---
title: "Japan cooperative-banking unified federation matrix"
aliases:
  - "Japan cooperative banking federation matrix"
  - "Japan cooperative finance unified matrix"
  - "JA / JF / shinkin / shinkumi / rokin unified matrix"
  - "協同組織金融機関 unified comparison"
  - "Japan 5 cooperative banking systems matrix"
  - "cooperative-banking-unified-federation-japan"
  - "Japanese cooperative banking systems compared"
  - "Japan agricultural fisheries shinkin shinkumi rokin matrix"
domain: "banking"
created: 2026-05-25
last_updated: 2026-07-29
last_tended: 2026-07-29
review_by: 2026-10-27
confidence: likely
tags: [banking, matrix, cooperative-banking, ja-bank, jf-marine-bank, shinkin, shinkumi, rokin, norinchukin, federation, japan]
status: active
sources:
  - "https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyoj/shinkin.xlsx"
  - "https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyoj/shinkumi.xlsx"
  - "https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyoj/rokin.xlsx"
  - "https://www.fsa.go.jp/common/law/guide/chusho/05.html"
  - "https://www.fsa.go.jp/common/law/guide/chusho/index.html"
  - "https://www.shinkin.org/shinkin/seido/index.html"
  - "https://www.jabank.org/about/sikumi/"
  - "https://www.jabank.org/about/sikumi/banksystem/"
  - "https://www.jfmbk.org/about/housin.html"
  - "https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/features.html"
  - "https://www.rokinren.com/about/profile.html"
  - "https://www.rokinren.com/about/our-roles.html"
  - "https://www.shinkin-central-bank.jp/about/profile/company.html"
  - "https://www.shinkumi.co.jp/"
  - "https://org.ja-group.jp/factbook/"
  - "https://www.dic.go.jp/"
  - "https://www.sic.or.jp/afc/about/summary/summary/mechanism-insurance-savings/"
  - "https://www.boj.or.jp/en/about/education/oshiete/kess/i08.htm"
  - "https://www.boj.or.jp/paym/torihiki/ichiran.pdf"
  - "https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/profile.html"
  - "https://www.nochubank.or.jp/ir/results/"
  - "https://www.jabank.org/about/jyokyo/"
  - "https://www.scbri.jp/reports/.assets/finance_20240502.pdf"
  - "https://www.shinyokumiai.or.jp/credit_cooperative/outline.html"
  - "https://all.rokin.or.jp/about/accounts.html"
---

# Japan cooperative-banking unified federation matrix

## TL;DR

Japan's "cooperative-finance" lane is not one system. The dated public snapshots used here distinguish **JA Bank** (497 JA + 31 Shinnoren + [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|Norinchukin]] at 2025-04-01), **JF Marine Bank** (71 JF + 10 JF Shingyoren + Norinchukin at 2025-04-01), **信用金庫** (254 shinkin in the cited FSA workbook), **信用組合** (143 shinkumi in the cited FSA workbook), and **労働金庫** (13 rokin in the cited FSA workbook). Counts, legal roles, and access routes are maintained as dated facts rather than timeless system labels. ^[Sources: https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/features.html; https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyoj/shinkin.xlsx; https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyoj/shinkumi.xlsx; https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyoj/rokin.xlsx.]

## Wiki route

This entry sits under [[banking/INDEX|banking index]] and is the cooperative-system counterpart to the licence-tier surface [[banking/japan-banking-license-tier-comparison-matrix|Japan banking-license tier comparison matrix]]. The general framing of the lane is in [[banking/cooperative-banking-japan|Cooperative banking in Japan]]. The five member-population indices are [[banking/ja-bank-system-japan|JA Bank system]], [[banking/jf-marine-bank-system-japan|JF Marine Bank system]], [[banking/shinkin-bank-registry-japan|Japan shinkin bank registry]], [[banking/credit-cooperative-registry-japan|Japan credit cooperative registry]], and [[banking/rokin-bank-registry-japan|Japan rokin bank registry]]. The central institutions are [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農林中央金庫]], [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中央金庫]], [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi|全国信用協同組合連合会]], and [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku|労働金庫連合会]]. The JA non-credit federations sit at [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu|JA 全中]], [[cooperative-banks/ja-zen-noh|JA 全農]], and [[non-life-insurers/ja-kyosairen|JA 共済連]]; the JF non-credit federations are [[cooperative-banks/jf-shingyoren|JF 信漁連]] (federation-layer route) and [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren|JF 全漁連]]. The deposit-insurance anchors are [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|預金保険機構 (DICJ)]] for shinkin / shinkumi / rokin and the **農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構** parallel regime for JA / JF.

## Why this matrix matters

Treating "cooperative finance" as one category is the single most common error in Japan financial-system mapping. The five systems do not share statutes, do not share supervisors, do not share central institutions, and do not share deposit-insurance pathways. A confidence judgement on a [[banking/ja-bank-system-japan|JA]] cash flow has to start from 農林中央金庫法 + 農協法; a confidence judgement on a [[banking/shinkin-bank-registry-japan|shinkin]] cash flow has to start from 信用金庫法 + FSA 中小・地域 guideline. The two questions are answered by different ministries, different inspection programmes, and different liquidity backstops.

