Chugoku Bank is a small Japanese lender named after the central Japanese region where it’s based. But it is having to turn away Chinese would-be customers convinced they have come across a branch of the global giant Bank of China.
That’s because, when written in Japanese, its name is identical to the name of its Beijing-headquartered peer. It literally translates to “Middle Country Bank” in English.
Some branches are dealing with confused Chinese tourists “every day” according to a spokeswoman for the bank. That’s prompted the lender, a unit of Tokyo-listed Chugin Financial Group, to post Chinese-language signs explaining that the two are unrelated.
Japan has become a booming tourist destination since COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, and those travelers are increasingly venturing deeper into Japan’s regions, including Okayama Prefecture, where Chugoku Bank is based.
Some 765,100 visitors arrived from China in April, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization show, more than from any other country, and a 43.4% rise in numbers from a year earlier.
Still, the news has sparked debate on social media, including a post by outspoken Chinese diplomat Zhang Heqing questioning why the bank chose the name in the first place.
