①A person may not perform bank agency services unless licensed by the Prime Minister to do so.

②A bank agent may not perform bank agency services unless entrusted by a principal bank to do so, or unless further entrusted to do so by a bank agent that has been entrusted to do so by a principal bank.

③A bank agent may not further entrust a person with bank agency services unless it obtains the approval of the principal bank to do so in advance.

①A person seeking to obtain a license referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (hereinafter referred to as an "applicant" in paragraph (1) of the following Article and Article 52-42, paragraph (4)) must submit a written application that states the following particulars to the Prime Minister:

②The following documents must be attached to the written application referred to in the preceding paragraph.

①When an application is filed for the license referred to in Article 52-36, paragraph (1), the Prime Minister must examine whether the applicant meets the following criteria:

②If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary in the public interest in light of the criteria of the examination pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister may, to the extent necessary, attach conditions on the content of bank agency services or other particulars to the license referred to in Article 52-36, paragraph (1), and may change those conditions.

①Except in cases specified by the Cabinet Office Order, if a particular set forth in any of the items of Article 52-37, paragraph (1) changes, the bank agent must file a notification to that effect with the Prime Minister, within 30 days after the day on which the change occurred, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

②When seeking to change a particular prescribed in the document set forth in Article 52-37, paragraph (2), item (ii), a bank agent must file a notification to that effect with the Prime Minister, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①A bank agent must post a sign in the form specified by Cabinet Office Order in a place easily seen by the public at each of its business offices and other offices where the bank agent performs bank agency services.

②A bank agent must, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, make its trade name or name or full name, permission number, the trade name of the principal bank, and other particulars specified by Cabinet Office Order available for public inspection by automatic public transmission conducted by connecting to a telecommunications line; provided, however, that this does not apply if the scale of its business is extremely small or in any other case specified by Cabinet Office Order.

③It is prohibited for a person other than a bank agent to post the sign referred to in paragraph (1) or a sign similar to the sign.

A bank agent must not allow another person to engage in bank agency services using their name.

①In addition to bank agency services and services incidental to bank agency services, a bank agent may perform other services with the approval of the Prime Minister.

②When an application is filed for the approval referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister may choose not to grant the approval only for cases in which it is found that conducting the services related to the application is likely to interfere with the proper and reliable performance of bank agency services.

③A bank agent may not conduct services other than those conducted pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1).

④If a written application for the license referred to in Article 52-36, paragraph (1) states that the applicant will conduct services other than bank agency services and services incidental to them, and the applicant obtains that license, the applicant is deemed to have obtained the approval referred to in paragraph (1) for those services.

When a bank agent receives delivery of money or other properties from a customer in connection with an action set forth in any of the items of Article 2, paragraph (14) (hereinafter referred to as "activity as a bank agent" in this Chapter), the bank agent must manage the money or other properties separately from its own property, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①Before engaging in activities as a bank agent, a bank agent must disclose the following information to the customer:

②In order to contribute to the protection of depositor, etc. with regard to the actions set forth in Article 2, paragraph (14), item (i) (excluding acting as agent or intermediary for a contract for specified deposit, etc.), a bank agent must provide information of the content of the contracts involving deposits or installment savings, etc. and other information that is to serve as a reference for the depositors, etc., pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

③Beyond what is prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs, Article 52-45-2, and other laws, a bank agent must explain material particulars related to its activities as a bank agent to customers, appropriately handle customer information acquired in connection with its activities as a bank agent, and take other measures for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of its operations, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

A bank agent must not engage in any of the following actions (excluding the actions set forth in item (v), in acting as agent or intermediary regarding a contract of specified deposit, etc.) concerning its bank agency services:

The provisions of Chapter III, Section 2, Subsection 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (excluding Articles 35 through 36-4 (Scope of Services for Persons Engaged in Type-I Financial Instruments Business or Investment Management Business; Scope of Concurrent Business by Persons Only Engaged in Type-II Financial Instruments Business or Investment Advisory and Agency Business; Establishment of an Operational Control System; Development of Systems to Protect the Interests of Customers; Posting Signs, etc.; Prohibition on Lending of One's Name; Prohibition on Corporate Bond Management), Article 37, paragraph (1), item (ii) (Regulation of Advertising), Article 37-2 (Obligation to Clarify the Conditions of Transactions in Advance), Article 37-3, paragraph (1), items (ii) and (vi) and paragraph (3) (Provision of Information, etc. Prior to the Conclusion of a Contract), Article 37-5 (Delivery of Documents in Connection with the Receipt of a Security Deposit), Article 37-6, paragraphs (1) and (2), the proviso to paragraph (4), and paragraph (5) (Written Cancellation), Article 37-7 (Obligation to Conclude a Contract with a designated dispute resolution organization), Article 38, item (i), item (ii), item (vii) and item (viii), and Article 38-2 (Prohibited Actions), the proviso to Article 39, paragraph (3), and paragraph (4), paragraph (6) and paragraph (7) of that Article (Prohibition on Compensation of Loss), and Articles 40-2 through 40-7 (Best Execution Policy; Prohibition of Purchase and Sale If Separate Management Is Not Ensured; Prohibition of Public Offering If Money Has Been Diverted; Prohibition of Purchase and Sale If Provision of Information on the Status of the Business Subject to Investment Is Not Ensured; Prohibition of Public Offering If Information on the Status of the Business Subject to Investment Is Not Provided; Restrictions on the Purchase and Sale of Securities for Professional Investors; Obligation to Notify in Connection with Securities for Professional Investors, Prohibition of Trading Against Self; Obligation to Use an Electronic Data Processing System for Over-the-Counter Transactions of Derivatives)) (General Rules) apply mutatis mutandis to a bank agent's actions as agent or intermediary for the conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc. in connection with bank agency services In such cases, the term "financial instruments business" in these provisions is deemed to be replaced with "services as an agent or intermediary in a person's conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc. as defined in Article 13-4 of the Banking Act"; the phrase "act that constitutes a financial instruments transaction" in these provisions is deemed to be replaced with "conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc. as defined in Article 13-4 of the Banking Act"; the term "financial instruments transaction contract" in these provisions (excluding Article 37-6, paragraph (3)) is deemed to be replaced with "contract for specified deposit, etc. as defined in Article 13-4 of the Banking Act"; the phrase "seeks to conclude" in Article 37-3, paragraph (1) of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act is deemed to be replaced with "acts as agent or intermediary for the conclusion of"; the phrase "matters set forth" in Article 37-3, paragraph (1) of that Act is deemed to be replaced with "matters set forth and, to contribute to the protection of depositors, etc. (meaning depositors, etc. as defined in Article 2, paragraph (5) of the Banking Act; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph), the content of the relevant contract for specified deposit, etc. and other matters that should serve as a reference for depositors, etc. (referred to as "reference matters, etc." in the following paragraph)"; the term "financial instruments business operator, etc." in Article 37-3, paragraph (1), item (i) of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act is deemed to be replaced with "principal bank (meaning a principal bank as defined in Article 2, paragraph (16) of the Banking Act) on behalf of which the bank agent (meaning a bank agent as defined in Article 2, paragraph (15) of the Banking Act) is acting"; in paragraph (2) of that Article, the phrase "excluding the matters set forth in items (v) and (vi) of that paragraph and other matters specified by Cabinet Office Order)" is deemed to be replaced with "excluding the matters set forth in items (v) and (vi) of that paragraph and other matters specified by Cabinet Office Order) and the reference matters, etc."; in the proviso to that paragraph, the phrase "the relevant matters" is deemed to be replaced with "these matters"; in Article 37-6, paragraph (3) of that Act, the phrase "If a financial instruments transaction contract becomes subject to a cancellation" is deemed to be replaced with "If the financial instruments business operator, etc. has paid damages or other money to a bank in connection with the cancellation of a contract for specified deposit, etc. (meaning a contract for specified deposit, etc. as defined in Article 13-4 of the Banking Act; the same applies in Article 39)", the phrase "for the cancellation of that financial instruments transaction contract beyond the amount specified by Cabinet Office Order as the amount of fees, remuneration, or other consideration payable by the customer with regard to that financial instruments transaction contract (referred to as a 'consideration' in the following paragraph) for the period until the cancellation of that financial instruments transaction contract" is deemed to be replaced with "in connection with that payment", and the phrase "request the customer to pay damages or a penalty" is deemed to be replaced with "request the person who has cancelled the contract to pay damages or other money"; in Article 39, paragraph (1), item (i) of that Act, the term "a purchase and sale or other transaction of securities (excluding a purchase and sale with a repurchase requirement and a predetermined repurchase price, and other transactions specified by Cabinet Order) or a derivatives transaction (hereinafter referred to as a 'purchase and sale or other transaction of securities, etc.' in this Article)" is deemed to be replaced with "the conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc.", the term "securities or derivatives transaction (hereinafter referred to as 'securities, etc.' in this Article)" is deemed to be replaced with "contract for specified deposit, etc.", the term "customer (if a trust company, etc. (meaning a trust company or a financial institution that has obtained the authorization referred to in Article 1, paragraph (1) of the Act on Engagement in Trust Business by Financial Institutions; the same applies hereinafter) conducts the purchase and sale of securities or a derivatives transaction on the account of a person that establishes a trust based on a trust contract, this includes the person that establishes the trust; hereinafter the same applies in this Article)" is deemed to be replaced with "customer", and the term "to supplement its profits" is deemed to be replaced with "to supplement its profits, other than as under the contract for specified deposit, etc."; in Article 39, paragraph (1), item (ii) of that Act, the term "a purchase and sale or other transaction of securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "the conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc.", the term "securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "contract for specified deposit, etc." and the term "in order to add to the profit that the customer has accrued in connection with those securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "in order to add to the profit that the customer has accrued in connection with those securities, etc., other than as under the contract for specified deposit, etc."; in item (iii) of that paragraph, the term "a purchase and sale or other transaction of securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "the conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc.", the term "securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "contract for specified deposit, etc." and the term "in order to add to the profit that the customer has accrued in connection with those securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "in order to add to the profit that the customer has accrued in connection with those securities, etc., other than as under the contract for specified deposit, etc."; in paragraph (2) of that Article, the term "a purchase and sale or other transaction of securities, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "the conclusion of a contract for specified deposit, etc."; in paragraph (3) of that Article, the term "which is specified by Cabinet Office Order as a potential cause of" is deemed to be replaced with "which is a potential cause of"; and any other necessary technical replacement of terms is specified by Cabinet Order.

