The Sugamo Shinkin Bank

What The Sugamo Shinkin Bank does

The Sugamo Shinkin Bank (巣鴨信用金庫) is a Japanese cooperative financial institution (shinkin) founded in 1922 and headquartered in Toshima, Tokyo, operating 43 branches across nine Tokyo wards and five Saitama cities. It serves individual retail customers across all life stages and small-to-medium enterprises with a full-service product suite spanning ordinary and time deposits, foreign currency deposits (USD/EUR), housing loans (variable and fixed-rate), car, education, unsecured mortgage, free, and mini-card loans, reverse mortgages, investment trusts from multiple asset managers, individual annuities, whole life and medical insurance, iDeCo pensions, and inheritance and civil trust services.

The bank runs a hybrid physical-and-digital distribution model anchored on its branch network and supplemented by Sugamo Personal WEB internet banking, Sugamo Business WEB for corporates, the Shinkin Banking App and Shinkin Passbook App (iOS/Android), touchless ATMs with holographic gesture control, QR-code ATMs for tax payments, and integrations with Pay-easy, e-Tax/eLTAX/e-JIBAI, JEPPO Bank Pay, PayPay, Merpay, J-Coin Pay, and NTT DATA's Mobile Regis. Web Complete (WEB完結型) loan products enable fully online application, contract, and disbursement without branch visits. At-home advisory services (出張バンキング) and the S-biz Business Creation Center extend reach to seniors and SMEs respectively.

Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the deposit-loan spread, supplemented by ATM and transfer fees, foreign exchange spreads, investment trust and insurance distribution commissions, safe deposit box fees, and trust agency commissions. Operating governance is exercised through member-based cooperative ownership with no public shareholders; the bank is registered with the Kanto Finance Bureau (No. 161) and the Japan Securities Dealers Association, and operates under Financial Services Agency oversight as part of the broader Shinkin Central Bank network.

Name

The Sugamo Shinkin Bank

Legal name

巣鴨信用金庫

Website

https://sugamo.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Sugamo Shinkin Bank is a Tokyo-based cooperative shinkin bank operating 43 branches across Tokyo and Saitama, providing deposits, loans, mortgages, investment trusts, insurance, and trust services to retail customers and SMEs through a hybrid branch, internet banking, and mobile app distribution model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036)

akta.pro primary industry

Loan Operations & Servicing (Consumer/SME/Corporate) (FSABALAD)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Cooperative banking
• Consumer lending
• Small business banking
• Internet banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Toshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices41 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income ( Interest Margin): Primary revenue driver: interest income earned on loans (mortgages, car loans, education loans, unsecured personal loans, business loans) exceeding interest paid on deposits (savings, time deposits, foreign currency deposits). Margin products include fixed-rate and floating-rate mortgages, WEB-complete personal loans, reverse mortgages, and small business loans.
2. Fee and Commission Income: ATM usage fees (for non-Sugamo cards at Sugamo ATMs), domestic and international wire transfer fees, account management fees, loan processing fees, foreign exchange transaction fees, guarantee insurance commissions, and investment product (mutual fund) sales commissions. Also includes Pay-easy tax/utility payment fees, direct debit service fees, and collection fees.
3. Investment Fund Distribution: Commissions earned from distributing investment trust (mutual fund) products including bond funds, equity funds, balanced funds, and global REIT funds, sourced from asset management companies including Shinkin Asset Management, Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management, Daiwa Securities, Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management, and Asset Management One.
4. Insurance Distribution: Commissions from selling personal annuity insurance, whole life insurance, medical insurance, and iDeCo (individual defined contribution pension) products as a tied insurance agent.
5. Trust and Fiduciary Services: Trust contract agency services including inheritance trust, civil trust, and reverse mortgage trust administration, with registration as Trust Contract Agency (Registration No.: Kanto Finance Bureau Director (Sub-Shin) No. 30).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Sugamo Shinkin Bank is a member-owned cooperative financial institution (shinkin bank) that provides deposit products (savings, time deposits, foreign currency deposits), loan products (housing, car, education, reverse mortgages, personal loans), investment products (mutual funds, government bonds, iDeCo pension), insurance, and trust services to individual retail customers and small-to-medium enterprises in the Greater Tokyo and Saitama area. It operates 43 physical branches alongside digital channels including internet banking, mobile apps, QR-code and touchless ATMs.