Specifically, this matrix matters because:

- the **statute** controls almost every other field (capital floor, governance, holding-company route, BoJ access);
- the **supervisor mix** determines which ministry guideline / inspection cycle the institution lives under (FSA-only, FSA + 農水省, FSA + 厚労省, FSA + prefecture);
- the **central-institution shape** differs by statute and membership; [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|Norinchukin]] describes itself as a cooperative financial institution under the Norinchukin Bank Act, not as a special public corporation;
- the **deposit-insurance pathway** is different — DICJ for shinkin / shinkumi / rokin; the 農水産業貯金保険機構 for JA / JF — and that affects depositor protection language in disclosure;
- the **BoJ route** is not uniform: the BoJ lists shinkin banks as an eligible category and includes individual shinkin in its current counterparty list, while its public explanation describes central-institution access for credit cooperatives, rokin, and agricultural cooperatives;
- balance-sheet figures for central institutions use different definitions and dates and therefore must not be treated as a same-period AUM ranking.

This entry should be read together with the licence-tier matrix [[banking/japan-banking-license-tier-comparison-matrix|Japan banking-license tier comparison matrix]] — the licence-tier matrix slices the whole deposit-taking universe horizontally by licence shape, while this matrix slices the cooperative lane vertically by federation system.

## Cross-system comparison table

| Dimension | JA Bank ([[banking/ja-bank-system-japan|農協系統]]) | JF Marine Bank ([[banking/jf-marine-bank-system-japan|漁協系統]]) | 信用金庫 ([[banking/shinkin-bank-registry-japan|shinkin]]) | 信用組合 ([[banking/credit-cooperative-registry-japan|shinkumi]]) | 労働金庫 ([[banking/rokin-bank-registry-japan|rokin]]) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Statute (member layer)** | 農業協同組合法 (1947) | 水産業協同組合法 (1948) | 信用金庫法 (1951) | 中小企業等協同組合法 (1949) + 協同組合による金融事業に関する法律 (1949) | 労働金庫法 (1953) |
| **Statute (central layer)** | 農林中央金庫法 (1923 / 1986 / 2001) | 農林中央金庫法 (shared) | 信用金庫法 | 中小企業等協同組合法 + 協同組合による金融事業 | 労働金庫法 |
| **Primary supervisor** | FSA + 農林水産省 (joint) | FSA + 農林水産省 (joint) | FSA + Local Finance Bureau | FSA + 都道府県 (prefecture) | FSA + 厚生労働省 (joint) |
| **Member-cooperative count** | 497 JA (as of 2025-04 [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin\|農中]] disclosure) | 71 JF | 254 shinkin (FSA 令和7年11月6日) | 143 shinkumi (FSA 令和8年2月20日) | 13 rokin |
| **Federation / prefectural layer** | 31 prefectural JA Shinnoren (信連) | 10 JF Shingyoren (信漁連) | None at prefectural credit layer (shinkin go direct to 信金中金) | None at prefectural credit layer (shinkumi go direct to 全信組連) | None at prefectural credit layer (rokin go direct to 労金連) |
| **National central institution** | [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin\|農林中央金庫]] | [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin\|農林中央金庫]] (shared with JA) | [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central\|信金中央金庫]] | [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi\|全国信用協同組合連合会 (全信組連)]] | [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku\|労働金庫連合会 (労金連)]] |
| **Central legal form** | 協同組織の全国金融機関 under 農林中央金庫法 | Same Norinchukin route shared with JA | 協同組織金融機関 | 協同組織金融機関 | 協同組織金融機関 |
| **Member eligibility** | 農業協同組合 (agricultural co-op membership: farmers + associate members) | 漁業協同組合 (fishery co-op membership: fishers + associate members) | 業域 / 地域 / 職域 (resident, worker, or business in 営業地区) | 業域 / 地域 / 職域 (often tighter — single industry / region / occupation) | Labour unions, consumer-livelihood cooperatives, member-affiliated persons |
| **Deposit terminology** | 貯金 (chochiku / chokin) | 貯金 (shared with JA) | 預金 (yokin, like ordinary banks) | 預金 | 預金 |
| **Deposit insurance pathway** | 農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構 | 農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構 (shared) | [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko\|DICJ]] | [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko\|DICJ]] | [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko\|DICJ]] |
| **Insurance coverage limit** | ¥10m principal + interest (parallel to DICJ structure) | ¥10m + interest | ¥10m + interest (DICJ standard) | ¥10m + interest | ¥10m + interest |
| **Lending scope** | Member agricultural / household / business + non-member subject to caps | Member fishery / household / business + non-member subject to caps | Member SME / household + 50% non-member cap historically | Member SME / household (tighter member rules) | Member household + workplace finance (mortgage / education / life-event) |
| **BoJ current-account route** | Norinchukin is the central route; confirm any other entity against the current BoJ list | Same central route shared with JA | Individual shinkin may be direct; central services remain relevant | BoJ public explanation identifies the central institution route | BoJ public explanation identifies the central institution route |
| **Holding-company publication rule** | Do not infer an ordinary Banking Act holding-company route; verify the applicable cooperative statute | Same | Same | Same | Same |
| **Geographic constraint** | Local JA = municipality / region; Shinnoren = prefecture; 農中 = national | Local JF = port / region; Shingyoren = prefecture; 農中 = national | Statutory 営業地区 = municipality / prefecture | Statutory 営業地区 (often industry / community) | 13 regional rokin cover Japan together (no overlap) |
| **Dated scale evidence** | Norinchukin consolidated assets ¥83.293tn at 2025-09-30; JA deposits ¥107.2463tn at 2025-03-31 | Norinchukin is shared; use a separate dated JF-system disclosure for JF scale | Shinkin Central assets ¥46.5596tn at 2026-07-24; sector totals require a same-date industry source | Use current Zenshinkumiren / industry disclosure with its definition and date | Rokinren funds ¥6.2093tn at 2025-03-31; sector totals require a separate dated industry source |
| **Consolidation evidence** | Compare dated official member-count series | Compare dated official member-count series | Compare dated FSA workbook snapshots | Compare dated FSA workbook snapshots | Compare dated FSA workbook snapshots |
| **Non-credit sister federations** | [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu\|JA 全中]] (audit / representative), [[cooperative-banks/ja-zen-noh\|JA 全農]] (commercial), [[non-life-insurers/ja-kyosairen\|JA 共済連]] (mutual aid) | [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren\|JF 全漁連]] (representative / commercial) | Industry body: [[financial-regulators/zenshin-kyo\|全国信用金庫協会]] | Industry body: 全国信用組合中央協会 | Industry body: 全国労働金庫協会 |

