Tono Shinkin Bank

What Tono Shinkin Bank does

Tono Shinkin Bank (興能信用金庫) is a regional Japanese credit union (shinkin) founded in 1933, headquartered in Noto Town, Ishikawa Prefecture, and operating 23 branches across Ishikawa Prefecture with particular density on the Noto Peninsula and broader Hokuriku region. The institution provides retail and commercial banking services to three primary customer segments: individual consumers (deposits, mortgages, consumer, education, and car loans), local small and medium enterprises (business loans, working capital financing, business matching), and local government entities (public fund management and municipal banking). Its self-capital ratio of 17.34% (March 2016) sits well above the 4% regulatory floor, indicating a conservatively capitalized balance sheet. Member-owned and not publicly listed, the bank has no venture capital or private equity backing.

The bank's technology stack is traditional banking infrastructure rather than technology-led: an internet banking platform, a smartphone app, software/hardware token one-time password authentication (in production since 2016), telephone banking, IC cash cards (launched October 2025), paperless passbook via Hi-Co通帳 (September 2025), electronic claims through the national Densai Net (でんさいネット) network, and Pay-easy tax payment integration. Investment and trust services are delivered through an agency relationship with Shinkin Central Bank (登録番号 5号), including iDeCo (defined contribution pension) administration and NISA investment trust sales. Card products include the T-Card Plus / V Card Plus co-branded loyalty card integrated with the T-Point program.

The revenue model is composed of interest income on the loan book (mortgages including Flat35 long-term fixed-rate housing loans up to ¥80M, consumer loans, and SME financing), transaction and service fees (ATM transfers of ¥110-¥440 cross-bank, safe deposit box rentals ¥4,400-¥11,000/year, loan processing fees ¥5,500-¥55,000), and trust/agency commissions. GTM is relationship-banking-led through the 23-branch physical network, supplemented by internet, mobile, and telephone channels. Recent strategic priorities include post-earthquake disaster recovery lending in the Noto region (launched October 2024 following the Noto earthquake), SME business support services (the ねっとわーく business matching network, 社長塾 President's School, Noto Satoyama Satoumi startup academy, and the Broaden women's business support team established October 2025), and an energy-efficiency advisory partnership with NEXYZ. (September 2025). The bank discontinued its foreign exchange business in July 2022 as a portfolio rationalization.

Name

Tono Shinkin Bank

Legal name

興能信用金庫 (Kono Shinkin Bank)

Website

https://kono-shinkin.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tono Shinkin Bank is a Japanese regional credit union founded in 1933, operating 23 branches across Ishikawa Prefecture, providing deposit, mortgage, consumer, and SME lending services plus business support programs to individuals, local businesses, and municipal entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Banking

NAICS

Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

Savings Institution, Federally Chartered (6035)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Sector/Specialty Banking (Vertical-focused: Healthcare, Agri, Tech, etc.) (FSABABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI)

Keywords

• Regional banking services
• Consumer lending
• Deposit accounts
• Small business financing
• Mortgage loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Ishikawa

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Primary revenue from interest margins on loans including mortgages, business loans, and personal loans. Loans include 金利自由選択型住宅ローン (Select), フラット35, consumer loans, and SME financing.
2. Fee Income: Transaction fees from ATM usage, wire transfers, account management, loan processing, foreign exchange, and safe deposit box rentals. Detailed fee schedules published for various services.
3. Trust and Investment Services: iDeCo (individual defined contribution pension) administration, investment trust sales, and related trust services through agency relationship with Shinkin Central Bank.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tono Shinkin Bank (興能信用金庫) is a regional Japanese credit union founded in 1933 that operates 23 branches across Ishikawa Prefecture, providing deposit accounts, mortgage and consumer loans, business financing for SMEs, internet and telephone banking, ATM services, debit and loyalty cards, and investment/pension products (iDeCo, NISA, investment trusts). The bank also offers SME business support programs including business matching, startup incubation (Noto Satoyama Satoumi), and quarterly regional economic surveys.

Product overview

Tono Shinkin Bank offers a comprehensive banking platform with multiple service channels. The core offerings include deposit accounts (普通預金, 定期預金, 貯蓄預金), diverse loan products (住宅ローン, フラット35, マイカーローン, 教育ローン, フリーローン, リ・バース60), card services (Vカードプラス/Tカードプラス, ICキャッシュカード, デビットカード), and investment/savings products (，投信, NISA, iDeCo). Digital services center around the internet banking platform and smartphone app, supplemented by telephone banking and extensive ATM networks. Business services include SME business surveys (ビジネスレーダー), business matching (ねっとわーく), startup support programs (能登里山里海創業塾), and the regional support division with specialized teams. Settlement services feature electronic record claims via でんさいネット, Pay-easy tax payments, and foreign exchange. The bank recently introduced IC cash cards and passbookless services as digital innovations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vカードプラス（こうのうMembers）: Co-branded credit card service offered in partnership with T-Point loyalty program.
• Hi-Co通帳
• こうのう Members カード
• のと里山里海ビジネスプランコンテスト
• こうのう長期固定金利型住宅ローン（フラット35）