Product overview

The Sugamo Shinkin Bank operates as a regional credit union (shinkin bank) serving the Sugamo area of Tokyo. The bank's product portfolio consists of a unified banking platform offering deposit products (ordinary savings, time deposits, foreign currency deposits), loan products (housing loans, education loans, reverse mortgages), investment products (investment trusts, government bonds, iDeCo pension accounts), and trust services (inheritance trusts). Digital banking services are delivered through the Shinkin consortium apps (Shinkin Passbook App and Shinkin Banking App) for cross-network accessibility, Web Complete Loan for fully online loan applications, and Pay-easy services for tax and utility payments. Business customers are served through Business Support and S-biz Business Creation Center. The bank integrates with various payment networks including PayPay, メルペイ, J-Coin Pay, BankPay, and Swift for international transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• すがもパーソナルWEB: Personal internet banking service for individual customers, providing account access, transfers, and online account management.
• すがもビジネスWEB
• しんきんバンキングアプリ
• しんきん通帳アプリ
• S-bizすがも事業創造センター

Products and services

• Ordinary Savings / Combined Account Basic personal savings account with checking capabilities and integrated banking services for everyday banking needs; 0.300% annual interest.
• Super Time Deposit Time deposit with terms from 3 months to 5 years; 0.375% annual rate for amounts below 3 million JPY. Deposit insurance applies.
• Large-sum Time Deposit Premium time deposit for amounts of 10 million JPY and above; 0.375% annual rate for 1-month and 1-year terms (10-30 million JPY tier).
• Senior Relay Time Deposit Yutori Specialized time deposit for public pension recipients offering Super Fixed 1-year rate + 0.50% preferential; maximum 3 million JPY per person.
• Foreign Currency Deposits (USD and EUR) Foreign currency savings and time deposits; USD rates 0.200-0.850% depending on amount tier and term; EUR 0.010%. Not covered by deposit insurance.
• Investment Trust (Mutual Funds) Investment trust products including bond funds, equity funds, balanced funds, and global REIT funds sourced from Shinkin Asset Management, Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai, Daiwa Securities, Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management, and Asset Management One.
• Individual Government Bonds Government bond products designed for individual investors with various maturity options.
• Housing Loan Housing loan product available in variable rate (standard 3.125%, special 1.650%) and fixed rate options (3/5/10-year); loan amounts 500,000 to 200 million JPY, terms 1-35 years.
• Car Loan WEB Complete Car loan with promotional rate 2.980% (valid until 2027-03-31), standard rate 3.830%; terms up to 15 years, maximum 10 million JPY. Fully online application.
• Education Loan WEB Complete Education loan with promotional rate 2.850% (valid until 2027-03-31), standard rate 3.600%; terms up to 16 years, maximum loan amount determined by annual tuition.
• Unsecured Mortgage WEB Complete Unsecured home loan with promotional rate 2.705% (valid until 2027-03-31), standard 3.165%; maximum 10 million JPY, terms up to 20 years, no collateral or guarantor required.
• Free Loan WEB Complete Multi-purpose personal loan with promotional rate from 3.400%, standard 8.150-13.500%; maximum 10 million JPY (500 million for business), terms up to 10 years.
• Mini Card Loan WEB Complete Small revolving personal loan with fixed rate 13.500%; limits 300,000 / 500,000 / 1,000,000 JPY; 3-year term with renewal option.
• Reverse Mortgage Reverse mortgage product through partnership with Hogaraka Trust allowing senior homeowners to convert home equity into loan proceeds.
• Sugamo Apartment Loan Loan product targeted at property investors for apartment building financing, available to corporate/business customers.
• Personal Annuity Insurance Personal annuity insurance products distributed by the bank as a tied insurance agent.
• Whole Life Insurance