Sources: system counts and JA/JF structure are dated to the cited Norinchukin and FSA materials; protection routes come from DICJ and the agricultural/fisheries savings-insurance corporation; BoJ access follows the BoJ eligibility explanation and current list; scale rows preserve each source's date and definition. ^[Sources: https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/features.html; https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/profile.html; https://www.shinkin-central-bank.jp/about/profile/company.html; https://www.rokinren.com/about/profile.html; https://www.dic.go.jp/; https://www.sic.or.jp/afc/about/summary/summary/mechanism-insurance-savings/; https://www.boj.or.jp/en/about/education/oshiete/kess/i08.htm; https://www.boj.or.jp/paym/torihiki/ichiran.pdf.]

## JA Bank — 農業協同組合系統 ([[banking/ja-bank-system-japan|JA Bank system]])

- **Statute.** 農業協同組合法 (Act No. 132 of 1947) for local JA and prefectural Shinnoren credit business; 農林中央金庫法 (current consolidation 1986, major amendment 2001) for [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農林中央金庫]].
- **Supervisor.** Joint FSA + 農林水産省 — the cooperative banking system whose primary regulator is **not** FSA-only. Practical supervision splits inspection (FSA-led for credit-business JA / Shinnoren) and policy / cooperative-charter aspects (MAFF-led).
- **Layer count (2025-04, [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] disclosure).** 497 JA at the local layer, 31 Shinnoren at the prefectural layer, 1 [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] at the national layer.
- **Central institution.** [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農林中央金庫]] — a cooperative financial institution and national financial institution for agricultural, fishery, and forestry cooperatives under the Norinchukin Bank Act. Its official profile reports consolidated assets of ¥83.293tn at 2025-09-30; this is a balance-sheet figure, not interchangeable with client AUM.
- **Member type.** Local JA serves farmer members (正組合員) and associate members (准組合員 — non-farm residents who use JA services). The credit-business JA acts as the cooperative-finance front door.
- **Deposit terminology.** Uses 貯金 instead of 預金, which traces back to the cooperative-statute terminology distinct from Banking Act 預金. Functionally equivalent for users.
- **Deposit insurance.** 農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構 (Agricultural and Fishery Cooperative Savings Insurance Corporation) — a parallel insurance vehicle separate from [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|DICJ]] but designed on parallel ¥10m + interest principles. Practical depositor protection language is equivalent.
- **Lending scope.** Mainly member-tied (agricultural finance, household finance for members, regional SME) plus the [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] portfolio at the national layer which is a major fixed-income / cross-border investor by mandate.
- **Non-credit sister federations.** [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu|JA 全中]] (audit, representative, agricultural-policy advocacy); [[cooperative-banks/ja-zen-noh|JA 全農]] (commercial federation — fertilizer / feed / products); [[non-life-insurers/ja-kyosairen|JA 共済連]] (cooperative mutual-aid insurance).
- **Recent / notable events.** Capital measures, portfolio restructuring, and losses must be cited from the relevant dated Norinchukin earnings release; this page does not rank their historical importance.