①The non-business days of a specified bank agent (meaning a bank agent that conducts specified activities as a bank agent (to act as an agent in concluding contracts that concern the acceptance of deposits, as specified by Cabinet Office Order; the same applies in paragraph (1) of the following Article); the same applies in the following paragraph and that Article) are limited to Sundays and the other days specified by Cabinet Order.

②The business hours of a specified bank agent are specified by Cabinet Office Order in consideration of the status of financial transactions.

①Except in the case specified by Cabinet Office Order, when a specified bank agent temporarily suspends all or part of services at its business office or other offices where services involved in specified activities as a bank agent are performed due to a natural disaster or for any other compelling reasons, the specified bank agent must immediately file a notification to that effect with the Prime Minister and give the reason for this, as well as post a sign to that effect at the business office or other offices and, except where the scale of its business is extremely small or in any other case specified by Cabinet Office Order, make it available for public inspection by automatic public transmission conducted by connecting to a telecommunications line, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order. The same applies if the specified bank agent resumes all or part of its services at a business office or other offices in which it has temporarily suspended all or part of its services.

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the posting and the measures to make it available for public inspection pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph are not required if a specified bank agent temporarily suspends part of its services at unmanned business offices or other unmanned offices, and in other cases specified by Cabinet Office Order.

When a bank agent receives a notification referred to in Article 38, paragraph (1) from its principal bank, the bank agent must, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, post the content of the notification received in a place easily seen by the public at all of the business offices and other offices where it performs bank agency services for that principal bank, for a period of not less than one month, as well as make it available for public inspection by automatic public transmission conducted by connecting to a telecommunications line, except where the scale of its business is extremely small or in any other case specified by Cabinet Office Order.

A bank agent must prepare and preserve books and documents concerning bank agency services pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①Each business year, a bank agent must prepare a written report on its bank agency services and submit it to the Prime Minister, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

②Pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, the Prime Minister must make a report on bank agency services referred to in the preceding paragraph available for public inspection, with the exception of particulars that could harm the confidentiality of customers or put a bank agent at an undue disadvantage in executing its services if made available for public inspection.

①For each business year of a principal bank or of the bank holding company that has that principal bank as its subsidiary company, a bank agent must keep the documents that its principal bank prepares pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraphs (1) and (2) and Article 21, paragraphs (1) and (2) or the documents that the bank holding company that has that principal bank as its subsidiary company prepares pursuant to the provisions of Article 52-28, paragraph (1) and Article 52-29, paragraph (1), at all of the business offices and other offices where the bank agent performs bank agency services for that principal bank, and make the documents available for public inspection.

②If the explanatory documents provided for in the preceding paragraph have been prepared as electronic or magnetic records, the bank agent may take a measure that is specified by Cabinet Office Order as a measure that uses electronic or magnetic means to make the information contained in the explanatory documents available to many and unspecified persons at all of their business offices or other offices that perform bank agency services. In such a case, the bank agent is deemed to have made the explanatory documents available for public inspection pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

③Beyond what is provided for in the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, Cabinet Order prescribes the period of time during which the documents referred to in those paragraphs are made available for public inspection and other particulars necessary for applying the provisions of those paragraphs.

