Japan's regional banks log record growth in property lending

Nikkei Asia reports that outstanding real estate loans at Japan's regional banks rose 7% year on year to 47.3 trillion yen in April–June 2026. The 3.12 trillion yen increase was the largest since comparable data began in 2011, and property financing made up nearly half of lending at some banks. Regulators are monitoring the exposure as rising interest rates risk hurting real estate profitability.