## JF Marine Bank — 漁業協同組合系統 ([[banking/jf-marine-bank-system-japan|JF Marine Bank system]])

- **Statute.** 水産業協同組合法 (Act No. 242 of 1948) for credit-business JF and JF Shingyoren; 農林中央金庫法 (shared with JA) for [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]].
- **Supervisor.** Joint FSA + 農林水産省 (shared regulatory architecture with JA Bank lane).
- **Layer count (2025-04, [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] disclosure).** 71 credit-business JF at the local layer, 10 [[cooperative-banks/jf-shingyoren|JF Shingyoren (信漁連)]] at the prefectural / regional layer, 1 [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] at the national layer (shared with JA).
- **Central institution.** Same [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農林中央金庫]] as JA. The JF-side prefecture-equivalent layer is [[cooperative-banks/jf-shingyoren|JF 信漁連]]; the non-credit national federation is [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren|JF 全漁連]] (sales, representative).
- **Member type.** Local fishing cooperatives (organized by fishing port / fisheries region). Members are fishery households, fisheries businesses, and fisheries-community members.
- **Deposit terminology.** 貯金 (shared with JA cooperative terminology).
- **Deposit insurance.** 農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構 (shared with JA — same parallel system, not [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|DICJ]]).
- **Lending scope.** Fishery-business finance, vessel financing, fisheries-household finance, processing / sales cooperative finance, plus the national [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] portfolio.
- **Geographic constraint.** Local JF = port / coastal region; JF Shingyoren = prefecture; [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] = national.
- **Why it's a distinct system.** Even though JA and JF share [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] at the apex, statute is different (水協法 ≠ 農協法), the JF representative federation [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren|JF 全漁連]] is not part of [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu|JA 全中]], and the prefectural [[cooperative-banks/jf-shingyoren|JF 信漁連]] is structurally distinct from JA Shinnoren. The two systems should not be flattened into "農林系統" in operating analysis.

## 信用金庫 — Shinkin system ([[banking/shinkin-bank-registry-japan|Japan shinkin bank registry]])

- **Statute.** 信用金庫法 (Act No. 238 of 1951; comprehensive enforcement 1958).
- **Supervisor.** FSA + Local Finance Bureau (under FSA's 中小・地域金融機関 supervision guideline Part V on 協同組織金融機関). Not a joint MAFF / MHLW supervision regime — shinkin sit entirely inside the FSA cooperative-finance lane.
- **Layer count.** 254 licensed shinkin (FSA 信用金庫免許一覧, as of 令和7年11月6日) + 1 [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中央金庫]] central institution. Down from the 1990s peak (~400+) through continuous shinkin-to-shinkin mergers under 信用金庫法 procedures.
- **Central institution.** [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中央金庫 (Shinkin Central Bank, SCB)]] — a cooperative financial institution whose official company profile reports 254 member shinkin and total assets of ¥46.5596tn at 2026-07-24. The BoJ also permits qualifying individual shinkin to hold current accounts, so SCB must not be described as the exclusive BoJ account route for every shinkin.
- **Member type.** Members must reside, work, or have a business in the shinkin's statutory 営業地区. Local SME and household-finance focus.
- **Deposit terminology.** 預金 (Banking Act terminology, unlike JA / JF 貯金).
- **Deposit insurance.** [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|DICJ]] — standard banking deposit insurance regime applies.
- **Lending scope.** Member-eligible local SMEs, member households, member-region settlements and consumer finance. Historic 50% non-member lending cap is the structural anchor (with carve-outs).
- **Industry body.** [[financial-regulators/zenshin-kyo|全国信用金庫協会 (Zenshin-kyō)]] for industry representation.
- **Recent / Notable issues.** Same 2021 Banking-Act-era cooperative-finance reform expanded affiliated-company scope; ongoing system-wide consolidation continues to compress the 254 count. Several individual shinkin have entered FSA business-improvement supervision; system stability backstop is via [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中金]] support and DICJ resolution tools.