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Shinkin Central Bank (信金中央金庫)coreTechnology or IntegrationMain correspondent bank and parent organization for the Shinkin banking network. Provides agency services for Shinkin banks, acts as the primary counterparty for inter-bank settlements, and is a key provider of banking infrastructure and shared services for Shinkin member banks including Sugamo.
• Shinkin Banks Information System Center Co LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides and operates the core banking digital platforms including the Shin Kin banking app infrastructure and internet banking backend systems used by Sugamo Shinkin Bank.
• Hogaraka Trust (ほがらか信託株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust company partner for the reverse mortgage product (リバースモーゲージ). Sugamo acts as trust agent, and Hogaraka Trust is the trustee entity managing the trust contract for collateralized home equity conversion loans.
• Shinkin Asset Management (しんきんアセットマネジメント投信株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsset management company whose investment trust funds (Shinkin Index Fund 225, Shinkin Dividend Fund, Shinkin 3-Asset Fund, Shinkin Global 6-Asset Fund) are distributed exclusively at Sugamo Shinkin branches and internet banking.
• Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management (三菱UFJ国際投信株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsset manager whose Global Sovereign Open fund is distributed at Sugamo Shinkin.
• Daiwa Securities Investment Trust (大和証券投資信託委託株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsset manager whose Daiwa Value Stock Open fund is distributed at Sugamo Shinkin.
• Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management (三井住友アセットマネジメント株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsset manager whose Sumitomo Mitsui Global REIT Open fund is distributed at Sugamo Shinkin.
• Asset Management One (アセットマネジメントOne株式会社)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAsset manager whose DIAM World 3-Asset Open fund is distributed at Sugamo Shinkin.
• Japan Electronic Payment Promotion Organization (日本電子決済推進機構 / JEPPO)coreTechnology or IntegrationOrganization providing the Bank Pay QR-code payment infrastructure enabling Sugamo customers to link their accounts to PayPay, Merpay, J-Coin Pay, and Bank Pay apps for instant payments and P2P transfers (ことら送金).
• PayPay CorporationmajorTechnology or IntegrationQR-code payment app enabling instant account linkage and payments. Sugamo customers can register their bank account for PayPay payments via Shin Kin Instant Direct Debit service with IVR authentication.
• Merpay (株式会社メルペイ)majorTechnology or IntegrationQR-code payment service of Mercari. Sugamo customers can register their account via the instant direct debit service for use with the Merpay app.
• J-Coin Pay (J-Coin Pay株式会社)majorTechnology or IntegrationQR-code payment platform by Mizuho Financial Group. Sugamo accounts can be linked for instant direct debit payments via the J-Coin Pay app.
• Bank Pay (銀行Pay)majorTechnology or IntegrationBank-backed QR-code payment service operated through JEPPO infrastructure. Enables Sugamo customers to make payments at Bank Pay participating merchants.
• NTT DATA Corporation (株式会社NTTデータ)majorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for the Mobile Regis (モバイルレジ) service, enabling tax and utility bill payments via QR code scanning at ATMs. Sugamo Personal WEB customers can use this service to pay taxes and fees.
• General Incorporated Association Shinkin Zeronet Service (しんきんゼロネットサービス)coreTechnology or IntegrationNationwide Shinkin bank network enabling Sugamo cash card holders to withdraw and deposit cash fee-free at partner Shinkin bank ATMs across Japan during weekday business hours (8:45–18:00).
• Allied Shinkin Banks (通帳記帳相互サービス提携信用金庫)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 Shinkin banks nationwide (including Sugamo itself) participate in the passbook update interchange service, enabling Sugamo customers to update passbooks at partner bank ATMs nationwide. Includes banks from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
• Shinkin Guarantee Fund ((一社)しんきん保証基金)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuarantee company providing credit guarantees for consumer loans (personal loans, car loans, education loans, unsecured mortgages, free loans, mini-card loans, and credit line products) offered by Shinkin banks, enabling collateral-free lending.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Saitama Shinkin Bank: Shinkin bank operating primarily in Saitama prefecture, overlapping Sugamo's geographic footprint. Closely comparable in cooperative ownership, retail/SME lending focus, and Shinkin-network technology partnerships.
• Suruga Bank: Regional commercial bank with a strong retail and SME lending franchise in Shizuoka. Comparable in heavy reliance on secured/unsecured consumer lending (housing, card) and digital channel expansion, though operated as a commercial bank.
• Shizuoka Shinkin Bank: One of Japan's largest Shinkin banks by deposits, offering a similar comprehensive retail/SME product portfolio (housing loans, investment trusts, insurance, internet banking) under the same cooperative regulatory framework as Sugamo.
• Yokohama Shinkin Bank: Major Kanagawa-based Shinkin bank with a similar retail and SME focus, full deposit/loan/investment product suite, and Shinkin-network digital infrastructure. Comparable in cooperative structure, member-owned model, and product breadth.
• Tokyo Shinkin Bank: Tokyo-headquartered Shinkin bank operating within the same metropolitan market, offering a similar mix of retail deposits, mortgage lending, and digital banking services under the cooperative Shinkin framework.
• Chiba Shinkin Bank: Kanto-region Shinkin bank serving Chiba prefecture with a parallel product suite (deposits, housing loans, investment trusts, internet banking). Comparable in member-owned structure and SME/community focus.

Broad incumbents

• Hyakugo Bank: Listed regional bank (Mie prefecture) with a broader product portfolio including trust banking and wider geographic reach. Overlaps Sugamo in retail deposits, housing loans, and SME banking but operates as a commercial bank rather than cooperative.

Emerging players

• Rakuten Bank: Japan's leading online bank, competing directly for retail deposits, mortgages, foreign currency accounts, and SME banking with a lower cost structure. Relevant peer for assessing Sugamo's defensive positioning against digital disruption.
• SBI Sumishin Net Bank: Online bank with a strong mortgage and retail deposit franchise, competing for the same digitally active retail and SME customers as Sugamo. Comparable in product breadth (deposits, mortgages, investment trusts) but with a fully digital delivery model.

Others

• Seven Bank: ATM-focused bank with a nationwide non-branch footprint. Indirectly comparable to Sugamo via shared focus on ATM technology innovation (touchless, multilingual, QR-enabled) and participation in the broader Japanese ATM ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about The Sugamo Shinkin Bank