SBI and Chikuho Bank End Partnership, First Exit From ‘Fourth Megabank’ Plan
The split reflects a clash of SBI’s integration drive with Chikuho’s community-focused management.
Overview
- Both companies announced on Dec. 24 that they agreed to terminate their capital and business tie-up.
- Chikuho Bank entered the partnership in 2020 and had been using SBI Group systems under the arrangement.
- Reporting attributes the breakup to differing strategies over deeper alliance integration versus locally centered governance.
- The end of the tie-up is reported as the first withdrawal from SBI’s regional bank alliance concept.
- The move signals pushback within Japan’s regional banking sector against centralized consolidation models.