Our Origins：The Norinchukin Bank

About The Norinchukin Bank

The Bank is a private financial institution with Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA), Japan Fishery Cooperatives (JF), Japan Forest Owners’ Cooperatives (JForest), and other cooperatives of farmers, fishermen, and foresters as its members. The Bank aims to facilitate the smooth functioning of financial services for these cooperatives and its members (farmers, fishermen, and foresters), to contribute to the development of the AFF industries and fulfill a major role in society as a contributor to the development of the national economy, as per Article 1 of the Norinchukin Bank Act.

About The Cooperative System

Cooperatives are organizations established under the slogan "one for all and all for one" that are based in communities and play a role in stabilizing people's lives by encouraging mutual aid between people and revitalizing communities. Their functions are performed in a wide range of fields that are concerned with people's livelihoods.
In addition to the cooperative banking business, which involves accepting deposits and making loans, we, the members of agricultural, fishery and forestry cooperatives, engage in a number of other business activities. Among these are providing "guidance" for business and day-to-day matters for farmers, fishermen, and foresters; "economic support" through sale of agricultural, fishery and forestry products as well as procurement of production materials; and "mutual insurance" services for providing mutual aid.
Cooperative members comprise JA, JF, and JForest at the municipal level that perform wide range of activities as described above, and their respective federations and unions at the prefectural level, as well as those at the national level, including the Bank. This nationwide structure from the municipal level to the national level is generally known as “The Cooperative System”.

The Structure of the Cooperative System

This is a diagram explaining the structure of the main cooperative system mentioned above.

Role of The Norinchukin Bank in the Cooperative System

The Bank’s funds are derived from member deposits (the majority of them are made from savings held by individual members of JA and JF) and raised in the market. In order to fulfill the Bank’s role, these financial resources are then lent to farmers, fishermen, and foresters, as well as companies related to AFF industries. In addition to such activities, the Bank efficiently manages its funds through investments in securities and other financial instruments and strives to stably return profits to its members. In addition, the Bank provides various other financial and non-financial services to farmers, fishermen, foresters, and other stakeholders.

This is a diagram explaining the role of The Norinchukin Bank mentioned above.

JA Bank and JF Marine Bank: Cooperative Banking Business

The framework and functions of the banking businesses of JA and JF at the municipal level, JA Shinnoren and JF Shingyoren at the prefectural level, and The Norinchukin Bank at the national level are collectively referred to as the Cooperative Banking Business, which operates JA Bank and JF Marine Bank, each effectively functions as a single financial institution.

To ensure that individual members and users have even stronger confidence in the cooperative banking business and make increased use of their services, under the Enhancement and Restructuring Act*, JA Bank and JF Marine Bank have respectively formulated the JA Bank Basic Policy and the JF Marine Bank Basic Policy, with the unanimous approval of their respective members.

These basic policies chart a basic course toward bankruptcy prevention and unified business operations and define the roles and responsibilities of these banks’ members.

* Act on Enhancement and Restructuring of Credit Business Conducted by The Norinchukin Bank and Specified Agricultural and Fishery Cooperative Savings Insurance Cooperation, etc.

JA Bank ：Organization Overview (as of April 1, 2026)

"JA" Role: • Providing agricultural loans and other various loans based on deposits from farmers and local residents • Depositing surplus funds to JA Shinnoren and the Bank • Returning the profit to farmers Number:491 / "JA Shinnoren" Role: • Managing funds from JA through lending and investments in securities and other financial instruments to return the profits to JA, etc. (depositing surplus funds to the Bank) • Coordinating and guiding financial functions of JA within the jurisdiction Number:31 / "The Norinchukin Bank" • Managing funds from JA and JA Shinnoren through lending and investments in securities and other financial instruments to return the profits • Conducting integrated financial business operations of 491 JAs nationwide, etc. and guidance for ensuring sound business management, as a national level institution of JA Bank Number:1

*1 The number of JAs (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives), 491, is the number of JA Bank members

JF Marine Bank：Organization Overview (as of April 1, 2026)

"JF" Role: • Providing fishery loans and other various loans based on deposits from fishermen and local residents • Depositing surplus funds to JF Shingyoren and the Bank • Returning the profit to fishermen Number:70 /"JF Shingyoren" Role: • Managing funds from deposits from fishermen and local residents and funds from JF through lending and investments in securities and other financial instruments to return the profits to JF, etc. (depositing surplus funds to the Bank) • Coordinating and guiding financial functions of JF within the jurisdiction Number:9 /"The Norinchukin Bank" • Managing funds from JF and JF Shingyoren through lending and investments in securities and other financial instruments to return the profits • Conducting integrated financial business operations of 70 JFs nationwide, etc. and guidance for ensuring sound business management, as a national level institution of JF Marine Bank Number:1

*2 The number of JFs, 70, is the number of JF Marine Bank members

Scale of JA Bank and JF Marine Bank

The following savings, loans, number of branches, and other data describe the scale of JA Bank and JF Marine Bank.

Diagram illustrating the scale of JA Bank. Total JA savings amounted to ¥106.9 trillion as of March 31, 2026, of which individual savings totaled ¥95.5 trillion. JA Bank's share of Japan's domestic individual deposits and savings was 9.4% as of September 30, 2025. JA loans outstanding amounted to ¥25.4 trillion, JA Bank operated 5,823 branches, and JA Bank had 126 mobile branches, all as of March 31, 2026.In agricultural finance, JAs, JA Shinnoren, and The Norinchukin Bank work together under a division of roles to meet the funding needs of agricultural producers. Outstanding agriculture-related loans of JA Bank totaled ¥2,614.5 billion as of March 31, 2026, of which ¥491.2 billion was provided by The Norinchukin Bank. New agricultural loans disbursed by JA Bank totaled ¥399.1 billion during FY2025, of which ¥45.8 billion was provided by The Norinchukin Bank.

Diagram illustrating the scale of JF Marine Bank. As of March 31, 2026, deposits held within the JF system totaled ¥2.6 trillion, loans outstanding within the JF system totaled ¥0.5 trillion, and JF Marine Bank operated 154 branches.