinvestmentintoJapan,withJETRO(JapanExternalTradeOrganisation),agovernment-relatedorganisationoriginallyestablishedprincipallytopromoteJapaneseexportsabroadnowshiftingitsfocustowardsencouragingforeigndirectinvestmentintothecountry.AnimperativebasedonPrimeMinisterKoizumi'stargettodoublethislevelofforeigndirectinvestmentwithinthefiveyearsfrom2003to2008.Intermsoftreasurymanagement,Japanesemultinationalcompanies(MNCs)continuetodevelopanddemandincreasinglysophisticatedcashmanagementpractices.Domestically,Japanesebanksstilldominateintermsofpaymentvolumes.However,increasinginvestmentsintoJapanhavegivenmajoroverseasbankstheupperhandinofferingtheircashmanagementserviceslocallytonon-Japanesecorporatecustomersbecauseofadvantagessuchastheirhighercreditratings,globallyconsistentexpertiseandrobustsecuritytechnologies.BankingSystem:Japanesemajorbanksarestilltheprimeplayersinthebankingsystem,particularlyinthecorporatebankingarea.MizuhoiscurrentlythelargestdomesticbankintermsoftotalassetsbutwillberelegatedtosecondplacebytheplannedmergerbetweenMitsubishiTokyoFinancialGroupInc(MTFG)andUFJHoldingsInc(UFJ)inJanuary2006.Themergerwillformtheworld'slargestbankintermsoftotalassetswithJPY190trillion.Aswellasthese'citybanks',therealsoexistsalargenetworkofprovincialbanksconsistingof64first-tierinstitutionsand48inasecondtierbanks,aswellas28trustandlong-termcreditbanks.Thisentiresectorshouldslowlyshrinkbecauseofongoingconsolidation.Opportunityisalsobeinggraspedbyafurtherseven-strongemergentgroupofbanks,including:theIYBankCooftheItoYokadogroup,eBank,theJapanNetBankandSonyBank.Theseinstitutionsareoperatinginternetandautomatedtellermachine-focusedbusi...