Impetus for change.

The article discusses the conditions of bank regulation in Japan after its emergence from the "lost decade" or the economic collapse in early 1990s. It mentions various reforms introduced by the Japanese government including the Financial Big Bang plan and the Bold Policy, to overcome the economic collapse. It discusses that prior to 1998 the Ministry of Finance was the sole bank regulator in Japan and mentions the transfer of bank supervision to the Financial Supervisory Agency (FSA) after 1998. It also mentions various divisions and functions of the FSA. It discusses the changes in various banking laws including the laws related to the banking business license, foreign banks, and Capital adequacy. Also mentioned are provisions of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law.