Products and services

• Internet Banking Service (インターネットバンキング) Web-based online banking platform for individuals and corporate customers enabling account management, transfers, bill payments, loan applications, and investment transactions via browser.
• Shinkin Banking Smartphone App (しんきんバンキングアプリ) Mobile banking application for smartphone access to account services, transfers, balance inquiries, and notifications.
• Housing Loan (住宅ローン) Home purchase and construction loans with Shinkin Guarantee (up to 200 million yen, 50-year term), preferred-rate Prime variable and fixed options, and unsecured refinancing.
• Flat 35 Long-Term Fixed-Rate Housing Loan (こうのう長期固定金利型住宅ローン フラット35) Long-term fixed-rate housing loan in partnership with Japan Housing Finance Agency, covering up to 80 million yen with terms up to 35 years.
• My Car Loan (マイカーローン) Automobile purchase financing with web-closed application option for faster processing, interest rates ranging 1.800%-3.100%.
• Education Loan (教育ローン) Education financing for tuition and educational expenses with web-closed application option, interest rates ranging 1.400%-1.800%.
• Free Loan (フリーローン) Unsecured personal loans for flexible use including WEB-closed applications for select products, with interest rates of 4.00%-6.00% in the first stage.
• Scholarship Support Loan Pascal (奨学金サポートロンパスカル) Student loan guarantee program offered via Shinkin Guarantee Fund for higher education financing.
• Kono Members Card / T-Card Plus (Vカードプラス/こうのう Members) Co-branded credit/debit card integrating V-Point (formerly T-Point) loyalty program with banking services, providing point earning, redemption, and loan interest rate benefits for salary deposits.
• Debit Card Service (デビットカードサービス) Visa debit card service for cashless payments and ATM withdrawals, in partnership with Kinki Shinkin Card.
• IC Cash Card Service (ICキャッシュカードサービス)

Quantifiable outcome

• Self-capital ratio of 17.34% (2016), significantly above the 4% regulatory minimum, indicating strong financial stability

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NEXYZ. (株)NEXYZ.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2025Partnership established September 2025 for supporting energy-saving equipment adoption by SMEs in Ishikawa Prefecture. Kono Shinkin provides financing support for equipment purchases while NEXYZ. provides technical consulting services.
• Shinkin Central Bank (信金中央金庫)coreTechnology or IntegrationAgency relationship for trust services, proxy lending (信用金庫代理業), and trust contract agency services (信託契約代理業). Registration number: 北陸財務局長(代信)第5号. Provides iDeCo administration and investment trust services through this partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kanazawa Shinkin Bank: Another Shinkin bank operating in Ishikawa Prefecture with overlapping retail and SME banking services. Direct competitor in the same regional market with similar cooperative structure and member-owned governance model.
• Hokkoku Bank: Major regional commercial bank headquartered in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, serving the same Hokuriku region with retail, SME, and corporate banking. Most direct competitor at a larger scale.
• Fukui Shinkin Bank: Shinkin bank operating in the broader Hokuriku region with similar cooperative banking model. Part of the Hokuriku 3-prefecture ATM alliance enabling free cross-border access.
• Toyama Shinkin Bank: Shinkin bank in adjacent Toyama Prefecture with overlapping SME lending and retail deposit services. Complements Tono's footprint through the Hokuriku ATM alliance.

Broad incumbents

• Hokuto Bank: Regional bank serving the Hokuriku region with broader corporate and investment banking capabilities. Competes for the same SME and retail customers but operates at significantly larger scale with broader product set.
• Japan Post Bank: Nationwide deposit-taking institution with deep rural penetration, including post offices in the Noto Peninsula. Competes for retail deposits and basic banking services across Tono's geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• SBI Sumishin Net Bank: Japan's leading internet-only bank offering competitive deposit rates and mortgage products nationwide. Increasing competitive pressure on traditional Shinkin banks by capturing digitally-native customers.
• Rakuten Bank: Digital-native bank with broad retail and SME banking services. Competes for the same depositor and borrower segment through superior digital UX and often more attractive pricing.

Others

• Shinkin Central Bank: Central cooperative bank for the Shinkin system, providing correspondent banking, trust agency services, and institutional funding to Tono Shinkin. Both upstream partner and systemic counterparty.

Regional players

• Zero Bank (Fukuho Financial Group affiliate): Regional banking group serving Hokuriku through the Hokuto Bank network. Operates in adjacent/overlapping geography with broader commercial banking capabilities relevant to Tono's SME customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBQhaa284DzvL55nKdvuFLQ
• Instagraminstagram.com/konoshinkin

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tono Shinkin Bank