In this section you will gain insight into the use of capital in Japan, and learn about the major Japanese financial institutions. These include the various types of banks, the insurance companies, the stock markets, and the securities firms. You will become familiar with the government's role in regulating the financial system and learn about major governmental institutions such as the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Japan, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

Japan's financial system is unique among large industrialized countries. For instance, large banks are at the center of the financial system and have close links to the keiretsu (powerful industrial groups). This once strong financial system experienced great difficulties in the late 1980s and into the 1990s and is currently undergoing major transformations.