Hokuyo Bank
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This entry sits under regional-banks INDEX. Read it against Jimoto HD for peer / contrast context and banking index for the broader system / regulatory boundary.
TL;DR
Hokkaido’s largest regional financial institution (total assets 13 兆 4467 億円 / deposits 11 兆 1039 億円 / branches 171 / FY2024 = 2025-03 results, consolidated). Originating from Hokkaido Mujin, established in 1917 , it became Hokuyo Sogo (Mutual) Bank upon conversion to a mutual bank in 1951 , and Hokuyo Bank upon conversion to an ordinary bank in 1989 . A member of the Second Association of Regional Banks. The decisive episode was its **takeover of the in-prefecture operations of the former Hokkaido Takushoku Bank in 1998-11 **, which propelled its in-prefecture share to No.1 . Head office: Odori-nishi 3-7, Chuo-ku, Sapporo (Hokuyo Odori Center).
1. Company overview
Legal name: Hokuyo Bank, Ltd. / English name: North Pacific Bank, Ltd. Established: Taisho 6 (1917 年), month 8 day 20 (as Hokkaido Mujin Co., Ltd.) Head office: Odori-nishi 3 -chome 7 -banchi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido (inside Hokuyo Odori Center) Business type: Member of the Second Association of Regional Banks Parent-company background: Former listed holding company Sapporo Hokuyo Holdings (TSE / Sapporo SE 8328) → 2012-10-01 dissolved and delisted via reverse-absorption merger by Hokuyo Bank (the 3 th case in Japan of a subsidiary bank absorbing its holding company, following Momiji HD and Kirayaka HD). Now a non-listed standalone bank
2025-03 results (consolidated)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total assets | 13 兆 4467 億 3600 万円 |
| Deposit balance | 11 兆 1039 億 9400 万円 |
| Capital | 1211 億 0100 万円 |
| Number of branches | 171 店 (head / branch offices, sub-branches, overseas representative offices) |
| Employees (consolidated) | 2,772 名 |
Major subsidiaries / group companies
- Hokuyo Securities (100%) — retail securities, formerly of the Daido Securities group
- Sapporo Hokuyo Lease — leasing business
- Sapporo Hokuyo Card — credit cards
- Hokuyo Business Service — back-office agency
- Former: Sapporo Hokuyo HD (dissolved 2012-10-01)
Merger / predecessor background
- 1917-08-20: Hokkaido Mujin established (Sapporo, mujin business)
- 1951: Mutual Bank Act enacted → renamed Hokuyo Sogo (Mutual) Bank
- 1989-02: converted to ordinary bank → renamed Hokuyo Bank (transitioned to a second-tier regional bank)
- 1998-11-13: signed the agreement to take over the in-prefecture operations of the former Hokkaido Takushoku Bank ★
- 1998-11-16: took over 109 店 branches from Takugin, bringing total branches to 231 店 and deposit volume to approximately 4.7 兆円
- 2001-04: established the holding company “Sapporo Hokuyo Holdings,” listed on TSE / Sapporo SE 8328
- 2008-10-14: merged with Sapporo Bank (formerly Sapporo Mutual Bank), ending Sapporo Bank’s 58 -year history
- 2012-10-01: Sapporo Hokuyo HD reverse-absorbed by Hokuyo Bank → holding company dissolved and delisted
Correction note: the question prompt states “holding company dissolved via 2017-05 merger,” but per Wikipedia public information, 2012-10-01 is the accurate dissolution date. This note follows the public source.