If a bank agent comes to fall under any of the cases in the following items, the person specified in that item must file a notification to that effect with the Prime Minister, within 30 days from the day on which the bank agent came to fall under the case:

If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of bank agency services by a bank agent, the Prime Minister may ask the bank agent to make a report or submit materials on the status of their business or property.

①If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of bank agency services by a bank agent, the Prime Minister may have relevant officials enter the business office, office, or other facilities of the bank agent, have those officials ask questions on the status of their business or property, and have them inspect the books, documents, and any other articles.

②In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, the relevant officials must carry an identification card, and must present it if a person concerned requests them to do so.

③The authority under paragraph (1) must not be construed as being granted for criminal investigation purposes.

If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary for ensuring the sound and appropriate management of bank agency services by a bank agent in light of the status of business or property of that bank agent, the Prime Minister may order the bank agent to change their business content or business methods and order other measures that are necessary for supervision, to the extent necessary.

①If a bank agent falls under any of the following items, the Prime Minister may revoke the license referred to in Article 52-36, paragraph (1) or order it to suspend all or part of its bank agency services by setting a due date:

②If an officer of a bank agent comes to fall under any of the items (iii) through (v) of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister may order the bank agent to dismiss that officer.

If a bank agent falls under any of the following items, the license referred to in Article 52-36, paragraph (1) ceases to be effective:

①Pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, a principal bank must give guidance on the services involved in bank agency services that its bank agent performs and take other measures to ensure sound and appropriate management of those services.

②Pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, a principal bank agent (meaning a bank agent that further entrusts another bank agent with bank agency services; the same applies hereinafter) must give guidance on the services involved in bank agency services that the secondary bank agent (meaning a bank agent that carries out bank agency services on re-entrustment from a principal bank agent; the same applies hereinafter) performs, and take other measures to ensure sound and appropriate management of those services.

①A principal bank is liable to compensate for any damage that its bank agent causes a customer in its activities as a bank agent.

②The provisions of the preceding paragraph do not apply in the following cases:

③A principal bank agent is liable to compensate for any damage that its secondary bank agent causes a customer in its activities as a bank agent; provided, however, that this does not apply if the principal bank agent exercises due care in further entrusting the secondary bank agent with those activities and endeavors to prevent the occurrence of the damage that the secondary bank agent causes to the customer in connection with the activities as a bank agent it performs.

④The provisions of paragraph (1) do not preclude the principal bank from exercising its right of reimbursement against the bank agent, and the provisions of the preceding paragraph do not preclude the principal bank agent from exercising its right of reimbursement against the secondary bank agent.

⑤The provisions of Article 724 (Extinctive Prescription of Right to Demand Compensation for Damage Caused by a Tort) and Article 724-2 (Extinctive Prescription of Right to Demand Compensation for Damage Arising from Death or Personal Injury Caused by a Tort) of the Civil Code apply mutatis mutandis to the claim referred to in paragraph (1) or paragraph (3).

①Pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, a principal bank must keep a register of its bank agents at its business offices (other than unmanned business offices and other business offices specified by Cabinet Office Order).

②When it is necessary, a depositor, etc. or other interested persons may make a demand to inspect the register referred to in the preceding paragraph to the principal bank.

①Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 52-36, paragraph (1), a bank, etc. (meaning a bank or a person engaged in financial services specified by Cabinet Order, and excluding a person that has obtained the registration (limited to one concerning the type of deposit, etc. intermediary business operations) referred to in Article 12 (Registration) of the Act on the Provision of Financial Services and the Development of the Accessible Environment Thereto; hereinafter the same applies in this Article) may perform bank agency services.

②If a bank, etc. performs bank agency services pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the bank, etc. is deemed to be a bank agent, and the provisions of Article 13-2, Article 24, Article 25, Article 38, Article 48, Article 52-36, paragraphs (2) and (3), Article 52-39 (excluding paragraph (1) if the bank performs bank agency services) through Article 52-41, Articles 52-43 through 52-56, the preceding three Articles, Article 53, paragraph (4), Article 56 (limited to the part related to item (xi)), Article 57-7, paragraph (2), and the provisions of Chapter IX and Chapter X related to those provisions apply. In such cases, in Article 52-56, paragraph (1), the term "any of the following items" is deemed to be replaced with "item (iv) or item (v)", the phrase "revoke the license referred to in Article 52-36, paragraph (1) or order it to suspend all or part of its bank agency services by setting a due date" is deemed to be replaced with "order it to suspend all or part of its bank agency services by setting a due date", and any other necessary technical replacement of terms is specified by Cabinet Order.

③A bank, etc. must submit documents stating the particulars set forth in the items of Article 52-37, paragraph (1) and the documents set forth in Article 52-37, paragraph (2), item (ii) with the Prime Minister when it seeks to engage in bank agency services.