## 信用組合 — Shinkumi system ([[banking/credit-cooperative-registry-japan|Japan credit cooperative registry]])

- **Statute.** 中小企業等協同組合法 (Act No. 181 of 1949) plus 協同組合による金融事業に関する法律 (Act No. 183 of 1949). The cooperative-credit-business dual-statute structure is distinct from the shinkin single-statute structure.
- **Supervisor.** FSA + 都道府県 (prefectural authorities). Practical inspection is FSA-led for system supervision and prefecture-led for cooperative-charter and member-eligibility aspects. The dual-supervisor split between FSA and prefecture is distinct from shinkin (FSA-only).
- **Layer count.** 143 licensed shinkumi (FSA 信用組合認可一覧, as of 令和8年2月20日) + 1 [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi|全国信用協同組合連合会 (全信組連)]] central institution. Down from a much larger historical base through cooperative-to-cooperative mergers.
- **Central institution.** [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi|全国信用協同組合連合会 (Zenshinkumiren / 全信組連)]] — 協同組織金融機関 (member-owned by 143 shinkumi), parallel in form to [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中金]] for the shinkumi system.
- **Member type.** Cooperative members organized by industry (業域 — single-industry / trade-group cooperatives), region (地域), or occupation (職域). Member-eligibility tighter than shinkin. Includes industry-specific cooperatives (e.g. transport cooperatives, ethnic-Korean / ethnic-Chinese commercial cooperatives, doctor / dentist professional cooperatives).
- **Deposit terminology.** 預金.
- **Deposit insurance.** [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|DICJ]] coverage applies on standard terms.
- **Lending scope.** Membership and non-member transaction limits must be checked against the applicable statute, regulations, and the cooperative's own disclosures; this page does not publish an unsourced “member only” absolute.
- **Geographic / occupational constraint.** Statutory business area. Many shinkumi serve a specific occupation or industry rather than a geographic prefecture.
- **Industry body.** 全国信用組合中央協会 (representative / industry body separate from the 全信組連 central-banking entity).

## 労働金庫 — Rokin system ([[banking/rokin-bank-registry-japan|Japan rokin bank registry]])

- **Statute.** 労働金庫法 (Act No. 227 of 1953).
- **Supervisor.** Joint FSA + 厚生労働省 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The MHLW joint-supervision shape is unique inside the deposit-taking universe — no other cooperative-finance lane has MHLW supervision.
- **Layer count.** 13 licensed regional rokin (FSA 労働金庫免許一覧) + 1 [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku|労働金庫連合会 (労金連 / Rokinren Bank)]] central institution. The 13-regional-rokin map (中央労金, 近畿労金, 東海労金, 北海道労金, 東北労金, 新潟県労金, 長野県労金, 静岡県労金, 北陸労金, 中国労金, 四国労金, 九州労金, 沖縄労金) replaced the prior 47-prefecture-rokin map through the 1998-2003 regional rokin merger wave.
- **Central institution.** [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku|労働金庫連合会 (Rokinren Bank)]] — 協同組織金融機関 (member-owned by 13 rokin), parallel in form to [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中金]] / 全信組連. 資金量 ¥6.2tn (2025-03 disclosure) and 出資金 ¥1,600億; financial institution code 2950.
- **Member type.** Members are labour unions, 生活協同組合 (consumer-livelihood cooperatives), and persons affiliated with member organizations. Individual depositors join via their member organization.
- **Deposit terminology.** 預金.
- **Deposit insurance.** [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|DICJ]] coverage applies.
- **Lending scope.** Official rokin materials describe worker/member household finance including mortgages and other life-event lending; a comparison with shinkin or shinkumi requires same-period portfolio data.
- **Geographic constraint.** Each regional rokin covers one or more prefectures together as one block (no overlap between the 13 rokin).
- **Why joint MHLW supervision.** The labour-union member structure and the workplace / consumer-protection scope make MHLW a natural co-supervisor alongside FSA.

## Central-institution comparison (the apex layer)

| Field | [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin\|農中]] (JA + JF) | [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central\|信金中金]] | [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi\|全信組連]] | [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku\|労金連]] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statute | 農林中央金庫法 | 信用金庫法 | 中協法 + 協金法 | 労働金庫法 |
| Legal form | 協同組織金融機関 under 農林中央金庫法 | 協同組織金融機関 | 協同組織金融機関 | 協同組織金融機関 |
| Founded | 1923; current governing law is 2001 Act No. 93 | 1950 | Verify from current official profile | 1955-03-23 |
| Members | 系統団体出資 (JA Group + JF Group + forestry) | 254 shinkin | 143 shinkumi | 13 rokin |
| Dated scale field | Consolidated assets ¥83.293tn (2025-09-30) | Total assets ¥46.5596tn (2026-07-24) | Use current official balance sheet and date | Funds ¥6.2093tn (2025-03-31) |
| BoJ counterparty | Direct | Direct | Direct | Direct |
| Overseas footprint | 3 overseas branches and 1 representative office at 2025-09-30; consult profile for locations | Current company profile lists multiple overseas offices; distinguish branches from representative offices | Use current official profile | Use current official profile |
| Published role | Food/agriculture, retail, investment, and corporate businesses | Individual financial-institution business plus member-shinkin support and safety-net functions | Use current official business description | Central financial institution for 13 rokin |
| Industry-body sibling | [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu\|JA 全中]] / [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren\|JF 全漁連]] | [[financial-regulators/zenshin-kyo\|全信協]] | 全信中協 | 全国労働金庫協会 |

Sources: legal form, foundation date, current scale, membership, and footprint are entity-specific and dated; the table does not rank the four institutions. ^[Sources: https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/profile.html; https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/business/; https://www.shinkin-central-bank.jp/about/profile/company.html; https://www.rokinren.com/about/profile.html; https://www.shinkumi.co.jp/.]

