Financial Services Agency

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan began operations on July 1, 2000, as an integrated regulator of Japan's financial system.

It was formed through the merger of the Financial Supervisory Agency and the Financial System Planning Bureau of the Ministry of Finance.

The FSA initially operated under the Financial Reconstruction Commission, which was dissolved in January 2001, and was placed directly under the Cabinet Office.

This new regulatory structure aimed to improve the efficiency of supervising banks, markets, and insurance companies, while enhancing Japan's financial stability and public confidence in its economic system.

Organizational Structure

Several bureaus and commissions carry out the FSA's operations:

• Strategy Development and Management Bureau - responsible for policy strategy, macroprudential oversight, and risk management.

• Policy and Markets Bureau - responsible for the regulation of financial markets, accounting standards, corporate disclosure, and oversight of capital markets.

• Supervision Bureau - supervises banks, insurers, and other financial intermediaries, using on-site inspections and off-site monitoring.

• Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) - supervises and monitors securities markets, conducts insider trading investigations, monitors market manipulation, and seeks to ensure the fairness and integrity of trading.

• Certified Public Accountants and Auditing Oversight Board - supervises and regulates auditing standards and the quality of certified public accountants.

• Furthermore, the FSA has Local Finance Bureaus and Local Finance Offices that conduct inspections and monitoring on behalf of the FSA throughout the national territory.

Functions and Responsibilities

The FSA has eight core functions:

1.Maintaining Financial Stability – preventing systemic crises and monitoring risks that will threaten the Japanese financial system;

2.Protecting Depositors, Policyholders, and Investors – ensuring timely and proper disclosures of financial information, and protecting customers from misconduct in the markets;

3.Supervising Financial Institutions – monitoring banks, insurers, and brokers through inspections and assessments;

4.Regulating Financial Markets and Policy-making – making rules regarding banking, insurance, securities, fintech, and new areas such as crypto-assets;

5.Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism – enforcing and maintaining international standards and compliance with those standards from financial institutions;

6.Promoting Innovation and FinTech – regulating areas of digital finance, payments, and virtual currencies, and facilitating market entry by foreign markets;

7.Enhancing Financial Literacy and Public Confidence – creating greater information, communicating with consumers, and supporting them to be treated fairly in the financial sector;

8.International Cooperation – cooperating in international standards organizations, such as FATF and IOSCO, while improving Japan's financial regulation.

Goals and Mission

The FSA's mission is to secure a sound and stable financial system while promoting trust and transparency in Japan's financial markets.

Its key goals are:

• Protect financial stability against systemic risks;

• Build public confidence in financial institutions and markets;

• Encourage fair competition in financial markets, attract more foreign investment in asset management and financial services in Japan;

• Strengthen corporate governance, transparency, and accountability;

• Promote innovation in digital finance and financial technologies at a balanced level of regulation;

• Promote financial literacy to assist consumers in understanding their decisions and to protect themselves from fraud and other financial risks.