Key chronology (excerpt)
| Year/month | Event |
|---|---|
| 1917-08 | Hokkaido Mujin established |
| 1951 | Hokuyo Sogo (Mutual) Bank (conversion to mutual bank) |
| 1989-02 | Hokuyo Bank (conversion to ordinary bank) |
| 1998-11-13 | Agreement to take over former Takugin’s in-prefecture operations |
| 1998-11-16 | Took over Takugin’s in-prefecture 109 店 → rose to in-prefecture No.1 |
| 2001-04 | Sapporo Hokuyo HD established, listed on TSE / Sapporo SE 8328 |
| 2008-10-14 | Merged Sapporo Bank (Sapporo Bank ceased to exist) |
| 2012-10-01 | Sapporo Hokuyo HD dissolved (reverse-absorbed by Hokuyo Bank) and delisted |
| 2025-03 | Total assets 13.4 兆円 / deposits 11.1 兆円 |
2. Business-segment map
| Segment | Main business | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | Deposits, mortgages, cards, investment trusts | In-prefecture share No.1, the largest second-tier-regional-bank retail network |
| Corporate | Lending to Hokkaido mid-cap and SME businesses | Took over Takugin’s corporate transactions; main bank to many in-prefecture |
| Public | Designated financial-institution business (partial) for the Hokkaido Government, Sapporo City, etc. | Shared with Dogin (under hokuhoku-fg) |
| Securities | Hokuyo Securities (100%) | Retail securities |
| Leasing | Sapporo Hokuyo Lease | Group complement |
Competitive environment
- In-prefecture No.2: Hokkaido Bank (hokuhoku-fg = under HOKUHOKU FG, a Regional Banks Association member) — the in-prefecture share contest has long been a two-pole structure of “Dogin vs Hokuyo”
- Kitashin brand: Hokkaido Shinkin-chukin affiliated, a regional shinkin federation
- Megabank in-prefecture bases: mufg / smfg / mizuho-fg — overlapping in urban areas and large corporate accounts, but Hokuyo has the edge in in-prefecture retail penetration
- Japan Post Bank / JA Bank: deposit-acquisition competitors
Historical significance of the Takugin takeover ★
1997-11-17 Hokkaido Takushoku Bank failed (the first failure of a city bank) → 1998-11 transferred its in-prefecture 109 店 to Hokuyo Bank. At the time, Hokuyo had only 1/3 行 of Takugin’s employees, 1/5 of its total assets, and 1/10 of its capital — a 3 位 second-tier regional bank within the prefecture. Swallowing it to become in-prefecture No.1 was described as “the snake that swallowed the whale.” The Honshu business was transferred to Chuo Trust Bank (→ Sumitomo Mitsui Trust).
B2C branding
- Logo mark introduced in 1985-10 (the Hokuyo Mutual era)
- “The bank of Hokkaido’s people” positioning rooted in Hokkaido
- The head office “Hokuyo Odori Center” is a landmark along Sapporo’s Odori Park
4. Regulation / policy
- Supervision: FSA / Hokkaido Local Finance Bureau, Ministry of Finance
- Industry body: Second Association of Regional Banks
- Designated financial institution: collection of certain public funds for the Hokkaido Government, etc.
- Recent policy points:
- 2024~ BOJ policy-rate normalization → deposit-loan margin improvement bonus
- In-prefecture population decline / intensifying competition with Dogin
- The summing-up phase at the 25 th anniversary of the Takugin takeover (2023-11)
Related
- hokuhoku-fg (in-prefecture No.2 / parent company of Hokkaido Bank)
- mufg · smfg · mizuho-fg (megabank in-prefecture bases)
- ndfg · sbi-hd
Sources
- Wikipedia: Hokuyo Bank (https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/北洋銀行, 2026-05-19 extraction)
- Wikipedia: Sapporo Hokuyo Holdings (2026-05-19 extraction)
- Wikipedia: Hokkaido Takushoku Bank (2026-05-19 extraction)
- Ministry of Finance, Hokkaido Local Finance Bureau “Hokuyo Bank, Sapporo Bank” announcement (2008-10-14, lfb.mof.go.jp/hokkaido/kinyu/gappei/081014.html)
- Hokuyo Bank official history (hokuyobank.co.jp/about/company/history.html)
[!info] 検証状況 confidence: likely (based on Wikipedia + official history / Hokkaido Local Finance Bureau announcements, 2026-05-19 extraction). FY2024 = 2025-03 figures are from official IR via Wikipedia. The prompt’s statement “holding company dissolved 2017-05 ” has been corrected to 2012-10-01 (on public-source grounds). “Takugin takeover 1998-09 ” has also been corrected to contract signing 1998-11-13 / operations takeover 1998-11-16.