## Deposit-insurance pathway comparison

| Pathway | Institution covered | Statute | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko\|DICJ]] | Shinkin, shinkumi, rokin, ordinary banks, trust banks, net banks, Japan Post Bank | 預金保険法 | ¥10m principal + interest; 決済用預金 fully protected |
| 農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構 (separate parallel system) | Local JA, JA Shinnoren, local JF, JF Shingyoren, [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin\|農中]] | 農水産業協同組合貯金保険法 | ¥10m + interest (parallel design, separate fund) |
| Home-country regime | Foreign-bank branches (Banking Act Chapter IX) | Not DICJ; not JA/JF system | Depositors rely on home-country protection; differs by bank |

Sources: DICJ covers Japan-headquartered banks and the listed cooperative-finance institutions within its scope; the separate agricultural/fisheries corporation covers credit-business JA/JF, their credit federations, and Norinchukin. Product exclusions and full-payment-account conditions must be read from each scheme. ^[Sources: https://www.dic.go.jp/; https://www.sic.or.jp/afc/about/summary/summary/mechanism-insurance-savings/.]

The dual-pathway design exists because the agricultural / fisheries cooperative system uses 貯金 (cooperative-statute terminology) rather than 預金 (Banking Act terminology), and the historical institutional design kept the cooperative-side insurance system separate from the bank-side DICJ. The protection economics are equivalent (¥10m + interest) but the legal mechanism, the fund, and the supervising authority are distinct.

## System-level AUM and consolidation pattern

| System | Central-institution dated field | Sector dated field | Update method |
|---|---|---|---|
| JA Bank | Norinchukin consolidated assets ¥83.293tn at 2025-09-30 | JA deposits ¥107.2463tn at 2025-03-31 | Keep Norinchukin and JA-system definitions separate; refresh member count independently |
| JF Marine Bank | Shared Norinchukin balance sheet | Use a dated JF-system disclosure | Do not infer JF scale from the shared central balance sheet |
| 信用金庫 | Shinkin Central total assets ¥46.5596tn at 2026-07-24 | Use a same-date industry series | Refresh the FSA count and sector series separately |
| 信用組合 | Use current Zenshinkumiren disclosure | Industry deposits ¥23.9tn at 2025-03-31 in the cited industry overview | Refresh the FSA count and sector series separately |
| 労働金庫 | Rokinren funds ¥6.2093tn at 2025-03-31 | Industry deposits require the dated national-association release | Refresh the FSA count and sector series separately |

Sources: figures retain the original metric and measurement date; central-institution assets, system deposits, and “funds” are not interchangeable, so this table makes no size ranking. ^[Sources: https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/profile.html; https://www.jabank.org/about/jyokyo/; https://www.shinkin-central-bank.jp/about/profile/company.html; https://www.shinyokumiai.or.jp/credit_cooperative/outline.html; https://www.rokinren.com/about/profile.html.]

## How to read this matrix

1. Start with the **statute row** — if the question is about a cooperative-finance entity, that determines almost every other field.
2. Read the **supervisor row** next — FSA-only (shinkin), FSA + prefecture (shinkumi), joint FSA + 厚労省 (rokin), joint FSA + 農水省 (JA / JF) — that determines which inspection / guideline regime applies.
3. Check the **deposit-terminology row**. 貯金 implies JA / JF (cooperative statute), 預金 implies shinkin / shinkumi / rokin (Banking Act parallel).
4. Check the **deposit-insurance pathway**. JA / JF use the 農水産業 cooperative pathway; shinkin / shinkumi / rokin use [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko|DICJ]].
5. Check the **BoJ route** against the current BoJ list. Individual shinkin may be direct; the BoJ describes central-institution access for credit cooperatives, rokin, and agricultural cooperatives.
6. Check the **non-credit federation siblings**. JA in particular has an unusually large non-bank federation surface ([[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu|全中]], [[cooperative-banks/ja-zen-noh|全農]], [[non-life-insurers/ja-kyosairen|共済連]]) that should not be flattened into "JA Bank".

## Supervisor-mix reading

| System | FSA role | Co-supervisor | Cooperative-charter authority | Inspection cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JA Bank | Primary inspection of credit business | 農林水産省 (cooperative-policy + agricultural-charter side) | 農水省 + 都道府県 for cooperative-society aspects | FSA cooperative-finance inspection programme; MAFF involved on cooperative-charter aspects |
| JF Marine Bank | Primary inspection of credit business | 農林水産省 (fisheries-policy + fisheries-charter side) | 農水省 + 都道府県 for cooperative-society aspects | Parallel to JA Bank supervision regime |
| 信用金庫 | Primary inspection (Local Finance Bureau) | None outside FSA cooperative-finance line | FSA | Standard cooperative-finance inspection cycle |
| 信用組合 | Primary inspection (Local Finance Bureau) | 都道府県 (prefectural authority for the cooperative-charter and member-eligibility) | FSA + 都道府県 | Joint supervision split |
| 労働金庫 | Primary inspection | 厚生労働省 (workplace / labour-union side) | 厚労省 | FSA inspection programme overlaid with MHLW workplace / consumer-protection supervision |

Sources: the supervisor matrix is a navigation summary based on the relevant statutes and current FSA cooperative-finance guidance; exact delegated authority and examination responsibility must be checked for the institution and jurisdiction. ^[Sources: https://www.fsa.go.jp/common/law/guide/chusho/index.html; https://www.fsa.go.jp/common/law/guide/chusho/05.html.]

