Can Japan’s Ailing Banking System Be Cured?

Half-Day Conference
Co-organized by Columbia Business School Center on Japanese Economy and Business

Japan’s non-performing loan problem is not going away. Despite efforts to clean up the mess, Japanese banks are still saddled with trillions of yen in problem loans. While Prime Minister Koizumi has vowed to stick to his plan to promote the disposal of banks’ bad debt over the next three years, he faces stiff resistance to restructuring from both within his own party and without. In addition, many analysts wonder whether the cure could be worse than the disease, with bank restructuring sparking more corporate bankruptcies and higher unemployment.

Can Japan’s ailing banks be cured? How will loan workouts and corporate restructuring proceed? This half-day conference tries to answer those questions by bringing together senior Japanese and American politicians, policymakers, bank executives and analysts to discuss the prospects for reform. Includes continental breakfast and buffet reception.

Agenda