1996 Reports

Japanese banks in transition: Problems and prospects

Matsuura, Isao

"The Center on Japanese Economy and Business of Columbia Business School honors me
by inviting me to share my thoughts and experiences on the banking industry in general, and more
specifically on Japanese banks — their problems and prospects. My comments are based on my
experiences as president and chief executive officer of Sanwa Bank California in Los Angeles
from 1992 to 1994, and now at Sanwa Bank's American flagship, the New York Branch. The
nature of banking is quite different in Los Angeles and New York. However, my experience as a
bank executive in two of America's largest cities has left me with three valuable insights."