The supervisor-mix row determines which ministry guideline updates flow into each system. A change in FSA's 中小・地域金融機関 supervision guideline affects all five at the banking-supervision layer; a change in 農林水産省 cooperative-policy affects JA / JF but not shinkin / shinkumi / rokin; a change in 厚生労働省 labour-policy can affect rokin specifically.

## Holding-company route — publication boundary

These systems use cooperative membership and central-institution structures rather than the ordinary bank-holding-company pattern seen among joint-stock banks. A categorical statement that a structure is legally impossible requires statute-specific analysis and should not be inferred from current practice alone. Publication should identify the actual merger, reorganisation, or group mechanism and cite its approval documents.

## Cross-system overlap and non-overlap

| Question | Evidence required | Publication boundary |
|---|---|---|
| JA / JF membership overlap | Member definitions and a dated official membership dataset | Separate legal entities and statutes do not quantify household overlap |
| Shinkin / shinkumi competition | Same-area branches, eligible members, products, and dated lending/deposit data | Different statutes do not by themselves measure competition |
| Rokin / shinkin / shinkumi overlap | Same-area product and customer data | Member-channel differences do not establish “limited” overlap |
| Regional-bank overlap | Same-prefecture SME/household portfolio and pricing data | Ordinary-bank legal status alone does not measure market overlap |
| Megabank overlap | Comparable customer, product, and geographic data | Avoid “limited” or “broad” labels without a defined market |
| Foreign-bank branch classification | FSA foreign-branch list and applicable statute | Foreign branches are outside the cooperative statutes; this is classification, not competition analysis |

Sources: this table is a research protocol. Statutes and registers classify entities; competition and customer overlap require separate comparable data. ^[Sources: https://www.fsa.go.jp/menkyo/menkyo.html; https://www.fsa.go.jp/common/law/guide/chusho/index.html; https://www.shinkin.org/shinkin/seido/index.html; https://www.jabank.org/about/sikumi/.]

## Legislative-update protocol

Do not apply a Banking Act amendment automatically to all cooperative statutes. For each claimed reform, record the amending act, affected statute and article, effective date, implementing order or supervisory notice, and the institution type covered. The DICJ / agricultural-fisheries protection split is checked separately against the two insurance schemes.

## BoJ counterparty mechanics

| System | Public BoJ route | What may be published | Check required |
|---|---|---|---|
| JA Bank | Central financial institution route through [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin\|Norinchukin]] | Norinchukin is a current counterparty and system central institution | Confirm any entity-specific exception in the current list |
| JF Marine Bank | Shared central route through Norinchukin | Same central institution as JA | Keep JF system roles distinct |
| 信用金庫 | Individual shinkin are an eligible category; Shinkin Central also has a central role | Publish direct status only for names present in the current list | Do not state that all shinkin are direct or all are indirect |
| 信用組合 | Central financial institution route through [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi\|全信組連]] | BoJ public explanation says individual credit cooperatives generally do not have direct access | Confirm current list and service-specific settlement chain |
| 労働金庫 | Central financial institution route through [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku\|労金連]] | BoJ public explanation says individual labor banks generally do not have direct access | Confirm current list and service-specific settlement chain |

Sources: the BoJ distinguishes eligible categories from actual counterparties. Its public explanation expressly includes shinkin banks among eligible institutions and describes central-institution service for credit cooperatives, labor banks, and agricultural cooperatives. ^[Sources: https://www.boj.or.jp/en/about/education/oshiete/kess/i08.htm; https://www.boj.or.jp/paym/torihiki/ichiran.pdf.]

