Financial services in Japan ATMs are common throughout the country, especially in densely populated urban areas. In April 2007, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe asked Japan's financial regulator to draw up measures to relax the rules that separate banking and broking businesses . Financial services in Japan Financial services in Japan refers to the services provided in Japan by the finance industry: banks, investment banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, consumer finance companies, government sponsored enterprises, and stock brokerages. Japanese law defines several types of financial institutions: There are over 50 foreign banks in Japan, including Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse,
2014 Japanese general election re-appointed). The turnout in this election is the lowest in Japanese history. In 2012, the Democratic Party government under Yoshihiko Noda decided to implement a raise of the Japanese consumption tax. Following this move, the Liberal Democratic Party under Shinzo Abe regained control of the Japanese government in the December 2012 general election. Abe proceeded to implement a series of economic programs known as "Abenomics" in a bid to stimulate the economy. Despite these programs, Japan entered a technical recession in mid-2014, which Abe blamed on the consumption tax hike, even though many members of the LDP supported the hike.