## Boundary cases and caveats

- **JA Bank ≠ [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]].** [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農林中央金庫]] is the central institution of the JA Bank system, but JA Bank as a system covers the local JA + Shinnoren layer as well. Treating [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] as if it were the whole JA Bank system is the most common mistake.
- **JF Marine Bank shares [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] but is a distinct system.** Statute is 水協法, not 農協法; representative federation is [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren|JF 全漁連]], not [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu|JA 全中]]. Treat as a sibling system that happens to share the central institution.
- **Shinkin ≠ shinkumi.** Both are 協同組織 cooperative-finance institutions, but the statute, central institution, supervisor mix, and member-eligibility rule are all different. Confusing them flattens the [[banking/shinkin-bank-registry-japan|254-shinkin]] and [[banking/credit-cooperative-registry-japan|143-shinkumi]] populations into one false category.
- **Rokin ≠ shinkin / shinkumi.** Rokin has a distinct labour-union / consumer-cooperative membership structure, statute (労働金庫法), and joint MHLW supervision. The 13-rokin map is also structurally different from the 254-shinkin / 143-shinkumi long-tail populations.
- **JA non-credit federations are not banking entities.** [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu|JA 全中]] is a 一般社団法人 (representative / audit body), [[cooperative-banks/ja-zen-noh|JA 全農]] is a commercial federation (fertilizer / feed / agricultural products), and [[non-life-insurers/ja-kyosairen|JA 共済連]] is a cooperative mutual-aid insurance federation. Only [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] is the banking-side central institution. Do not list them in the deposit-taking universe.
- **Forestry cooperatives (JForest / 森林組合).** [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] is also the central institution for the forestry cooperative system (JForest), but JForest does not have a credit-business federation layer of meaningful scale comparable to JA / JF. JForest is a 4th cooperative leg of [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]]'s 系統 mandate, not a 5th cooperative-finance lane on this matrix.
- **Industry bodies vs central institutions.** Each system has both a member-banking-central institution (banking / treasury / investment / clearing) AND an industry body (representation / policy / training). For shinkin these are [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中金]] vs [[financial-regulators/zenshin-kyo|全信協]]. For shinkumi these are [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi|全信組連]] vs 全信中協. For rokin these are [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku|労金連]] vs 全国労働金庫協会. Do not confuse the two.
- **Local JA / Shinnoren / Shingyoren counts move over time.** The 497 / 31 / 71 / 10 layer counts cited above reflect 2025-04 [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農中]] disclosure; long-term consolidation continues to compress these numbers.
- **Scale figures.** Total assets, deposits, and 資金量 are different metrics. Preserve the source date and definition and do not combine them into an AUM ranking.

## Related

- [[banking/INDEX|banking index]]
- [[banking/cooperative-banking-japan]]
- [[banking/japan-banking-license-tier-comparison-matrix]]
- [[banking/ja-bank-system-japan]]
- [[banking/jf-marine-bank-system-japan]]
- [[banking/shinkin-bank-registry-japan]]
- [[banking/credit-cooperative-registry-japan]]
- [[banking/rokin-bank-registry-japan]]
- [[banking/regional-bank-consolidation-pattern]]
- [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin]]
- [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central]]
- [[cooperative-banks/zenshin-kumi]]
- [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku]]
- [[cooperative-banks/ja-zenchu]]
- [[cooperative-banks/ja-zen-noh]]
- [[non-life-insurers/ja-kyosairen]]
- [[cooperative-banks/jf-shingyoren]]
- [[cooperative-banks/jf-zengyoren]]
- [[financial-regulators/zenshin-kyo]]
- [[financial-regulators/yokin-hoken-kiko]]
- [[financial-licenses/INDEX]]
- [[INDEX|FinWiki index]]

## Sources

- FSA: 信用金庫免許一覧 (shinkin license registry).
- FSA: 信用組合認可一覧 (credit cooperative authorization registry).
- FSA: 労働金庫免許一覧 (rokin license registry).
- FSA: 中小・地域金融機関向けの総合的な監督指針, Part V on 協同組織金融機関.
- 信用金庫法 / 中小企業等協同組合法 / 協同組合による金融事業に関する法律 / 労働金庫法 / 農業協同組合法 / 水産業協同組合法 / 農林中央金庫法 (Japanese Law Translation portal).
- 全国信用金庫協会: 信用金庫の制度.
- [[cooperative-banks/norinchukin|農林中央金庫]] 公式: 農林中央金庫の特徴 (JA Bank / JF Marine Bank layer counts as of 2025-04).
- JA Bank: JAバンクのしくみ / JAバンクシステム.
- JF Marine Bank: 基本方針 / システム概要.
- [[cooperative-banks/shinkin-central|信金中央金庫]] ディスクロージャー誌.
- [[cooperative-banks/rokin-renraku|労働金庫連合会]] 公式プロフィール (2025-03 disclosure).
- JA Group Factbook (org.ja-group.jp).
- DICJ: Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan public site.
- 農水産業協同組合貯金保険機構 (parallel cooperative-finance insurance regime).
- Bank of Japan: eligible current-account categories and current counterparty list.
- 農林中央金庫 組織概要 (連結総資産 ¥83.293兆, 2025-09-30): https://www.nochubank.or.jp/about/profile.html
- JAバンク 貯貸金動向 (JA 貯金残高 ~¥107兆, 2025-03末): https://www.jabank.org/about/jyokyo/
- 信金中央金庫 会社概要 (総資産 ¥46.5596兆, 2026-07-24): https://www.shinkin-central-bank.jp/about/profile/company.html
- 全国信用組合中央協会 信用組合業界概況 (預金積金 ¥23.9兆, 2025-03末): https://www.shinyokumiai.or.jp/credit_cooperative/outline.html
- 全国労働金庫協会 数字で知るろうきん / 2024年度決算概況 (預金 ¥23.0兆, FY2024): https://all.rokin.or.jp/about/accounts.html